Guide to Printmaking

Unit 4: Communication through Art and Design

Printmaking Guide

Collagraphy

Introduction

Collagraph Process & Techniques

Dry Point

My Examples:

Collagraphy is a printmaking process in which materials are applied to a surface. The board can be intaglio-inked, inked with a roller or paintbrush. Ink or pigment is applied to the collage, and the board is used to print onto paper or another material using either a printing press or various hand tools

Once again I used different colours and different types of paper to create my collagraph print. I used items such as fabric, cardboard, paper clips, a leaf and coins to print with. The theme for my printmaking unit was metropolis so I attempted to arrange these items to form a cityscape.

Materials used:

I am creating a guide to printmaking as a resource for sixth form art students. The guide will include research on artists, step-by-step guides and information about techniques and processes. I have been asked to create an educational resource on printmaking for the art department. They will then use this for year 12 art students. In order to do this I have looked at examples of different educational resources such as leaflets and websites from museums, etc. to see which format and other methods would be most beneficial to students.

• Plate/block
• Ink
• Any materials that can be stuck onto the block and be printed with, e.g. coins, leaves, string, tin foil, etc.

Dry Point Process

& Techniques

Dry point is very similar to etching, however, a needle is used to engrave the image rather than an engraver's burin which makes it easier for a more skilled drawer to use.

My Examples:

I used different types of paper and amounts of ink. I enjoyed making this print and the outcome of it as it is easy to create both thin and thicker lines.

Materials used:

I drew some compositions before creating the print.

Monoprint

• Shiny paper/plastic
• Etching tools
• Ink
• 2 cloths
• Printing press
• Damp paper

Contemporary Artist: Mari French

Historical Artist:

Glen Alps

Monoprint Process & Techniques

My Examples:

Mari French finds much of her inspiration from the Norfolk coast. She usually takes these scenes and makes them more abstract in order to focus more on colour, texture and patterns.

I used pastels and charcoal on top of this mono print to develop it and give it more detail.

I liked the outcome of this print because the lines came out quite bold while there was still some paint left in the background.

An image is painted onto a block and printed while the paint is still wet. This means that the artist has to work fairly quickly and the print can only be printed once, which is the reasons for its name, 'monoprint'.

Glen Alps developed collagraph printing and promoted it. He was both an artist and a teacher. His first exhibition was with his students in 1957 at the University of Washington.

Research

Historical Artist:

Mary Cassatt

Materials used:

Contemporary Artist:

Blake Summers

• Flat surface
• Ink/Paint
• Roller

Harvest moon 2

Untitled, 1958

Arches

• He was born in Chicago in 1958.
• He studied architecture at California State Polytechnic University.
• He started his career as an artist in 1982, soon after graduating.
• He has worked as a studio assistant to Jim Dine and has had previous exhibitions in both the US and Europe.

(May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926)

• She was an American painter and printmaker.
• Her work mainly shows women in both their social and private lives. Her work also shows the bond between a mother and children.
• Her most successful exhibition was The Impressionist Exhibit in 1879.

Moon

Historical Artist:

Edgar Degas

Questionnaires

(19 July 1834 – 27 September 1917)

• He created more monoprints than etchings or lithographs.
• He enjoyed the fact that monoprinting allowed him to be spontaneous and that it gave him a greater sense of freedom when creating his work.
• He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, however he prefered to be called a realist.

Resource Analysis

In my research I have found that many different factors and methods are important when creating educational resources. Examples of these are:

• The audience
• The layout and design
• Colours, images and fonts
• Consistency
• The way the information is set out (e.g. paragraphs or bullet points)

Stencil

Intaglio

Linocut

Etching

Purpose of the Questionnaires

Questionnaire Analysis

Etching Process

& Techniques

An image is engraved into a metal plate with a sharp tool. Wax is then put onto the plate and dipped into a bath of acid. The acid then eats away at any surface that is not protected by wax.

When I collected my questionnaires, I created a tally chart which showed the most popular choice for each question.

Materials used:

• Metal plate
• Sharp tool
• Acid
• Cloth
• Ink
• Roller

The most popular choices for each question:

Stencil Process & Techniques

Intaglio Process

& Techniques

Mind maps

In order to find out which types of resources benefit sixth form students the most, I have created a questionnaire consisting of seven simple questions. I gave out 10 questionnaires to sixth form students in order to help me create my printmaking guide and to find out which methods would be most effective.

