Solar Plate Etching Experiments

Making the most of maximum solar UV rays present through a terrible 4 day heatwave of temperatures reaching the mid 40's, I decided to use my off cuts of Solar plate, left over from a workshop probably 8 years ago.
I used a photograph I took with my I Pad of a little girl at the beach with her bucket and water.
Equipment I used....

• a homemade exposure unit and Bull Dog clips
• "Nobo " transparency film for laser or inkjet printers
• UV from the sun
• an offcut of solar plate
• a computer & printer
• The Photoshop elements program
• a soft brush and cold running water
• printing ink oil based black
• Fabriano Rosaspina printing paper
• my printing press
  
  

This series of photos shows the process of exposing a transparency image through a homemade exposure unit. The transparency and unexposed solar plate are place in position under glass and held in place with bulldog clips.
This was then placed in the sun for 1 minute, unclipped and the exposed plate placed under cold running water and brushed in a circular motion to reveal the image.
LHS... is an image of the photo manipulated through the Photoshop program, through the edges filter then onto transparent film, this gave linear qualities to the image and the image below was produced by the straight colour photo onto transparency then exposed to UV which gives more tonal qualities.
The plates were then inked up and printed through the press, the same as you would with intaglio etched plate.

I have yet to explore transparency overlays and collaged elements.