Self Portrait

Edition 4 of 5

Lithograph is a simple and widely used technique for making prints. The artist creates the image with an oil based lithograph crayon or paint on a large flat porous stone (usually limestone.) The entire stone is then moistened with water. Where the stone is not covered by the lithograph paint, it absorbs the water. Oil paint is then spread onto the stone. Lithography hinges on the principle that oil and water cannot mix, as such, the oil paint adheres to the oil-based lithograph marks while it is repelled by the water in the uncovered stone. Paper is then pressed against the stone. The image is formed by the paper picking up the oil paint that rests on top of the lithograph marks.