Stone Lithography- Members Only

Discover the art of traditional stone lithography with artist and teacher Claire Curtin. Stone lithography is known for the possibilities it offers for subtle drawn tones, washes and reticulated marks. You will be shown how to prepare and draw and paint on the stone with litho pencils, crayons and tusches to build detailed tonal images.

price £185 / £*
date 30 Jan, 2027 - 31 Jan, 2027
times 10.30am – 4.30pm
duration Weekend

Discover the art of traditional stone lithography with artist and teacher Claire Curtin. Stone lithography is known for the possibilities it offers for subtle drawn tones, washes and reticulated marks. You will be shown how to prepare and draw and paint on the stone with litho pencils, crayons and tusches to build detailed tonal images. Etching the stone is an artform and allows the artist to mix strengths of acid with gum arabic and give more depth of tone and strength of mark to some areas. You will be shown how to build up the inking with a special nap roller and print a small edition on the stone litho press.

This course is limited to just 4 people as it is intensive and tailored to small groups. You will start by being shown examples of litho prints and stones already drawn on and printed from. You will work initially as a group on one sampler stone, then in the afternoon start on your own individual stone, ready to etch, process and print on day two. There will be lots of tips and advice on how to correct your drawing, avoid ‘scumming’ and to build your image on the stone.

This is an introduction and will offer a sense of the potential of stone lithography. We are planning to develop the litho studio and facilities for those trained in the process and aim to add more master classes and advanced courses in stone lithography. The students on this course will be first to be able to carry on using the stone litho as we make it part of our studio practice from early 2027. Come and be part of our next steps to be stone lithographers.

Course tutor

Claire Curtin

Claire is our new resident lithographer. She is helping develop the stone lithography room and getting us set to fully launch stone lithography at Hot Bed Press in 2025. Claire graduated with a B.A. (Honours) from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2009 and has been working at colleges and as an interdisciplinary artist.

how to join

In order to book please enquire about availablility for the desired course. Please send an email or give a ring stating the required course and date.

0161 743 3111
info@hotbedpress.org

Enquire about a course

faq's

We are happy to answer any questions on the phone but here are some commonly asked questions and answers below.

Do I need to be experienced to come on a course?

No experience necessary! Some courses are specifically designed for beginners; such as Introduction to Screenprint, Print or Letterpress, Painterly Screen-printing or The Art of Etching. Other courses such as Mokuhanga, Screen-printing with Natural Dyes or Photopolymer Printing are more tailored to those with some previous experience. However, if in doubt phone us to discuss.

How do I book a place on a course?

The best way to book a place is to phone us on 0161 743 3111. Our courses book up so quickly that we can be answering the phone all day whilst e-mails may take more time to get through every enquiry and still need us to phone or e-mail you back. We are a friendly bunch and can answer any of your questions when you ring to book.

Do you take a deposit to reserve a place?

No sorry, we are a small team and don't have capacity to have multiple systems in place. We only confirm bookings on full receipt of payment

What materials do I need to bring?

Nothing! We provide all materials for courses. All we need you to bring is some inspiration and clothes you don't mind getting ink on. You will receive an introduction letter letting you know what to prepare, such as drawings, photos, photocopies, collected images, and what size you can expect to work to.

Is food provided?

If you are on a day or weekend course please bring your own food. In our small kitchen we have tea, coffee, milk, and sugar and an urn as well as a microwave. The Co-op and Sainsburys are both nearby and we have the luxury of a couple of cafes nearby now with fancy coffee.

Are you accessible?

We recognise that our current building has some limitations in terms of accessibility. We are actively working to secure funding to make improvements and adapt our facilities so that we can better meet the needs of all our members. In the meantime, we welcome open conversations about individual requirements and will do everything we can to provide support and reasonable adjustments. We want everyone to feel included and supported when visiting Hot Bed Press so if you have a disability, need or concern, physical or not, please don’t hesitate to reach out so we can support you to access our print studio.

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Membership

Come And Join Us

We welcome new members all year round. Anyone can join. You need a little bit of experience; but that can be from doing one of our weekend or evening courses, after which you can carry on and practice what you've learnt on the course. We've got a few types of membership to suit your purse or your time. Just g to our Membership section for more details.

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