Kitchen Litho

Step-by-step instructions on how to do emilie Alzier Brouard's 'Kitchen Litho' process (shown by Bonnie Schetski-Heineman & Kirk Benson). More results from our test run at printzeal.blogs...

[@michaelmaersch]

Cool thing is: by using that sheet of plexi to wrap your foil onto, when running your "plate" through the press you are embossing your paper as well - almost like doing an etching!

[@phyllisjeanfulton]

How do you avoid finger prints without using gloves?

[@phyllisjeanfulton]

Are you using gum Arabic and citric acid in the water and forgot to say?

[@teesha123]

I tried this so many times. the soap did the opposite effect and created a negative (the ink stuck to the foil leaving behind what i painted with soap?? Crayons and 9b and marker didn't work AT ALL. No etching really happened and the more i rubbed with the oil the more the soap dissapeared and there was no printing at all. I used white vinegar, then soda, but not coke as i didnt have any in the house. Is there not any other alternative? why else didn't it work!? :(

[@Lipschtik]

The black crayon used was a litho crayon. You can buy them (different hardnesses) at most art supply stores. They are made by Korn Litho Crayon Company.

[@verbsmom]

Very interesting visually, but I have to say that I cannot hear the majority of what she is saying, so I don't know what she is using, etc... - and the closed captions suck for trying to capture it.

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

I agree, the accent is hard to follow, and the recording doesn't help. But still, thanks!

[@Ohsweetserenade]

Is there any way to make the ink on the aluminum permanent or, alternatively, make the original etch stand out more? Like if i wanted to do the same process on a piece of aluminum that was going to be decorative like a lamp or something? Thanks in advance.

[@gretacarlton]

I get such a dirty print. I've tried 3 times and I end up with a lot of scum on the negative spaces. Is it because of the hardness of the ink? I'm using Speedball block printing ink, But I could get ahold of some Gamblin etching ink...

[@plushsnail]

Hello, I was experimenting with this process today and I'm having the same issues as you're describing here... and I'm also using Speedball block printing ink. Did you ever figure out what the problem was? Did you try to do it with a different kind of ink?

[@ComandoJhoe]

Omg this is awesome! D: What did you used to draw on the aluminium? I mean one is soap, but the black color, It was oil pastel?

[@elKachivache]

So... is the actual reaction of the cola and the oil-based thing what makes the alluminium to retain ink or is the oil based thing just a block to the soda wich polish the negative part of the drawing?

[@elKachivache]

also could you name the materials you used for drawing pls? i tried this techinique today with butter, i also tried the litho crayon but didnt work. thank you.

[@maryblue75]

hello!! would castile soap work???

[@Lipschtik]

Murphy's oil soap works well. It's a liquid and can be painted on with any size brush. Otherwise vegetable soap...known as "Marseille soap." I also used homemade "Amish" soap and it worked. You may want to experiment. Hope this helps!

[@alanjameson8664]

Ah, perhaps the problem is that people are not actually using soap when they think they are. I do not know why, but many things sold as "soap" are actually detergents, often mixed with hand lotion (or sometimes glycerine). Ivory brand soap is real soap, as is Kirk's coco castille soap.

[@Exsina1000]

But what soap to draw?

[@neoseyes]

why dont you use gum arabic?