Collagraph, Printing with Texture

Collagraph is a printmaking process that creates images through texture, layering, and pressure. Instead of drawing directly onto paper, students build a printing plate using simple materials such as cardboard, paper, and found surfaces to create raised textures that hold ink. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how these surfaces are inked and printed onto paper using a Charles Brand etching press. The class introduces the fundamentals of collagraph through plate construction, inking techniques, and printing a small edition of prints to take home. No prior experience with printmaking or drawing is required, making this course ideal for beginners, artists, and anyone curious about exploring a tactile approach to image making.

Class Breakdown: 

Class 1 : 

• Introduction to Collagraph and Plate Construction
• Understanding the collagraph process and constructing a printing plate

In Class Work: 

• Students plan a simple image based on texture and composition
• Construct one collagraph plate using layered materials
• Plates are set aside to dry

Class 2

• Inking and Proof Printing: Preparing plates for printing and learning how surface texture interacts with ink and pressure.

In Class Work

• Students ink their plates
• Pull one or two proof prints
• Evaluate texture, contrast, and ink coverage

Class 3

• Edition Printing and Critique: Printing a small edition and reinforcing good printshop habits.

In Class Work

• Students print a small edition of 3–5 prints
• Sign and number prints
• lean press area and materials

Skills Students Will Leave With 

• Understanding of the basic collagraph printmaking process
• Experience constructing and sealing a collagraph plate
• Confidence inking and printing relief plates
• Experience printing on a Charles Brand etching press
• A completed small edition of collagraph prints
• Readiness to continue exploring printmaking techniques independently 

About the instructor: 

Matthew Forehand is a painter and printmaker based in Miami, Florida. His art reflects a unique perspective, often patchworking elements of nature and the environment from his family home in Colombia and South Florida. He began studying art in his hometown of Pensacola, and later transferred to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Matthew is currently the PRINTshop Manager at Oolite Arts and has also had a residency at Oolite Arts and Ox-Bow School of the Arts in Saugatuck, Michigan. He has exhibited his work at Sullivan Galleries (Chicago, IL), Oolite Arts (Miami Beach, FL), and had a solo exhibition at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood (Hollywood, FL).