iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026

Have done a slightly scary thing and added some things I've made to a *shop*! Here it is, only UK shipping for now while I figure this all out: www.drawingsaboutthings.com/shop

Heavy Topics print photographed next to a little cactus in a pot with a smiley face. The print is black on cream textured paper, and shows a stack of books with some legs sticking out under them, belonging to a squished person. The books are called 'Very serious book', 'Complicated', 'Things and Stuff', and 'Heavy Topics'

142 4

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026

A few pics from my final MA show, more later when I'm less exhausted. Two finished little books, one made with etchings the other with wood engraving prints, all the original prints on display together with the original plates, tools, ink tubes and cloths […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Photo of room, dark blue table in a white space, with big zinc etching plates, wood engraving blocks, tools, sketchbooks and flowers, three big etchings are on the wall behind

We have mountains to climb book made from etchings, on a large log with a hole cut in the top, in the hole is a small curled up arctic fox model

Photo of stories in the stardust' book with embossing lit up by a spotlight

Bench painted dark blue with the words rest now my love on it in the same font as the etching book, and a cushion in the same blue with arctic fox etching printed on the fabric

244 4

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 17/07/2026

Finishing up two little books for the authorial illustration MA, with our show only a week away. One is made entirely from etchings, the other from wood engravings. Quite surprised the cover band for the latter came out ok with the combo of a wood engraving […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Two books on a dark blue table. One on left is called 'we have mountains to climb', one on right is called 'stories in the stardust'

Book held up, the main book is plain dark blue, there is a vertical cover band in thick white paper with dreckle edges, on this is a roughly triangular wood engraving print with bubbles with things like DNA and cells in them. The rest of the band is embossed with bubbles and dots aligned to the print, and the title is also embossed.

131 3

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

Made some cushions today with my etchings. Squishy. #PrintMaking

Dark blue printed fabric cushions, one with big crashing waves and a breaching humback, another with a leaping arctic fox with stars in its tail. They are sat outside on a turquoise painted bench. The images are etchings digitally printed onto organic cotton.

120 2

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

Books heading off to Bristol next week! Entirely illustrated with aquatint etchings, hand bound with matching waxed linen thread, and with double sided belly bands. Epic labour of love, only nine of them made for the Bristol Artist's Book Event. #PrintMaking

Pile of tall narrow books called we have mountains to climb. The front is an etching of a mountain, with a belly band with an etching of a person standing looking sad, all in dark prussian blues with matching thread at two binding points. The lettering is also done by hand.

Open at double page spread of a huge arctic fox with stars in its tail, jumping gently up to a person on a mountain top holding a star into the sky

041 4

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

Happy solstice from my new little friend 💫

Ringlet butterfly sitting on hand with a bright blue shed behind

041 4

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 14/06/2026

Beavering away doing book layouts with the etching prints I've been making over the last few months... #PrintMaking

Aquatint etching printed in dark blue, of a giant arctic fox with a tail filled with stars, he is jumping gently up towards a person standing on top of a mountain, and the person is holding a star up. The words 'we're here, away' are overlaid.

225 5

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 02/06/2026

Had a nice bit of news lately that I can finally put on here - one of my prints has been longlisted for the World Illustration Awards in the editorial category :D I am baffled and confused but it seems to be real […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Tetrapak print of a pile of books squashing a person flat. The books have the titles 'very serious book', 'complicated', 'things and stuff', and 'heavy topics'

082 8

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 29/05/2026

Back on my nonsense 😎 Turns out it's a thing to have bizniz cards at arty shows so just printed one on the pasta machine. I think they are pretentious things that belong in the 80s, personally, but here we are. #PrintMaking

Business card sized print of a badly drawn hand holding a business card that says 'very important bizniz card' on it

040 4

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 28/05/2026

Thought I should do an etch-along but obviously failed at that, so I'll start a few steps in and go from there until I catch up with where I'm at. Here's a zinc sheet that I've had laser cut into a wiggly edged shape. I polished it with brasso and jeweller's […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

A plate with ground on it, on a huge metal table, with printing presses behind

000 0

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 21/05/2026

Exhausting day trying to get a decent print from this large plate (A2), aiming for a nice consistent ink tone over the aquatint. Changed paper and moved onto this enormous press which I haven't used before, and it worked perfectly! As the technician said, a […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Very large printing press, cast iron, a couple of gears on it, with the metal plate sat on the press bed.

