Grade 9 Printmaking PDF

What you need to know about printmaking  What is printmaking? Let’s start with what you think it is?  What is printmaking? 3 Printmaking is an artistic process based on the principle of tra...

What you need to know about printmaking  What is printmaking? Let’s start with what you think it is?  What is printmaking? 3 Printmaking is an artistic process based on the principle of transferring images from a matrix onto another surface, most often paper or fabric. Traditional printmaking techniques include woodcut, etching, engraving, and lithography, while modern artists have expanded available techniques to include screenprinting. A matrix is essentially a template, and can be made of wood, metal, or glass. The design is created on the matrix by working its flat surface with either tools or chemicals. The matrix is then inked in order to transfer it onto the desired surface. To print from a matrix requires the application of controlled pressure, most often achieved by using a printing press, which creates an even impression of the design when it is printed onto the paper or fabric. (More modern printmaking techniques, such as screenprinting, do not require a press.) The resulting print is often the mirror image of the original design on the matrix. One of the great benefits of printmaking (save for monotype) is that multiple impressions of the same design can be printed from a single matrix. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2020. What is Printmaking. ONLINE. URL: https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/drawings-and-prints/materials-and-techniques/printmaking. Date Accessed: 06/07/2020.  4 What are the different printmaking techniques???  5 They are: Woodcut Engraving Etching Lithograph Screenprinting Woodcuts 7  8 The oldest form of printmaking, woodcut is a relief process in which knives and other tools are used to carve a design into the surface of a wooden block. The raised areas that remain after the block has been cut are inked and printed, while the recessed areas that are cut away do not retain ink, and will remain blank in the final print. The size of the woodblock is determined by the image, but is ultimately limited by the size of the printing press. This means that for a large-scale print, multiple blocks are cut and printed separately, after which the image is assembled. Smaller blocks are less likely to crack due to age or the pressure placed upon them during the printing process. The thickness of the block is also important for ease of use and the prevention of wear; the ideal thickness is around one inch = 2,54cm. Method 9 After the woodblock has been prepared, the design can be drawn directly onto the surface of the block or a sketch can be pasted on to it. Alternatively, the design can be transferred from a sheet of paper directly onto the surface of the block by applying chalk or graphite to the back of the sheet. The design is then placed onto the surface of the block and its lines are traced by the printmaker with a stylus, which transfers the chalk and the thus the design onto the block.  10 Woodblocks are most often cut by a professional block cutter, who uses a chisel, gouge, or knife to carefully cut away sections of the block that will not receive ink.  11 The lines that comprise the image The block is then inked evenly by then stand in relief to the rest using a dauber (ink ball) or a of the block (which is why roller, taking care not to spill ink woodcuts are in the group of into the recesses. printmaking techniques called relief prints).  12 Once printed onto its paper support, the woodcut design appears in reverse of the original on the block.  13 Liz Zanis, Big Rocks, 2018, woodcut and woodblock. Courtesy of the artist Engraving 15  16 Engraving is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines are cut into a metal plate in order to hold the ink. In engraving, the plate can be made of copper or zinc. The metal plate is first polished to remove all scratches and imperfections from the surface so that only the intentional lines will be printed. When making an engraving, the printmaker incises or cuts a composition directly into the surface of a metal plate using a sharp tool, known as a burin: a steel shaft ending in a beveled diamond-shaped tip that is set into a rounded wooden handle. Method 17 The printmaker holds the burin by placing the wooden handle against the palm of their hand and grips the shaft with their thumb and third finger. The burin is then set to engage with the surface of the plate. When pressure is applied, the burin cuts away a thin layer of the metal to create a recessed line or groove in the plate. Cutting into the plate also results in the displacement of a thin curl of metal residue. Different sizes of burins can affect the size of the lines; the pressure the printmaker applies to the burin can also be used to create thinner or thicker grooves in the plate. Creating smooth lines requires both strength and control on the part of the printmaker. The metal plate is placed on a sandbag or pillow by the printmaker to help manipulate and move the plate, especially when a composition requires curved lines.  