Varieties of Printmaking - Week 1
What is a Print, Anyway? Intaglio Part I
note: all images are in ArtStor (AS) in the MAG Varieties of Printmaking folder, Intaglio Prints
Image Group unless a specific web site is noted.
An ORIGINAL PRINT is a work of art which an artist creates by processing a surface of
wood, metal, paper, stone or screen so that more than one identical image can be printed
from it. Ink is transferred from this prepared surface [often called “the plate”] onto a support
(most often paper) and becomes the original print, distinct and individual in its form as a work
of art.
An original print should never be confused with a reproduction, which is a copy of an original
artwork, mass-produced by means of an automatic copier, photochemical, or digital process.
In contrast, an original print is hand-inked or hand-pulled on a press by the artists themselves
or by a skilled printer working under the supervision of the artist. The originally conceived
design and composition become inseparable from the process itself.
Edition – An edition is the total number of original prints (impressions) made from a plate; In
the 20th century, it became customary for artists to number all the impressions in the edition.
Edition numbers often look like fractions: the number on top is the specific impression
number; the number on the bottom is the total number of impressions in the edition. The
quality of the print bears no relation to the edition number. In addition to the number, each
print usually has the artist’s signature and the title of the print, usually in pencil.
There are four major types of fine art prints. Each uses a different method for fixing the image
to the plate prior to transferring the image to the support. Each process produces prints that
exhibit recognizable characteristics.
Ways to distinguish prints created by the different processes:
ƒ
the actual appearance of the lines in the image, as each printmaking process creates
lines that look different;
ƒ
how the artist is able to create shading;
ƒ
the plate line. If the plate is smaller than the paper, the plate line is visible. If the paper is
smaller than the edges of the prepared plate, no plate line is discernable.
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FOUR PRINCIPAL TYPES OF PRINTMAKING
•
RELIEF PRINTS: woodblock, woodcut, linocut, wood engraving
KURITA Masahiro: Banquet 2004, 2004 woodcut, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13039.html
IWAMI Reika: Spirit of Water, 2005 woodblock. Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13007.html
HIROTA Raifu: Peace/pEs, linocut, 2005, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge12986.html
OKUNO Kyoko: Skylark, 2004, wood engraving, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13083.html
•
INTAGLIO PRINTS: engraving, etching, drypoint, aquatint, mezzotint
OZAKI Yutaka: Shoulder Ride, 2005 engraving/mezzotint, Library of Congress, Washington
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13087.html
MIURA Hiromi: A Flower, etching, 2005, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13053.html
MIMURA Hiroshi: Green Shadow X, 2004 drypoint, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13051.html
MIYAYAMA Hiroaki: Kagerou, 2004 aquatint, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13058.html
ZHUANG Man: Sure Signs of Spring – Gorgeousness, 2005 mezzotint, LoC, Washington
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13156.html
•
PLANOGRAPHIC PRINTS: lithography
HIRAKAWA Sachie: Nobuhiko’s Hand, lithograph 2004, LoC, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge12982.html
YAMAMOTO Keisuke, Staircase E, lithograph, 2007
see similar at http://www.art-japan.com/print2001/e/artists/011.html
IINO Noriko: Autumn Footsteps, 2005 lithograph, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge12995.html
•
SCREEN PRINTS: stencil, serigraphy, paperscreen
TAKAHASHI Hiromitsu: Hongou, 2004, Stencil print, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13114.html
HISHIDA Toshiko: Bloom, 2005 silkscreen, Library of Congress, Washington DC
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge12987.html
OHBA Masao: Encounter II, paperscreen, 2005, Library of Congress, Washington DC
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http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/detail/enlarge13082.html
New Avenues and Old Questions:
NODA Tetsuya: Diary; Sept 24th ’02 in New York, 2004, woodblock/silkscreen
John James AUDUBON: Roseate Spoonbill, engr. Robert Havell, Jr.
INTAGLIO PRINTS – engraving, etching, drypoint, mezzotint, aquatint – lines to be
printed are incised into the plate
OZAKI Yutaka: Mio Figlio, etching and engraving, 2006, 9 x 9 cm, private collection
http://www.tamamiseum.net/b200603.html
KAKUMA Takao: Skylight, 2006 etching, private collection (sorry, no web image)
Engravings:
Albrecht DÜRER: Flagellation (from the Engraved Passion), 1512, Connecticut College,
New London
Martin SCHÖNGAUER: Temptation of St. Anthony, c. 1480-90, engraving, Metropolitan,
New York
Andrea MANTEGNA: Battle of the Sea Gods, c. 1485, engraving and drypoint, Minneapolis
Institute of Art
Heinrich GOLTZIUS after CORNELIS Cornelisz van Haarlem: Icarus (from the Disgracers),
1588, 13.5” x 13.25”, Metropolitan
Etchings:
REMBRANDT van Rijn: The Three Trees, etching w/ drypoint, 1643, 8-3/8 x 11” Frick
REMBRANDT: Beggar Leaning on a Stick, Facing Left, c. 1630, MFA, Boston
REMBRANDT: Landscape with a Cottage and a Large Tree, 1641, MFA, Boston
REMBRANDT van Rijn: Three Crosses, 1653, drypoint w/ plate tone,
Morgan Library/Metropolitan
REMBRANDT van Rijn: Ecce Homo, 2nd state, Met
REMBRANDT van Rijn: Ecce Homo, 8th (final) state, Met
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WebPages with good information on printmaking techniques:
WHAT IS A PRINT – Clear animated schematics at the MomA website
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2001/whatisaprint/print.html
Japanese Keyblock process for woodblock prints:
http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/000_01/000_01_frame.html
Demonstration of the making of woodblock prints with lots of photos, go to
http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com/2007/03/first-block-step-by-step.html.
