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Artist drawing onto a slab of limestone

Masterclass: Stone Lithography

Duration: Three-day masterclass
Dates: Fri 15 Aug 10:00 - Sun 17 Aug 2025 17:30
Location: Print Studio

Spend three days in DCA Print Studio exploring the art of stone lithography.

Developed in the late 18th Century, stone lithography is a traditional printmaking process where an image is drawn on and then printed from a flat slab of limestone. The process allows for a greater range of marks and tone to be captured when printing, creating detailed images with a drawn or painterly style.

The process involves drawing directly onto a stone using a variety of crayons and tusche washes. The drawing is then treated, which chemically “etches” the image in the stone, and the mutual repellence of grease and water allows prints to be taken from the stone.

The course will begin with an artist talk and introduction to the principles of stone lithography by artist Calum Wallis. You will then be guided through the different stages of the process to create your own stone lithograph print. 

Print Studio Terms & Conditions

Please ensure you've read the Print Studio Terms & Conditions before you book.
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Tool for preparing a slab of stone for stone lithography
Photo by DCA
Sketchbook and drawing tools beside a stone
Photo by DCA
Person drawing onto a slab of stone
Photo by DCA
Tutor preparing a stone for stone lithography
Photo by DCA
Drawing tools for stone lithography

Need to know

  • What to bring

All materials will be provided but please bring along some drawings or reference images to work from.

 

  • What to wear

We'll provide aprons and gloves but recommend wearing old clothes as printmaking can be messy. Please note that open-toed footwear and sandals are not allowed.

 

  • Food & drinks

A sealed water flask or drinking vessel is permitted but other food and drinks are not allowed in the studio.

Schedule

Friday morning
  • Artist talk and introduction to stone lithography
  • Graining the stone to prepare it for receiving a drawing
Friday afternoon / Saturday morning
  • Drawing on the stone using a variety of crayons and tusche washes to make a printable image
  • “Etching” the stone; chemically treating the stone so that it “contains” your drawing
Saturday afternoon
  • Washing out/ rolling up the image: removing the drawing materials and replacing them with ink to get an idea of how the printed image will look, followed by a further chemical process to stabilise this image
  • Preparing paper; tearing down and making registration marks ready for printing
Sunday
  • Preparing paper; tearing down and making registration marks ready for printing
  • proofing/ printing; this will be done in groups, with one person handling paper, one person damping the stone and another rolling ink; each attendee producing a set of prints
Close up of hands drawing onto a stone with pencils and chalks

Added extras

Make the most of your visit to DCA with additional special offers:

  • Free use of the studio on Mon 18 August
  • 90 days free print studio registration following the completion of the course
  • £1 off standard tickets for DCA Cinema during the course

Meet your tutor

Artist drawing onto a slab of limestone

Calum Wallis

Calum Wallis is an artist whose practice picks at how we might relate to deep time over the course of a human lifespan. A childhood spent roaming among the hills and rivers of the Highlands has informed a love of wild places and especially a love of stone, which has been the focus of his practice since moving to Dundee in 2013. His works in drawing and printmaking often study geological forms with the intention of learning them in close detail so that a revisit might starkly reveal the change wrought on the earth over a short period.
Website
02.12 blue, stone lithograph on fabriano,112 x 76cm
02.12 blue, stone lithograph by Calum Wallis
Print of rocky cliff faces and a branch connecting them
12.46, stone lithograph and silkscreen print by Calum Wallis

DCA Print Studio

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