Print at a slightly odd angle because it is big and high up and I am short. There are crashing waves at the bottom, a large breaching humpback whale, a small figure climbing jagged mountains behind, and a tiny arctic fox peeking out right at the top of the mountains. Printed in a dark blue-black.

011 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 17/05/2026

Tiny wood engraving print by Bewick from late 1700s-early 1800s. He engraved his own finger print at life size into this scene, the whole thing is about 4x2cm.

There is a detailed cottage on the right with a little fence, a rider on a horse is half visible with the front half under the carved fingerprint, there are trees behind. It is a black ink print on white paper, reproduced at the original scale in a book called Thomas Bewick, Tale-Pieces.

033 3

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 14/05/2026

Part of big A2 etching test printed today 🌟 Can't say I'm happy with the overall print but might have to learn to be ok with that with deadlines looming 🫣 we'll see. #printmaking

Front of massive arctic fox jumping up towards a small figure on a mountain top who is holding up a big star. Made with hard ground in zinc, three aquatint dips, using white ground and stop out.

Pic of the zinc plate with bits glinting in the light

040 4

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 08/05/2026

Well I need to learn how to evenly ink big etching plates like this, but the plate itself seems ok! It takes a full hour to ink it up, and it's physically exhausting... I don't think I'll ever work with plates this big again after the 3 planned ones, but I'm […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Printed etching of a breaching whale above crashing waves

Full print shown at an angle with a hand for scale, the print is A2 on larger paper. The etching plate was laser cut into the outline shape of the waves and mountains.

Right at the top of the print there is a tiny arctic fox peeking out from behind one of the craggy sharp mountains

111 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 07/05/2026

Little whale print which I'm calling finished, so one page of this book is done. This is a zinc plate etching, with hard ground, aquatint, lots of stop out and white ground. #printmaking

Small print, about A5 of tumbling waves with a whale tail, steep craggy mountains behind where a small figure is climbing up out of the sea

066 6

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 07/05/2026

Another day in the print room yesterday. First big A2 etching is off the press, lots I want to change about it if course, but happy with the cropped bit in the first pic 😅 #printmaking

Section of printed etching with giant stinging jellyfish floating above a tiny person, between dark jagged rocks

The whole etching plate with hand for scale. The plate is a sheet of zinc with a laser cut outer edge that follows the contours of the rocks and waves

The etching plate sat on an big old cast iron Rochat printing press, in a print room with a gnarly old wood floor, big work benches, hotplates and lots of drying scrim in the background

243 4

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 30/04/2026

Second job which took the rest of the day, was a 20 step process on my first A2 plate. I've never done etchings over about A4 so this was a lot of trial and mostly error. It is a technical feat in its own right to do big plates and physically demanding. No […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Big etching plate that has a laser cut outline so it isn't square. It is in a print room with big old cast iron presses. Some parts of the plate are covered with two types of resists that mean the acid won't reach those parts and they will remain lighter in the final print.

Spitbite brush strokes going through etched jellyfish. Spitbite is where you paint almost pure nitric acid straight onto the metal. It is a shambolic risky thing to do but can be beautiful when it works.

Plate at a later stage with a large area covered in stop out varnish. Mountains and parts of the waves are left uncovered so the acid will etch these areas darker

The finished plate, or is it. Different areas are shinier or darker depending on the strength of the acid etch. I suspect I will need to remake the plate entirely but hold onto your hats.

010 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 30/04/2026

Long day in the print room, first job was to test print this foxy etching plate...

Etching print in dark blue of three craggy mountains. On top of one is a small quite abstract person, on another, looking at her, is a huge arctic fox with a swooping tail full of stars filling the sky

120 2

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 29/04/2026

Finally managed to do all the print room things yesterday for first time since breaking ribs over ten weeks ago. Made this plate ready for printing later this week, all appendages crossed that it comes out ok 🤞🤞🤞

Photo of a zinc plate with etched snowy mountains. On the top of one there is a tiny figure, on the top of another is a huge arctic fox with an enormous swooping tail filled with stars. The fox also has a big star in its mouth. The outer edge of the plate was CNC cut so it isn't square, it follows the edge of the mountains and tail. The plate has had hard ground, aquatint, stop out and white ground on it, with 4 acid dips in total. There is also a sketched plan of the plate behind it.

131 3

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 25/04/2026

Turns out I measure lib dem graphs for kicks. As you'd predict, Reform vote over exaggerated by the column height, while conservative, green and labour under exaggerated, to make the point they are trying to make.