Demonstration of engraving:
http://www.clt.astate.edu/elind/PrintmkgBurin.htm
Demonstration of intaglio printing:
http://www.intaglio-fine-art.com/etching-info-printing.php
Explanation of the etching process
http://www.polymetaal.nl/beguin/mape/etching.htm
History of lithography:
http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=2557
Printing serigraphs/screen prints:
http://www.enjoyscandinavianart.com/tekniker/english_serigrafi.htm
A contemporary printmaker using incorporating digital elements:
http://www.tedcolyer.com
On-Line Glossaries:
http://www.artlex.com/
http://www.ackland.org/tours/classes/glossary.html
http://www.martinlawrence.com/glossary_explore.html
The Web Gallery of Art is a searchable database of over 21,000 images, primarily European
art prior to 1850.
To use the Web Gallery of Art go to http://www.wga.hu/index1.html. Look to the bottom of
the page, and click on the highlighted link to the SEARCH ENGINE.
Enter the artist’s name in the AUTHOR field, or scroll though the list in the drop-down list to
the right. Note: this is a European database, and so often the names of the artists are in
Italian or French forms (e.g. Rafaello is the Italian version of Raphael), so using the dropdown list can sometimes be more accurate. The results will display in roughly chronological
order. Click on a thumbnail to enlarge the image.
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ArtStor is a searchable image database of over 1 million images, available through
subscription only. THE UofR is a subscriber, and as a Creative Workshop student, you are
eligible to use ArtStor. Once you set up an account, you can access ArtStor from your home
computer for 120 days before you need to renew your account.
To set up or renew an account, see Sue Nurse, Lu Harper or Meg Colbert in the MAG library
on the 3rd floor of the Cutler Union building. Setting up an account takes approximately 3
minutes, and then you’re ready to go.
From home, you then can access ArtStor by going to www.artstor.org or
http://www.artstor.org/index.shtml.
At the top, click GO in the ENTER THE DIGITAL LIBRARY box.
Enter your e-mail address and the password you created while in the library and LOG IN.
At the top, just under the gray banner, click on the ORGANIZE menu (3rd from the left). A
box will drop down. Click on OPEN IMAGE GROUP.
Look down the list to find MAG Looking at Art. At the LEFT of the listing is a square box
with a + sign inside. Click on this + sign.
The folder titles for each of the topics will drop down. Single click to highlight the folder you
want to open, and then move the curser to the bottom and click the OPEN button, or doubleclick on the folder title. This should open the folder.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW IN ARTSTOR:
„
Double click (Mac) or right-click (pc) on an image to bring it to full size on your screen.
„ To get the full information about the image:
o on the Image group page, click on the title below the picture
o if the image is opened to full-size, click the square box with an ""i" at the bottom
„ Move from one full-size image to the next using the arrows at the bottom, so that you
don't have to keep going back to the main image list page unless you want to.
To download a copy of a particular image you want to save (they're not huge files), click the
next-to-last button on the right (right next to the thumbnail image) with an icon of a disk. You
must agree to the terms, and TRUST the applet (this is a secure site). Then the system will
ask the destination on your computer (where do you want it to put this) and what to call it. I
often re-name the file with the artist's last name and 1-2 words from the title (example:
DurerFourHoresmen.jpg). The suffix .jpg must remain attached to the name or the download
won't work. Most images download in 3-4 seconds.
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Hint re: naming files. It works best not to use spaces as part of names. I mix upper and
lower cases to make it easier to read (DurerApocalypseFourHorsemen.jpg). Some people
prefer underscores (Durer_Apocalypse_Four_Horsemen.jpg). Please remember that the
suffix .jpg must be at the end. You can type it in yourself if you erase it by accident.
If you want to find something that's not in the folder, close the full-size image and return to the
IMAGE FOLDER thumbnail page. At the top of the page click on DISPLAY ADVANCED
SEARCH.
The most successful searches I do are with the artist's last name and one key word.
For example, I wanted to find the image of Albrecht Durer’s Rhinoceros. I put in DURER on
the top line and RHINOCEROS on the second line. This returned 17 choices, including the
drawing version, the woodcut version, and related images by other artists.
It's fun to explore, and if you're patient, you'll have a lot of fun finding things! Don't hesitate to
let me know if you find something which you think would be helpful to share with the rest of
the class.
--------------------Google Image Searches
1. Go to http://www.google.com.
2. On the first page, click on the second tab at the top left that says "Images."
3. On the main Image Search page look to the right of the search field and click on
"Advanced Image Search." (You might want to bookmark or add this page to your
favorites as a shortcut for the next time.)
4. Use the various fields to try to pinpoint the image you're searching for. It's easier to
expand a search than to narrow down on one that turns into a monster.
For example: To search for Michelangelo's Pieta in the Vatican, try typing in these words
on the top line: michelangelo, pieta, vatican, rome. (capitalization and accents on foreign
words don’t matter here)
You'll come up with about 9,240 responses; on my system it took about a half second.
5. To see one of the images in greater detail click on the thumbnail. This keeps you in
Google. If the web site itself seems interesting and you wish to explore it further, click on
the URL that comes up in the blue band in the middle off the page. You can always use
your back button to get back to the Search Results page and explore other sites.
6. Try another less specific search and type in the words Michelangelo and Pieta and you’ll
get 29,700 entries, and many views of the other Pietas he did.
As always, you can limit a search too much by making it too specific, especially if the title
of a work is translated from one language to another. For example, some images of
“Doubting Thomas” are called “The Incredulity of St. Thomas.” The moral of the story:
keep trying until you find it, and never hesitate to ask for help.