18 To enhance a purely linear composition with tone, the printmaker applies a system of hatching—lines, dots, and dashes, among other kinds of markings, placed close together to create denser areas in the print that hold more ink. The closer the marks are placed together, the darker those areas will appear. The printmaker must take care not to cut the lines or the markings too closely together so that the ink does not bleed between them. Once the full composition has been cut into the plate, it is ready to be inked. A cloth ball, cardboard tab, or equivalent material is used to gently spread ink across the whole face of the plate; the same material is used to remove most of the excess ink from the surface. The plate is further cleaned using a tarlatan rag (heavily starched cheesecloth).  19 As a last measure, printmakers often use their palms or the sides of their hands to wipe away the last bits of ink. In certain cases, a printmaker can choose not to clean the plate entirely, but to leave a thin layer of ink on the plate to create tone. After the plate is wiped to the desired level, it is ready for printing. While some early intaglio prints appear to have been produced by simply pressing the paper against the plate by hand, in most cases the pressure required to force the paper into the finely cut lines entailed the use of a special press equipped with rollers. The plate is placed on the bed of the press with the ink side up, and a sheet of dampened paper is placed on top. Before the plate and sheet are moved through the press together, they are covered with printing blankets, often made of felt, to soften the pressure on the metal plate.  20 Once the plate has been run through the press, the resulting impression on paper displays a reverse image of the original engraved composition. The pressure of the press not only forces the ink onto the damp paper, but also produces an outline of the outer edges of the metal plate in the paper, known as a plate mark.  21 Liz Zanis, Practice Cloud, 2018, engraving and copper plate. Courtesy of the artist Etching 23  24 Etching is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines or areas are incised using acid into a metal plate in order to hold the ink. In etching, the plate can be made of iron, copper, or zinc. To prepare the plate for etching, it is first polished to remove all scratches and imperfections from the surface. When the surface is completely smooth, it is covered evenly with a layer of acid-resistant varnish or wax, which is called the ground. Method 25 Using a blunt stylus called an etching needle, the printmaker gently scratches away parts of the ground following the design, thereby exposing the metal beneath.  26 Once the entire design has been drawn into the ground, acid is poured over the plate or the plate is dipped in acid.  27 The acid eats into the metal only in the exposed areas creating recesses that can retain ink. The depth and width of these recesses is determined by the length of time the plate is exposed to the acid: a longer exposure will cause deeper and wider recesses, which hold more ink and will thus print darker lines on paper. This process can be used to create a nuanced tonal palette. To create darker tones, certain areas can be bathed in acid several times, while lighter areas are protected from further acid bite by covering them with ground. Once the plate has been satisfactorily bitten by the acid, the printmaker removes the ground with a solvent.  28 After the ground is removed, the plate is ready for inking. In an intaglio process, the ink is retained in the incised lines. A cloth ball, cardboard tab, or equivalent material is used to gently spread ink across the whole face of the plate; the same material is used to remove most of the excess ink from the surface. The plate is further cleaned using a tarlatan rag (heavily starched cheesecloth). As a last measure, printmakers often use the sides of their hand to wipe away the last bits of ink. In certain cases, a printmaker can choose not to clean the plate entirely, but to leave a thin layer of ink on the plate to create tone.  29 Once the surface of the plate is wiped clean to a satisfactory level, the plate is placed on the bed of a rolling printing press, with the ink side up. Although some early intaglio prints appear to have been produced by simply pressing the paper against the plate with one's hands, in most cases the pressure required to force the paper into the finely cut lines entailed the use of a special press equipped with rollers. Before the plate is moved through the press, it is covered with a sheet of dampened paper and then printing blankets, often made of felt, to soften the pressure on the metal plate.  