Getting to Know: Daniel Printmaker

If you asked most people to picture a printmaker, they probably wouldn’t imagine someone who spends their days surveying buildings and their nights meticulously working over copper plates. But Daniel Connolly, better known in the studio and online as Daniel Printmaker, is exactly that kind of creative contradiction.

Based between Grantham, Lincolnshire, and London, Daniel splits his time between architectural detail and artistic detail, surveying historic buildings by day and preserving traditional etching by night. His practice is rooted in craft, curiosity, and a deep respect for the handmade, a stance that feels increasingly rare (and refreshing) in an age obsessed with digital shortcuts.

What grounds him most is Grantham, with its Ancaster limestone farmhouses, Victorian terraces, quiet streets and emerging creative scene, shapes both his eye and his ethos. He’s as inspired by the patina of Georgian sash windows as he is by long walks to Bellmount Tower, the National Trust estates that surround the town, and the steady rise of local creative hubs like Union Street Gallery.

And while his life in printmaking began with pen and ink, tight lines, hatching, meticulous mark-making, everything changed when a tutor nudged him toward an etching workshop. One afternoon later, he was hooked. Etching became the medium where everything clicked: the precision of drawing, the ritual of process, the patience of craft, and the thrill of watching an image slowly emerge through acid, aquatint, and pressure.

His recent piece, Manthorpe, is a perfect example of this evolution: technically ambitious, beautifully tonal, and accompanied by a full process video, because Daniel believes traditional craft should remain visible, not secretive.

He works from home (“working from home” being both his three-word studio description and his reality), powered by caffeine, Sharpies, and audiobooks by Joe Abercrombie or Brandon Sanderson playing in the background of long etching sessions.

In short, he’s one of us. Completely dedicated to process, deeply enamoured with print, and quietly building something beautiful.

Below, Daniel shares his favourite local spots, the tools he treasures, the artists he admires, and the lessons he’s learned so far.

LOCAL LIFE & CREATIVE HABITS

Grantham is one of cosy cafés, stone farmhouses, Sunday lunches in village pubs, and antique shops stuffed with engraved treasures.

Best spot to think?
Any local coffee shop, or the Angel & Royal Hotel, if you want a Grade I listed backdrop.

Sunday roast recommendation?
Pretty much any pub in the surrounding villages.

Hidden gem for books + oddities?
Notions, especially for antique volumes with gorgeous old engravings.

Where inspiration strikes:
The walk to Bellmount Tower, with sweeping views across the Belton estate.

Local creatives worth knowing:
Lincolnshire-based architectural illustrator Matt Wright (@matandhiscat), and the community at Leicester Print Workshop, who once helped Daniel print a plate far too big for his own press.

STYLE, TOOLS & PROCESS

Daniel’s style is grounded in handcraft, linework, etching, aquatint, detail, and patience.

A tool he treasures:
His very first homemade scribe, “basically a needle stuck in a dowel”, which became the backbone of his earliest plates.

A habit he needs to break:
Wearing shorts while printmaking, “I unintentionally end up wearing ink.

A recent obsession:
Antique copper pieces, destined for secret future projects.

Favourite non-fashion brand:
Sharpie, naturally.

BOOKS, FILM & PRINT CULTURE

Go-to references:
Classic Woodcut Art and Engraving by John R. Biggs, and The Mezzotint by Carol Wax.

Listening during long printing sessions:
Fantasy audiobooks by Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss and Pierce Brown.

Shops he swears by:
Intaglio Printmaker and Lawrence Art Supplies in London

WISDOM & FINAL THOUGHTS

Daniel’s advice to emerging creatives is simple but solid:

“Find a printmaking studio and a good tutor, and try everything. You never know which process you’ll fall in love with.”

And his personal motto, borrowed from Norman Ackroyd, captures the heart of his practice:

“An hour in the etching studio before lunch is worth two after lunch.”
And honestly? He’s right.