Which format is most helpful?

• Presentations and posters

What type of layout is best?

• Simple and consistent

Which type of information is easiest to read and remember?

• Bulletpoints and step-by-step guides

My Examples:

Do you prefer a large or small amount of images?

• Large
• A balance of information and images

Materials used:

Font size?

• Varied

Contemporary Artist:

Andrei Protsouk

Colours?

• Simple and not too bright

Historical Artist:

Daniel Hopfer

A metal plate is used to carve on. When carved, ink is pushed into the lines with a cloth and the surface is wiped clean, removing ink from the surface. The plate is dipped into the acid which erodes the lines, causing them to become deeper and more visible. It is then placed onto an etching press and it is covered with etching blankets. It is then rolled through the press and the pressure causes the paper to be pushed into the recess and onto the ink, leaving an image on the paper.

Linocut Process & Techniques

• Roller
• Press
• Etching tools
• Metal plate
• Acid
• Cloth

• German artist (1470-1536)
• He is believed to be the first to use etching at the end of the 15th century.
• He also created wood cuts.

• His worked has been displayed in many countries around the world.
• He owns a gallery in Pennsylvania, United States.

I printed with yellow first, then orange and finally purple so that all of the colours would show through. I used a sponge to dab the paint on rather than using a roller or spray can. I did not enjoy this process as much as I found it difficult to cut the shapes out on the acetate.

A design or letters are cut into a thin piece of paper, plastic or metal which is then placed onto a surface. A pigment is applied to the cut out holes which leaves the design of the cut outs on the surface below. Stencils can be used more than once. Another stencil technique called pochoir consists of applying pigment/spraying around an object which creates a negative design rather than the usual positive stencil design.

I printed each stage of my linocut individually on paper in order to show which parts I cut out, the colours I used and the steps I used.

This is the final outcome of my linocut. I experimented with different paper colours and textures to find out which one worked best. I enjoyed creating this print and the process of it, despite it being quite time-consuming.

Materials used:

• Thin sheet of plastic, metal or paper
• Pen knife or other tool to cut out the stencil
• Ink
• Roller, spray paint, sponge, ect

My Questionnaire

A sheet of linoleum is used and a design is cut into it using a sharp knife or other tools. The areas cut away are not printed while the relief surface is. The linoleum is inked with a roller then pressed onto paper or fabric. It does not split like wood as it does not have a grain. Also, it is much easier to cut, especially when heated as it turns softer.

Materials used:

• Linoleum
• Sharp tool for carving
• Ink
• Roller

Historical Artist: Martin Schongauer

Contemporary Artist:

Jenny Devereux

(c. 1440- 2nd February 1491)

Martin Schongauer was one of the first artists to use this print. His work was sold in Germany, Italy, England and Spain. His prints were mainly religious and he also established the technique of cross-hatching. Many of his paintings were sold in England, Germany and Italy.

• Born in Surrey, England.
• She mostly creates floral etchings.
• She gets her inspiration from her 18th century farmhouse gardens and natural spaces.
• She has become popular in Japan, where she has had multiple exhibitions.

Contemporary Artist:

Banksy

Historical Artist:

Henri Matisse

Banksy is an internationally known British street artist. He uses stencils to create images on things such as buildings and walls all over the world. His identity was unknown for a long period of time. Many of his street art has been painted over or destroyed as the government has considered his work as an act of vandalism.

(31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954)

• He was a French painter, sculptor and printmaker.
• In 1952, he opened a museum dedicated to his work.
• In his later years, he created handmade stencils more frequently.
• He disliked the 'perfectionist' style while he was studying in Paris and often went against it.

Contemporary Artist:

Bill Fick

Historical Artist:

Pablo Picasso

Polynesia, The Sky

• He co-authored the book Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Materials & Processes in 2009
• He is the director of Cockeyed Press which produces linocut prints and books.
• He is a member of Outlaw Printmakers
• He has had exhibitions in Czech Republic, Finland and New Zealand.
• He is also an assistant professor at Duke University in North Carolina.

Icarus

Le Lanceur de Couteaux

25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973

He was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He used many techniques such as painting and sculpture, however he also used printmaking. Some of his most well known linocut prints, which were created in 1950-60, were purchased in January 2014 by the British Museum.

Still Life with Glass Under the Lamp, 1962

Portrait de jeune fille, d’après Cranach de jeune. II

Toros en Vallauris, 1954