30 Once printed onto its paper support, the etching design appears in reverse of the original on the plate. The pressure of the press not only forces the ink onto the damp paper, but also produces an outline of the outer edges of the metal plate in the paper, known as a plate mark.  31 Liz Zanis, Little Towel, 2018, etching and copper plate. Courtesy of the artist Lithographs 33  34 Lithography is a planographic printmaking process in which a design is drawn onto a flat stone (or prepared metal plate, usually zinc or aluminuim) and affixed by means of a chemical reaction. Method 35 First, the design for the lithograph is drawn directly onto a polished slab of limestone using an oil-based lithographic crayon or ink.  36 Once the design is complete, the stone is ready to be processed or etched. A layer of powdered rosin is rubbed onto the stone, followed by a layer of powdered talc.  37 Gum arabic, or a combination of gum arabic with a mild acid solution, is then brushed onto the stone. The chemical reaction between the solution and the stone fixes the greasy image that is drawn with the oil-based lithographic crayon. At the same time, the solution ensures that the blank areas of the stone will absorb water and repel printing ink.  38 The original drawing is then wiped away with a solvent, known as lithotine, which leaves a ghost-like trace of the image on the stone.  39 To provide a base for inking, a layer of asphaltum is then buffed onto the entire surface of the stone and allowed to dry.  40 Before the stone is ready for inking, it is dampened with water, which is absorbed only in the blank areas. Ink is then applied to the stone with a roller. The oil-based ink adheres to the greasy area of the image and is repelled by the damp parts of the stone. The dampening and inking of the stone is repeated until the entire image is thoroughly inked.  41 The stone is placed with the image facing up on a flatbed lithographic press, and a damp sheet of paper is laid on top. The stone and paper are covered with a board, also called a tympan, and sometimes several sheets of newsprint as padding for the press. A flatbed press is equipped with a pressure bar. This bar, which usually approximates the size of the image, is lowered onto the tympan and the stone, and is dragged across the greased surface as it passes through the press. The bar guarantees a smooth and even application of pressure across the surface of the stone.  42 Once the stone has been run through the press, the resulting impression on paper displays a reverse image of the original composition drawn onto the stone. In order to make a multicolor lithograph, additional stones or matrices must be used for each desired colour. The same sheet of paper is run through the press repeatedly to add each color, and care must be taken to precisely Liz Zanis, Lunch, 2018, lithograph and stone. register, or align, the stone Courtesy of the artist each time. Screenprinting 44  45 Screenprinting is a process where ink is forced through a mesh screen onto a surface. Making certain areas of the screen impervious to printing ink creates a stencil, which blocks the printing ink from passing through the screen. The ink that passes through forms the printed image. Method 46 A printing screen consists of a fine mesh fabric that is tightly stretched and attached to a metal or wooden frame. Traditionally these screens were made of silk, but today they are most often made of synthetic materials such as terylene or voil.  47 Stencils—which can be composed of a wide variety of materials, including fabric, greasy paint, or a design on a transparency—can be applied to the screen in different ways: placing them directly onto the surface of the screen, painting them onto the screen, or by transferring a design onto the screen using a photo-sensitive emulsion. The transfer of a design on transparency or Mylar film onto a photo-sensitive emulsion is the most common contemporary method to prepare a screen. Designs can be made by any or a combination of the following ways: hand-drawn with an opaque ink or printed onto the transparency, or cut out of rubylith, an ultraviolet-masking film. 48  49 To transfer the design from the After the emulsion dries, the transparency, the screen is first design is placed against the coated with a thin layer of screen. photo-sensitive emulsion using a scoop coater, a metal trough that has a clean, even edge.  50 The screen is then placed in an The emulsion covered by the exposure unit that emits design remains soft and is then ultraviolet (UV) light. When the washed out of the screen, exposure unit is on, the design leaving the design on the blocks the UV light that hardens screen. the emulsion around the image.  51 Once the screen has been prepared, it is placed in hinges affixed to a board or screenprinting table, which has hinges at the top and holes in the surface that allow a vacuum to hold a sheet of paper in place during printing. A thick bead of ink is applied along the top of the inside of the screen and then pulled evenly across the image using a squeegee, an action known as "flooding the screen". A sheet of paper is then placed under the screen, and with another pass of the squeegee the ink is pushed through those areas of the screen that are not blocked by the stencil. The resulting impression follows the direction of the matrix. 52  53 If the composition requires more than one colour, the printmaker must repeat the process using a different stencil for each colour. To keep the colours of the composition aligned, the printmaker must take precautionary measures to ensure the proper registration of the sheet of paper and the Liz Zanis, Memory Sticks, from APS Certificate, screen. 2018, screenprint and screen. Courtesy of the artist  54 Any questions?