What is printmaking?

Printmaking is a centuries-old art by which multiple prints are made from a wood block or metal plate. These prints are not copies or reproductions. Each print is hand-printed from the original plate, making each an original piece of art. Editions are numbered to show how many prints were made from that particular plate.

Printmaking techniques:

Intaglio prints are made from a plate which has been engraved or incised to create lines that hold the ink. Relief prints are made from blocks that have been carved, leaving the raised areas to be printed.

Etching: (Intaglio)

A copper or zinc plate is coated with an acid resistant ground. The image is drawn through the ground with a very sharp tool, exposing the metal. The plate is then immersd in a solution of acid, which bites into the plate where the ground has been removed. The plate is then cleaned and inked. The ink is wiped off the plate carefully so as not to remove the ink remaining in the lines. Dampened paper is pressed down into the lines, lifting the ink. To add color to a print, I use a method called a viscosity or rainbow roll. The colored ink is thinned and blended by rolling first on a glass surface, and then onto the already inked and wiped plate. Areas to remain white are hand wiped.

Solar etching: (Intaglio)

A plate with a thin light-sensitive coating is exposed through a transparent film with the art image drawn onto it. The portions of the plate protected by the image are unexposed, and are not hardened by the light. Running water is used to dissolve the lines of the image, creating lines in the coating.

Collograph: (Intaglio)

The print plate is made of mat board, with various textural layers glued on to the board. The plate is sealed and is inked and wiped in the same manner as an etching.

Wood and lino cuts: (Relief)

Wood or linoleum blocks are carved, leaving raised areas to be printed. For a color print, a different block can be made for each color. Or, if only one block is used, the areas of white are carved out and the entire edition is printed with the lightest color. Then, the areas to remain that light color are carved out, the next color printed, and so on until all that is left on the block are the areas of darkest color.