Sugarlift Transformed

This print reflects the first state of a sugarlift plate that I did of the Hudson Palisades (for color version of final print see previous post, Hudson Line). I added aquatint and drypoint lines to the etched sugarlift plate before printing because I was too impatient to print the sugarlift alone knowing that I would take it further with aquatint.

I really like the painterly quality of the line that sugarlift yields. I admit that I have not used this technique extensively but I wish to do more. It seems fresher and more immediate than some of the more deliberate drawings that I have done on hard ground with a pin tool.
The second state of the plate still shows some of the sugarlift lines which I had wanted to keep visible but the trees and shrubbery surrounding the Palisades cliffs needed more depth as did the cliffs themselves. The plate for this print was overwiped in some areas but I knew that it was a trial proof and I was going to change the plate again so I didn't make another (better) print in this state.

This shows the third and final state of the plate. Unfortunately, the sugarlift lines are now barely visible but the additional aquatinted shadows add depth and more atmosphere to the print.

Even though the final print has pretty much hidden the original sugarlift lines, I am still a pretty big fan of sugarlift work and hope to post more in the future that retain the original painterly lines that are characteristic of sugarlift prints.