All the talent of the Master-Printer is expressed by his knowledge of the alchemy of colour of which he is a master : his art consists of assembling the colours of the lithograph in a quite precise order after having analyzed the composition to be printed.
Usually, he starts with the clear colours which are used as a support for the strong ones, and he raises the values progressively. In the eye, certain colours cannot be seen, but technically are essential to the lithograph !
To explain the principle of the colour decomposition and the printing colour by colour, we chose the printing steps of a Graciela Rodo Boulanger lithograph. The draughtsman-chromist, who pulled this work in close cooperation with the artist, revealed to us the different stages of the process :
Printing of a Graciela Rodo Boulanger lithograph step by step
1st colour, a basic grey-blue is used to set up the lithograph
2nd colour a beige ochre which while being superimposed on the grey-blue gives a hotter gray,
outlines of the drawing appear
3rd colour an ochre-brown to reveal certain parts like the faces, pants and dogs
5th colour a pale green for the shirts
6th colour a pale pink for the faces
7th colour a light blue for the hat, and pants, gives volume to the bodies
8th colour an apple green for the shirt
9th colour a blue for the pants
10th colour an orange forthe hat, shirt and pants
11th colour a sharp pink for the hat, shirts and pants, orange becomes red
12th colour a blue for the hat, reinforces the green shirt
13th colour an orange to warm the tones of the bodies
14th colour a light blue for the hat and pants
15th colour a light pink to reinforce the faces
16th colour a small clear ochre juice to warm the tones and reinforces the bottom
17th colour a second ochre juice to reinforce to tones of the children and dogs
18th colour a blue juice for the volumes and background
19th colour a sharp red for the sparkle of the bodies
20th colour a dark ochre juice for the finish