This course will provide an introduction to woodcut printmaking. Fundamental relief techniques will introduce you to the tools and methods needed to allow you to carve and print from your own relief woodblocks. We will explore carving techniques to obtain a range of textures, depth and contrast to create strong visual statements in your artwork. We will examine the conventional and contemporary practice of these techniques, to gain an understanding of how these tools can be applied in the expanded field of printmaking.
What you will learn:
1. To identify the difference between the woodcut and other printmaking processes
2. To carve wood blocks safely using different techniques of mark making
3. To print your wood blocks by hand
4. To know the reasons for choosing their wood and paper and the outcomes to expect
5. To gain an understanding of the role of woodcut printmaking in historical and contemporary contexts
Topics Covered:
- Prepping
blocks for carving
- Transferring
drawings to the block surface
- Carving
wood (large areas and small details)
- Textures
and mark-making in wood
- Registration
- Mixing
oil-based inks for relief printing
- Printing
by hand with a barren or spoon
- Editioning,
signing and numbering prints
- Monotype
methods (painterly prints)
- Split
fountain inking
- Reductive
prints
- Printing
with a press
- Water-based
mokuhanga printing
Please note: this is a 9-session course. Fleisher will be closed on Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day.