Alternative print Workshop
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
Join the Hunter’s of Light and The Alternative Print Workshop for an incredible experience in alternative printing.
The Alternative Print Workshop offers an educational and working environment where artists can learn, create and be inspired! A wide variety of workshops in Black and White darkroom and historical photographic processes are offered, as well as workshops with renowned artists and craft workshops such as Bookbinding, Printmaking and Marbling.
Join us in exploring some alternative print workshops like the Pinhole camera workshop, Lith printing workshop, Cyanotype workshop or a Linocut workshop.
These workshops are incredibly interactive so consider bringing a friend, some wine and have a fantastic day out.
The workshop dates will be determined by workshop attendees, so please specify your preferred date in the form below.
Pinhole Workshop
The Pinhole Workshop is a magical and creative exploration of the most basic form of photography. In this workshop you build your own camera from scratch, expose a number of films and print them in a traditional darkroom.
An ordinary biscuit tin is converted into a pinhole camera by painting the inside matt black and by making a tiny pinhole. Large sheets of Black & White film is loaded into the biscuit tin and exposed for a short duration of time in bright sunlight. The film is then processed in the darkroom, and positive images are printed on B&W paper. Since the pinhole camera has no viewfinder you have to guess what the camera sees, and fascinating images are captured as the cylindrical shape of the tin results in bent and curved horizons. A highlight of this workshop is working in a traditional darkroom, and you will process and print all of your own pinhole photographs.
No photography experience is required, and all ages from 14 and upwards are welcome to enroll. All materials included in the fee price. We have successfully hosted this educational workshop at a number of schools including Roedean, St. John’s and St. Mary’s. If you are a schoolteacher, and interested in hosting this pinhole workshop at your school, please contact us as we offer special educational rates.
Duration: Full Day
Time: 8-30am to 3-30pm
Class Size: Max 8
Cost: R700.00 pp includes all materials
Lith Printing
Discovered in the 1970s by inquisitive photographers, this beautiful and expressive darkroom process yields B&W prints uniquely characterised by warm and colourful tones, cold gritty shadows and soft delicate highlights. One of Dennis’ favourite printing techniques, this is a very special workshop and a wide range of lith techniques are explored. The intrinsic beauty and creative potential of this B&W process is endless. A large variety of papers and chemicals can be used to produce these provocative prints. To achieve a lith print, a suitable black and white photographic paper is overexposed and partially developed in highly diluted developer, by utilising this particular mode of action known as infectious development, a print with black shadows, coloured mid tones and delicate highlights is typically the result. In this practical full-day workshop you will learn basic lith printing theory, print on a range of different papers, explore lith-related processes, and tone your images with thiocarbamide, selenium and gold toners. We aim to produce at least 5 different lith prints during this workshop. Intermediate to advanced darkroom skill levels, we can accommodate a maximum of 6 participants to allow each their own enlarger and personal processing space. Please bring a selection of at least 5 x 35mm B&W negatives that you will print during this workshop. All materials, paper and chemistry is included in the workshop fee.
Duration: 1 Day
Time: 8-30am to 5-00pm
Class Size: Max 5
Cost: R800.00 pp includes all materials
Cyanotype Printing
Sir John Herschel (1792 – 1871) discovered this beautiful and simplistic printing process in 1842. Preceded by the Daguerreotype and Calotype processes, it was the 3rd successful and non-silver photographic process invented in 1842. Cyanotype prints are archival, and render images in delicate monochrome tones of Prussian blue. Sir Herschel’s photographs from the 1840s still survive to this day.
Cyanotype is often the first alternative process tried by artists, and is noted for its simplicity, cost-effectiveness and safety. It is an immensely satisfying process with few limitations and restrictions – only creative freedom! Although the emphasis of this workshop focuses on the Cyanotype process it functions a dual purpose by exposing participants to the expressive world of alternative and historical photographic printmaking. Fused with history, theory and a strong practical component, participants are guided through the mixing of chemistry, paper choices, coating techniques, negative options, and processing steps. These topics are covered in detail and are closely related to most of the iron-based and silver hand-applied alternative processes.
You will make two Cyanotype prints during this half-day workshop, a creative and historical photogram, as well a photographic image. For this workshop we require an A4 digital photograph to be emailed to us a week prior to the workshop. This workshop is suitable for ages 12 and up, beginners, as well as artists exploring alternative and historical printing methods.
Duration: 1 Day
Time: 8-30am to 3-00pm
Class Size: Max 8
Cost: R700.00 pp includes all materials
Linocut workshop
Linocut is a relief printmaking technique similar to woodcut. An image is created by carving into a sheet of linoleum with appropriate linocut tools. The surface of the carved plate is then inked with a brayer and impressed onto paper by hand burnishing or with an etching press. Famed artists such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse used this process in their own practice.
In this practical full-day workshop participants carve, ink and print their plates by hand and with a printing press, and learn about the tools, inks and papers used in the process. To provide individual attention, we can only accept 8 participants. For inspiration purposes we introduce a theme with each concurrent workshop, and as this workshop is closely associated with Alan Jeffrey’s Book Binding we encourage participants to consider linocut book cover designs. You are welcome, however, to create any image that you please. Whilst freehand drawing onto the plates is encouraged, we do supply carbon copy paper for tracing purposes as well.
This workshop is open for all levels and ages 14 years and up. An interesting range of participants attends the Linocut workshop, including artists, photographers, craftsmen and woman, and schoolteachers and pupils. We are noticing a steady influx of designers and creative directors who seek inspiration and wish to reawaken the art of working with one’s hands.
Duration: Full Day
Time: 8.30am to 4pm
Class Size: Max 8
Cost: R800.00 pp includes all materials
Introduction to book binding with Alan Jeffrey
Master Bookbinder Alan Jeffrey presents, in conjunction with the Alternative Print Workshop, an exciting new range of Bookbinding workshops. The first chapter of this series is the Introduction to Bookbinding Workshop. As numerous binding methods are available to the aspiring bookbinder, great care was taken in designing this foundational workshop.
In this full-day intensive and practical workshop participants will learn the basic and most necessary bookbinding skills to create a 64 page adhesive-free limp binding book. Paper basics and tearing are discussed and demonstrated, as well as all the tools, techniques, stitching, knotting, cover assembly and binding plans associated with this beautiful handcrafted process. The hand-bound book can be used as an artist book, diary, notebook or sketchbook. This workshop is closely associated with APW’s historical photographic process workshops as well as Niall Bingham’s Linocut Workshop where participants learn to create linocut book cover designs.
A maximum of 12 participants are accepted in this workshop. Complete beginners and ages 14 and upward are welcome to enroll. All materials are included in the workshop fee. As this workshop is very popular, early booking is essential.
Alan Jeffrey: Worked for 11 years at the then African Museum, now MuseumAfrica. During that time he studied Museum Technology at the Cape Technikon from 1983 to 1985. In 1990 he was invited to apprentice for Roger Bolton, master binder at the Brenthurst Library. He was trained, full-time, in all aspects of bookbinding and book restoration. He apprenticed for 10 years when he took over the running of Brenthurst bindery in 2001. In 2012 he retired but continues to work twice a week at the Brenthurst Library where he is training two assistants while, at the same time, handing over the day-to-day running of the bindery. He continues to do bookbinding and book restoration for private clients as well as presenting educational workshops.
Duration: 1 Day
Time: 08:30 –16:00
Class Size: Max 8
Cost: R800.00 pp includes all materials
