New Hampshire Printmakers Past and Present A Peaceful Day on Star Island, serigraph print, William Mitchell The New Hampshire Printmaking Project

Printmaking Terms

WOODCUT PRINTS: A traditional woodcut is done by taking a plank of wood or sheet of veneer, oiling the surface with linseed and then dried. After the wood has been seasoned the image is carved directly into the surface with carving tools. When the image is printed a sheet of paper is laid over the block and it is either sent through a light pressure press or it is hand rubbed with a wooden spoon or barren. The process is repeated several times to create and edition the number of prints the artist chooses.

Herbert Waters, wood engraver White Mountains of New Hampshire, wood engraving, Herbert Waters

Nora Unwin, wood engraver Spiral Rythms, wood engraving, Nora Unwin

Matt Brown, wood engraver "Grosbeaks on Lambert Ridge", wood engraving, Matt Brown

Printmaking Terms

INTAGLIO (Etching) When a line is engraved into a printing surface, wood metal or cucumber it is called intaglio. Etching takes place when acid is used to engrave lines in metal. The procedure is as follows: You begin with a polished and cleaned metal plate, usually copper or zinc. A thin layer of Asphaltum or tar is placed on the surface and heated so it adhears. Lines are drawn with an etching needle to expose the metal and remove the tar. The plate is then placed into an acid bath were the exposed metal is etched out. After the etching is complete, the asphaltum is washed away with solvents and the etched lines remain in the plate. Inks are then placed on and rubbed into the lines. The plate is placed on a press with a piece of paper and rolled through to make final print.

Nancy Nemec, engraving Too Young to be a sage Intaglio and relief print Nancy Nemec

Christopher Morse, etching "A Serendipitous Resurgence of Neoteny” etching Chris Morse

Matthew Smith, etching ”Goodbye Old Man” etching Matthew Smith

Printmaking Terms

Linocut or Foam Block printing The linocut is a printmaking technique similar to that of the woodcut, the difference being that the image is engraved on linoleum instead of wood. Since linoleum offers an easier surface for working, linocuts offer more precision and a greater variety of effects than woodcuts. Long disparaged by serious artists as not challenging enough, the linocut came into its own after artists like Picasso and Matisse began to work in that technique.

Annette Mitchell, block print ”Big Chicken” foam blockplate Annette Mitchell

Printmaking Terms

Silkscreening (also called serigraphy and screenprinting) is based on the graphic principle of the stencil. A stencil is prepared and adhered to a fine meshed screen of silk, polyester, or nylon that has been tightly stretched onto a wooden or metal frame. Ink is forced through the screen with a hand held tool called a squeegee onto a sheet of paper placed beneath the frame. The ink passes only through the open areas of the stencil, thus creating a particular shape or line on the paper. Printing several colors requires a separate stencil for each color as well as an accurate method of registering the paper for the additional colors.

Catherine Green, serigraph ”Eddie’s Garden” serigraph Catherine Green

William Mitchell, serigraph ”Summer’s End” serigraph William Mitchell