Joan Miró Graphic Art Workshops
- Lithography Workshop
Given by
- Elena Carrasco
Dates
- From Tuesday 14th to Friday 24th July 2026
Timetable
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The workshop will not be held on Saturday or Sunday.
Maximum no. of students
- 8
Price
- 260€
Applications
Contact
T2/2026 Lithography Workshop
Given by Elena Carrasco
The aim of the workshop is to offer an introduction to the technique of stone lithography. The participants will also be introduced to algraphy (lithography on a micro-grained aluminium plate), used creatively as a complementary tool. In order to learn the technique, with the backup of explanations of the theory, the participants will reproduce drawings and textures typically used in lithography, using specific materials.
Stone lithography is a printmaking technique that can be traced back to late 18th century Germany, to about the year 1798. Even in the early days of stone lithography, images could be reproduced with efficiency and great fidelity, leading to its use commercially and in artistic circles. For over two centuries, numerous artists have explored the expressive possibilities of this printmaking technique, with its capacity to capture the sensitivity of drawings and the nuances of paintings.
This workshop offers a practical insight into stone lithography, introducing the participants to the basic principles of the process. In parallel with this, they will also explore the aluminium plate lithography used as a complementary support to broaden their creative potential.
Through the practical sessions and explanations of theoretical aspects, the participants will learn to work with the materials used in lithography, experimenting with drawings, textures, and resources typically used in this printmaking discipline.
The workshop is aimed at people with an interest in lithography and different engraving and printmaking techniques in general. It is also suitable for artists and students from the fields of drawing, painting or other visual languages. No experience is required.
OBJECTIVES
- To gain a general insight into lithography and its evolution in the history of graphic art, together with its contemporary applications.
- To understand how the lithographic process works from a technical and chemical standpoint, examining each stage of their work with the matrix with careful precision.
- To gain an understanding of the materials and tools specific to lithography and to find out their possible alternative uses.
- To explore different ways of creating lithographic images using pencil, crayon, inks and grease washes.
- To understand how the inks behave when working with numerous matrices and colours, together with any pertinent adjustments in drying times or the registration process.
- To create a small printed edition, controlling for the quality and coherence of the prints, analysing the outcomes, and rectifying any incidents during the process.
- To be familiar with the basic safety measures and good practices that are needed in the use of the materials and organization of the workspace.
- To work on a personal project that explores the possibilities of lithography in contemporary graphic art.
PROGRAMME
Lithography is particularly good at capturing the subtlety of pencilling or brushstrokes and the richness of brushwork. During the workshop, the participants will experiment with different lithographic materials to gain an insight into the process and its creative possibilities.
They will work with the tools and procedures used in each stage of lithography, analysing the behaviour of the greasy media, inks and chemical processes that are involved. Special attention will be paid to the acidulation process, inking, and final printing of the matrix.
Elena Carrasco, Cuenca
Having completed her studies at Cuenca University of Fine Art and taken part in exchange programmes at Eugeniusz Geppert University in Wroclaw, Poland, and “Alonso Cano” Faculty of Fine Art in Granada, Elena Carrasco decided to continue her training abroad. She did an internship at the École Européenne Supérieure de l’Image in Angulem, France, where she started to specialize in engraving and printmaking. Later, she travelled to Northern Ireland, where she was able to continue developing her work at Seacourt Print Workshop thanks to a grant.
It was then that she began to focus on lithography. Two years later, in 2018, she travelled to New Mexico (USA) to take the printer training programme given by the Tamarind Institute, a centre specializing in lithography. There she built up the necessary know how to become a master printmaker and to collaborate with artists.
On her return to Spain, she settled in Madrid and started to work at Antonio Gayo’s studio. She gave training courses at different centres and art schools and, at the same time, she trained as a ceramicist at the Escuela de Cerámica de La Moncloa in Madrid. She then decided to combine both disciplines and to explore different transfer methods onto ceramic supports, always using lithography as her main technique.
In 2023, together with Bernardo Lopesino, founded the lithography workshop “La Litográfica”, where she gives beginner and advanced classes and prints editions for different artists. Her aim is to preserve and disseminate the origins of the technique and to bring them into play with her adaptations to other contemporary art practices in order to promote an interest in the technique and contribute to its continuance in today’s art world.
