I am educated as a graphic artist in the "traditional" sense - engraving in metal plates, etching, and the like.

The technique in which I work today is quite different, called glue printing. This means that I work with glue on cardboard.

A significant difference between etching and glue printing is that with etching one works acid into a metal plate while with glue printing one builds up the picture with several layers of glue. One could say that I form the glue until I reach the form of the picture I desire.

I still use some of the traditional graphic tools, but I also use more unusual materials such as sand paper, different fabrics, and salt.

Glue printing also has health advantages because by using this technique, I avoid unpleasant and harmful chemicals such as turpentine, lacquer, and acid. Another difference using this technique is the possibility for a more free line in the pictures, which I find gives me more flexibility.

The process of printing

After having worked with an idea on a drawing, the first step is to cut out the right size of cardboard. The cardboard can be in layers, depending on how thick I want the plate. I draw my motive and with different sizes of brushes I build up my picture with glue - a kind of painting. This process can go on for a long time, depending on how deep I want the relief on my cardboard plate. The variant layers of glue give a deep relief to the picture, which, in combination with scratching/engraving into the plate, can give a very soft expression to the finished print.

This particular deepness is one of the differences between glue prints and more traditional techniques that I especially like.

When the plate is finished, several layers of glue later, the actual process of printing begins. I mix the colours I wish to use with oil, and put them on the plate and wipe the superfluous colours off again, until I have the exact surface I need. This technique is called low print. Often I would put an extra layer of gold paint on top with a roller, so that I also get what is called a high print - where the colour is not wiped off but stays on the highest parts of the relief. In other words I can get both deep print and high print in the same picture.

I prepare the paper by leaving it in water for 30 minutes so that it is soaked. Then I put the plate on my press, the paper on top, and roll it through the wheel. After that, the paper has to dry, glued on a smooth surface, to stretch the paper out again. Otherwise it gets curled, and cannot be used. The last step is to cut the paper. Then the picture is finished.

Colours and quantity

The expression in the picture also depends on the colour combination that I choose. I make a small number of prints from each plate - maximum 20. In between each print I clean the plate and put on new colours - with this method each picture is handmade and unique in its colour combination.

Had I chosen to work with the same colors, the process would be faster. But personally I find it exciting to vary the prints by working with different colours. Furthermore, most people prefer to have a unique picture on their wall.

In addition to making color prints on white paper I also vary the prints by working on black paper. Working on black paper, I usually choose gold and bronze as the dominating colours.