Leaflet saying it's lib dem or reform in Cornwall, with the mm per vote scrawled on each bar of the graph

001 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 20/04/2026

Mountains and stars hot off the press from this morning... looking a bit plain but leaving room for text to be added later and an overlay including foxy above. Made this by going at the zinc plate with a screwdriver to get the jittery angry lines on the […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Etching of jagged snowy mountains with a dark starry sky behind. The print is sat on the press bed next to the zinc plate it was printed from. It is made with hard ground, aquatint, white ground and stop out, with the line work done with small screwdrivers.

030 3

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 20/04/2026

I'm chained to the print room at the moment... this little fox appeared from the zinc and acid last week 🌟 #printmaking

Etching of an arctic fox standing up, holding a star in his mouth. The etching is done with hard ground, aquatint, stop out and white ground, and a little digital colour on the star.

281 8

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 09/04/2026

In a bit of a mess with the Big Final Project for authorial illustration MA, with ~2 month delay thanks to breaking ribs, and also playing epic catch up with paid studio work. Frazzled, and 3 months to go. Anyways here's a little quick arctic fox sketch as a […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Very simple pencil sketch of fox standing up holding a star in its mouth, below him and about half his height is a small sad looking person, hanging their head. There is a pencil on the sketchbook too, the softest Blackwing as nothing else will do now.

020 2

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 25/03/2026

Pair of little test etchings, think I've finally figured out how to do all the things I want to do so I can begin the process of making the real ones sooooon wooo (For the printmakers out there these are hard ground on zinc, with aquatint, and a bit of stop out and white ground) #printmaking

Two small (10cm longest side) aquatint etchings printed in dark grey-blue ink, top one is a breaching whale with lots of frothy bubbles from the sea, second one is of mountain sides, a dark starry sky and wild waves.

041 4

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 24/03/2026

Back in the print room at last, with endless gentle encouragement from the print technicians and them doing all the heavy bits I can't do until the broken ribs have fully healed. Here's a little test etching I printed today of an arctic fox out in the cosmos […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Small print in dark blue-black ink of a jumping arctic fox, done without any line work, just brush strokes and splattered stars behind him. Etched on zinc plate.

010 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 20/03/2026

I think this might be a midlife crisis, but whatever, meet Sprout the rescue hamster

An almost spherical tiny roborowski hamster sitting on sand surrounded by paper bedding and the corner of a grass roofed house. Beady eyes big whiskers, tiny ears, white and fawn coloured - your basic hamster.

150 5

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 09/02/2026

Bit of a long shot this - but I'm looking for science/social science researchers who might be willing to give some thoughts on how their field of research might have shaped their views on life, death and grief. I've made a short survey here which can be done […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

tetrapak print in black linseed oil-based ink of a pile of books with a little pair of legs sticking out underneath, the person has been squished under the books with titles 'very serious book', 'complicated', 'things and stuff', and 'heavy topics'.

127 7

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 06/02/2026

Had a bit of a breakthrough in the print studio yesterday, might not look like much but this test piece is an etching with aquatint, white ground and spit bite all working together exactly as I've been trying to get them to. All new techniques to me. An […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Small print, maybe about 3 by 7 cm with a grey background, white brush like streaks and thicker darker grey brush like streaks. The dark ones are partially resisted by the white parts so the overlaps are more mottled.

000 0

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 01/02/2026

Bits and bobs from the week. Big quick jellyfish sketch with Sumi ink (over a metre), a 10 min hand from 2h life drawing session just on hands, and some etching tests swatches learning spit bite, white ground and sugar lift.

Swirls of grey Sumi ink with three jellyfish picked out in white ink, fineliner and chalk

A not impressive sketch of a hand in pencil

3 small squares printed in grey, each with different blotchy swirly textures

011 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 30/01/2026

Of course I forgot to take pics of the best prints before they went off to their new home, but here he is on an imperfect print. Safe travels lovely Colin ✨💚

5 by 7cm black ink print on a small piece of very thin handmade Japanese paper, a whippet stands in his coat and harness amongst the constellations. The paper is slightly damaged from burnishing while tired and slipping, which is why I kept this one. His snout is also a little darker than on the better prints.

010 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/01/2026

Another lovely afternoon in the print room, this time learning sugar lift, spit bite, and white ground, all different ways of mark making for etching. Printmaking has the best names for things.

