1. Printmaking Vocabulary
relief printmaking lesson

2. Printmaking is an indirect process
Huh? What does that mean?
When you draw or paint you put the brush where you want the mark and it is direct.
In printmaking, lots of cool things happen between the paper and the block- interesting bits of ink that might spread or be faded in an interesting way. Cool things sometimes happen that we didn’t expect.
Try to embrace some of the interesting effects that occur. Some of the best effects sometimes happen accidently at first. But if we can figure out some of the variables….we might be able to have a similar cool thing happen next time.

3. Printmaking Techniques
We are using the process of relief printmaking in this lesson which means the raised areas print. This could be done with a Softkut block like the one we are using.
Relief printmaking could also be done using wood. This is very challenging to do because of the grain in wood.
A fingerprint is a relief print.
A collograph is a relief print made from collaged elements.
There are other ways to create using printmaking which include:
Intaglio, Lithography, Silkscreen, Monoprint

4. Printmaking is about multiples.
When you draw or paint each work is alone.
In printmaking, you can build a series or edition of the same image and as you are brainstorming ways to ink or apply color, you can refine ideas and try variations without having to start a brand new project.

5. Block or Plate
The material you carve and print from- usually a piece of thick flat material where the design on the surface repeats impressions of that design.

6. Printing Ink Substance used to print the block Not “ink”
When you roll out the ink-
you should start with a dime sized amount and roll out in several directions using the brayer.
It should make a small crackling noise and look like a stamp pad.
If it looks stringy and makes a loud crackle noise- you have too much ink and the prints will be gloppy.

7. gouges
Cutting tools-
The blades come in a variety of shapes (mostly “u”and “v” shaped)
The blades come in sizes 1-5

8. Liner
The skinniest gouge used for thin lines and details is called a liner.

9. Gouge Safety Tips:
Gouges belong in the tub at your table when you are not using them.
Do not walk in the room with a gouge. Use only the gouge’s at your table’s tub.
Carve away from you.
Hold the gouge properly so you can see in the hollow of the cutting tool.
Your non-cutting hand should be at rest behind your cutting hand.
You must use a benchhook when you are carving.

10. Benchhook
A safety device- wooden or metal that locks on edge of table and gives an edge to hold block in place when you are carving.

11. Inking Plate: the plastic tray where we roll out the printing ink until it is smooth.
How much printing ink?
You will need about a nickel size bit of printing ink to roll out in the inking plate to use for block printing.

12. Brayer
The roller used to smooth out the printing ink and apply ink to the block.
This ink still needs to be rolled out. It’s a little too thick and not looking like an ink pad yet….

13. Baren The tool used to smooth the paper to the print block.
You can also use your hand.
Put the paper on top of the block and then apply pressure with the baren or your hand to make sure you get an even registration of ink.

14. impresssion
The image

15. Proof
A test print
An artist’s proof is a test print when you are not sure if the block is done being carved.

16. Pull The verb for making prints-
Probably because you pull the paper off-
I pulled 10 prints from that block last class.

17. Edition
The title of the print goes just beneath the image on the left. Sign the print underneath- toward the right- using pencil. The fraction is found underneath lining up with the right bottom corner of the print.
A series of prints made from the same block.
The prints are numbered using a fraction. The top number is the number of this print. The bottom number is the total nmber in the series or edition.
Use pencil to title, sign, and number the print.