A lithograph is an original print made using a planographic process, one where the image is printed from a flat surface rather than a raised or incised one. The technique relies on a simple chemical principle: that grease and water repel one another. It allows artists to draw with great freedom and to produce prints that closely capture the character of their original mark-making.
Invented in the late eighteenth century, lithography has been used by artists from Goya and Toulouse-Lautrec to many of today’s leading printmakers, and remains one of the most expressive and versatile printmaking techniques.
The artist draws an image directly onto a flat surface, traditionally a fine-grained limestone slab, though metal or specially prepared plates are now also used, using a greasy crayon or ink. The surface is then chemically treated so that the greasy marks attract printing ink while the blank areas, kept damp with water, repel it.
When ink is rolled across the dampened surface, it adheres only to the drawn image. Paper is laid over the surface and run through a press, transferring the inked image. Each colour usually requires a separate stone or plate, carefully registered so the colours align precisely.
Because the artist draws directly onto the surface much as they would onto paper, lithography captures the subtlety and spontaneity of drawing better than almost any other print medium. Soft tonal gradations, delicate crayon textures and fluid washes all translate faithfully into the finished print.
This directness is why so many painters have been drawn to lithography. The technique imposes few constraints on the mark, allowing the artist’s natural hand to come through in the final impression.
Original lithographs are produced in limited, signed and numbered editions, with the artist closely involved in the printing. They should not be confused with offset lithographic reproductions, which are commercial mechanical copies of existing artworks rather than original prints.
When considering a lithograph, look for a pencil signature and edition number, and confirm with the gallery that it is an original hand-pulled print. At Byard Art, our print collection includes original lithographs from contemporary artists, each fully documented.
