Printmaking
Chapter 6
Printmaking
• Print- a multiple work of art
– Nearly identical pieces can be created
• Matrix-the base material the artwork is made
on
– Stone, wood, metal, linoleum…
• Edition-group of images from the same matrix
– Many artist limit editions and all editions are
numbered
Relief
• Parts of the matrix not meant to carry
ink are cut away
• Soft wood, linoleum, or rubber are used
often
• It’s difficult to render shading
• Multiple colors means multiple blocks
– Registration is critical-lining up of blocks on
the paper
Relief.
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Section of The Diamond Sutra. Chinese Buddhist text. 868.
Length of entire scroll 18'.
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Emil Nolde. Prophet. 1912.
image: .317 × .225 cm (12-1/2" × 81-3/16").
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Rockwell Kent. Workers of the World, Unite. 1937.
8" × 5-1/8".
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Elizabeth Catlett (Mexican, 1919). Sharecropper. 1970.
54.5 × 51.3 cm.
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Intaglio
• Opposite of relief printing
• The areas that are cut into hold the ink
– The areas to hold ink are cut, scratched, or
etched
• Engraving and etching are principal
processes in the intaglio process
Intaglio.
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Engraving
• A burin(engraving tool) is used to cut
into the metal plate
• Any bur that is left from cutting the
metal is smoothed with a scraper
• Also difficult to render shading
– Traditionally, cross hatching is used to
show depth and shadow
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528). The Knight, Death and the Devil. 1513.
Page: 10" × 7-7/8" (25.5 × 20 cm), Plate 9-5/8" × 7-1/2" (24.5 × 19 cm).
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Etching
• Resist-a coating that will resist the
effects of acid
– Usually wax or varnish
• The artist then uses a sharp tool to
draw(expose) the areas to be etched by
the acid
• The lines in an etching are less exact
than in an engraving
Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606–1669). Christ Preaching. c. 1652.
61-1/4" × 8-1/8".
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Aquatint
• Used for areas of a print that need a
shade or gray tone
• Resist is sprinkled over the metal plate
and etched
• This gives a rough surface that can
create the feeling of shading
Drypoint
• For very fine lines
• A very sharp tool is used to create these fine
lines
– Often a diamond tipped tool
• The bur is integral to keeping these line
visible
– The bur is worn down during printing, so often the
artist can only make so many prints before it loses
quality
Mary Cassatt. The Letter. 1891.
H: 13-5/8" × 8-15/16".
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Lithography
• No cutting is necessary
• Drawings are made on a stone or metal plate
• Drawings are created using litho pencils or
tusche which are very waxy
• The image is then fixed with a solution of gum
arabic and weak acid
• The stone or plate is then wet and the ink
applied
– The ink is oil based and will only stick to the waxy
drawing and not the wet surface
Lithography.
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Jane Avril. c. 1893.
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Jane Avril Dansant. c. 1893.
38" × 27".
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Jane Avril. c. 1893.
50-5/8" × 37".
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Offset Lithography
• Uses a light sensitive plate instead of a
stone
Stencil
• Stencil- a sheet with a design cut out of it.
Painting or spraying will transfer the design
• Screenprinting- adhere the stencil to a silk
screen. With a squeegee, ink is pushed
through the screen. Anywhere the design is
adhered, no ink will pass through the screen
– Can also be create using light sensitive silk screen
Kim McCarthy. Urban Buddha. 2009.
36" × 48".
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Screenprinting.
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.
Ester Hernández. Sun Mad. 1982.
22" × 17".Ellen Gallagher. "Mr. Terrific" from Deluxe. 2004–2005.
1diani. La Humanidad. From Continents series: The Humankind. 2004.
27" × 40".
Copyright ©2011, ©2009 Pearson Prentice Hall Inc.