Photo of print room with gnarly wood floor, big old cast iron presses, and a big slanting roof window that lets the rain in

012 2

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 25/01/2026

Little wood engraving carved for a friend's very loved whippet Colin who left our world this week, now flying amongst the stars. Hoping to print from it in a few days. #DogsOfMastodon #PrintMaking #PrintMaker

Small wood block held in a hand with an engraving tool. The surface is stained black so the carved bits show up wood coloured, it depicts a whippet in his collared coat, harness and collar, with constellations around him.

2127 12

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 19/01/2026

Northern lights from our house in Cornwall just now 😍

031 3

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 19/01/2026

Riso print made today for @thentrythis project which should be launching this week ✨

4 colour riso print with a cocoon in the centre surrounded by different types of moths all facing in towards it, a strand of DNA twists behind them all and a few little stars are dotted around the cocoon. The print was made with aqua, yellow, kelly green and federal blue inks.

025 5

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 19/01/2026

Got approximately two minutes today to play with someone's airbrush, hooked.

Stencilled humpback whale and diver sprayed with blue ink, I made the stencils but sadly don't own the airbrush

032 3

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 14/01/2026

Wherever I go in Cornwall it is just the constant sound of chainsaws and chippers now, dealing with what must be thousands of trees felled by the storm. Some people still have no water or electricity, many with destroyed homes, yet it barely makes the news […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

000 0

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 10/01/2026

This might be what is causing our power to still be out, apparently has come down on a power line, it is like this all over the place.

Very large tree/s down across a road, held up by Cornish hedges on either side like a bridge. There are two people under it and the trunks are about as wide as the people are tall.

111 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 05/01/2026

2h of life drawing this morning followed by 2h playing in the print room this afternoon. Out of the whole university I was the only one in the print facility today which meant I got one-to-one time with one of their three absolute stars of technicians, showing […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

9 black ink prints on a drying rack, full of loads of textures and random shapes, no pictures as such.

020 2

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 04/01/2026

Been doing some online life drawing while the 'proper' sessions stopped over the break, you get random folks from all over the world each for the length of a track from a playlist they prepare. Most people just sit still, some fidget even for a 2 min sitting […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

2 quick pencil sketches of people, one is a man with glasses with his head resting on his fist, another is the person described.

010 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 31/12/2025

Ok gang ideas needed. This microwolf lost her little bestie just over a year ago after his long decline with dementia. As he got very unwell and then after we lost him, she started getting very anxious and aggressive with other dogs, she was fine up until then […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Black fluffy dog lying on sofa viewed from her big nose

032 3

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 29/12/2025

One minute of extra daylight a day now in Cornwall (UK), snowdrops and daffodils are out already in some places, only about five weeks until the first frog spawn usually arrives.

Big clump of snowdrops by the side of a path, the white is incredibly bright and never photographs well

110 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/12/2025

Final print for the conclusions and reference bits... essentially trying to persuade the people reading it that I did actually read some stuff before writing it, honest. While I'm loving the illustration MA so far, this module has been a struggle - mainly […] [Original post on mastodon.green]

Black linseed oil print on cream paper showing a stack of isometric books, 'very serious book', 'complicated', 'things and stuff', and lastly 'heavy topics' - under the stack there are two little legs sticking out, it is me, squished.

100 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/12/2025

Print for chapter 3, on data illustration (hand drawn stuff, not slick visualisations). Mainly this bit is about the fabulous work of Mona Chalabi, and is based on a quote from her about helping people to see themselves in the data.

Black linseed oil ink print on cream paper of a person standing facing an isometric graph with 2 columns, they are placing one hand up to the graph which has a mirror like reflection of the person on one side.

011 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/12/2025

Print for chapter 2, talking about data visualisations, how they differ from traditional graphs, and slightly slamming them for sometimes adding more obfuscation with little benefit. I also lay into pie charts of course.

Black linseed oil ink print on cream paper of four people doing capoeira over and around 4 pie-chart like things that have their dividing lines extending to various lengths beyond the circles.

111 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/12/2025

Print for chapter 1, trying to persuade illustrators that graphs are a mode of visual storytelling...

Black linseed oil ink print on cream paper of four people dancing on and jumping off four columns of a 3d isometric graph

111 1

Amber Griffiths @amberfirefly.mastodon.green.ap.brid.gy · 27/12/2025

Made a series of prints, one for each chapter of an essay submitted today on 'illustrating complex information'. Still hate writing papers, still love making prints. Turns out I really like doing spot illustrations in an editorial style to fit with the text 🖤 This first one is the cover pic...

Black linseed oil ink print on cream paper of two people sitting on and leaning against an isometric graph, the graph is floating in a black void with some other little isometric squares.

112 2