Sometimes silk aquatint is referred to as silk mezzotint or silk collagraph. The first written reference to the technique is in the book Collagraph Printmaking by Mary Ann Wenniger (Watson-Guptill, 1975). The silk aquatints in the book were made by Donald Stoltenberg.

This process is safe and inexpensive, and can produce surprisingly rich and varied results. Thin, finely woven fabric is glued to a stiff backing. Then the pockets in the weave are filled with acrylic paint, in varying amounts, to create halftones. The plate is then wiped as an intaglio and printed in the same way.

In addition to teaching at New York University, master printer Kathy Caraccio has taught silk aquatint at Women's Studio Workshop (Rosendale, N.Y., U.S.A.) for ten years. The catalog class description reads: "Silk aquatint has the richness of mezzotint, the spontaneity of action painting, the sheer washes of water color or the vivacious surface of a palette knife impasto and the durability of a steel faced etching plate all without acid." Kathy Caraccio and Robert Kelly have worked together for ten years. She editions his silk aquatint plates and feels they are an excellent example of a direct callagraphic approach. He scratches through a thick impasto with a blunt tool to recreate graffiti and other markings on ancient walls.

To prepare a silk aquatint plate, you will need a substrate or backing board, some black and some white acrylic paint and fabric. Caraccio prefers to use high impact polystyrene because it comes in large sheets, has the thickness of a zinc plate and cuts easily, even curved shapes with just a mat knife. Other choices are Plexiglas, rigid wood or metal. Avoid cardboard as it is too soft and absorbent. For black paint, use any kind, even inexpensive house paint as long as it is acrylic. The acrylic white paint should be artist's quality. Acrylic medium or gel are needed too, but do not use gesso or modeling paste as they both have a sandy texture. For a brush to make the plate, use a sponge brush if possible. For the image making, some artists use trowels, spatulas and squeegees as well as painting brushes. Caraccio's favorite fabric is silk screening polyester 12xx or 14xx. Real silk organdy will work as well; other fabrics can be experimented with. Wrinkles are a potential problem. Roll the fabric and do not let it touch the floor to avoid dust.

First, sand the backing material lightly to give it tooth. Next, clean the board of all dust with water and a rag and let dry. The black paint is then applied to the board after first thinning it to the consistency of light cream. If you are getting obvious brush strokes, thin the paint even more. After the black is dry, inspect the surface for any lumps and remove them. Next cut your fabric on the bias and cut the fabric larger than the backing by one half inch. The bias cut prevents fraying around the edges. Lay the fabric over the painted backing. It is helpful for the next step to lay your backing plate on a surface into which tacks or pushpins can be used. Tack around the edges only if there are wrinkles to be pulled out. Now with a brush, flood paint the fabric with more black paint. Make this a fluid application to drench the pores of the weave. This colors the silk and adheres it to the backing. Let dry completely, about three hours.

Now prepare the white paint by mixing 1/5 acrylic white paint with 4/5 acrylic medium (for smooth coating) or gel (for impasto effect). Now begin to make your image. If you do not wish to see brush strokes in the print, water down the white paint and use more layers (letting the paint dry before adding to the layers). You can wet the silk for water color effects. Let your plate dry and trim the edges. Ink with a square of cardboard or plastic ink spreader. Wipe the plate with tarlatan.

Hand wipe the highlights, clean the edges and print on dampened paper. The results should be "what you see is what you get." Most artists find that after the first proof that they need to add more white paint. To add to an already inked plate, you will need to clean the plate with odorless paint thinner and rags. Make sure the plate is very clean and free of ink residue and then you can continue with the white paint mixture to add to your design. Caraccio uses Hanchy brand tint base 191x to make the inks more transparent and cold press safflower oil, sparingly, to lubricate. Once you have painted with the white paint mixture you cannot go backwards to get back to a black. You can glue down more silk, but this will leave a visible patch. Avoid overprinting one plate over the other. The inks will be just too thick to lie down well. Caraccio suggests that you use drypoint or etching as additional layers in a multi-plate process.

Both Kathy Caraccio and I have experimented with using water based inks with this process instead of oil based inks. Speedball and Dick Blick water based relief inks work well with no modifications to them. I have tested them for light fastness with excellent results. I spread the ink across the plate with a cardboard square and try to pull off any excess at the same time. For a large plate I aim to finish inking an area about the size of my hand before moving on to the next area. Then I finish any white areas with a slightly moistened rag. I don't wipe the plate with tarlatan or anything else. The ink can be dry when you print (I've printed a plate inked the previous day). Be sure to soak the paper well and remove only the surface water. The paper should be more wet than the usual intaglio printing. The print "Artichoke Study" was printed in this way. When asked the advantages of silk aquatint, Caraccio enthusiastically replied, " This is direct printmaking with no encumbrances between seeing, and the final print."

For further information about silk aquatint, write to Kathy Caraccio, 208 W. 30 Street, room 803, New York City, N.Y. 10001 or telephone at 212-594-9662.