Printmaking Unit
Assignment
Your assignment is to a continuous design relief print in which you experiment with the arrangement of the composition, color, and repetition.
Objectives:
Students will understand the process of relief printing
Students will understand the process of reduction printing
Students will be able to register or align their prints
Students will make multiple editions
In Class Practice
What is Relief Printing?
Relief printing is a printmaking technique that involves cutting away a printing surface to create a raised design. The raised areas are inked and pressed onto paper or fabric to create a print.
Tools & Materials
Linoleum cutting tool
Bench Hook
Warming device for linoleum
Brayer
Pallet Knife
Linoleum
Printmaking Paper
Printmaking Ink
Damp rag
Printmaking tray
Overall Process:
Create a design and transfer it to the printing plate (linoleum)
Carve out areas of the design you want to remain empty or white
Roll ink onto the printing plate using a brayer
Print the plate onto printing paper and burnish
Eraser Practice Print
Objectives:
Students will practice designing with positive and negative space
Students will learn the transfer process
Students will learn the process of relief printing
Directions:
Create a black and white design using the template provided
Trace the design onto tracing paper
Transfer your design to the eraser
Carve out the areas you would like to be white
Print your eraser stamp
Designing Your Stamp
Positive and Negative Space
With relief printing, what you carve out will be white in the design. You can choose to design in two ways.
Boarder vs. No Boarder
Desgin Handout
Transferring Design to Eraser
Directions:
Go over your favorite design with pencil again- use pressure
Cut out image, flip onto eraser, burnish (rub with pressure) the backside of the image
Go over black areas with sharpie
Carving & Printing
Carve out areas of the design you want white
Carve away from you
Use bench hook
Keep opposite hand behind the carving tool
Outline before carving out the middle areas
Printing:
1. Roll ink out onto printing tray
2. Roll ink out onto eraser stamp lightly with brayer
3. Stamp, flip, and burnish the backside
4. Repeat
Summative Project
Tessellation Print
Objectives:
Students will learn how to create a continuous design
Students will learn the process of reduction printing
Students will understand how to register their prints
Directions:
Create a continuous design
Transfer your design to the printing plate
Carve out negative space
Print and register the first layer of the print
Carve out the first color
Print and register the second layer of the print
Requirements:
1. Design needs to be continuous
2. Design needs to have a minimum of 2 colors + white
3. Design should have overlap
Examples:
Student Examples:
Process
Create a Continuous Design
Step 1: Use the template to create a continuous design
Directions:
Watch this video
Using the form provided, create a design in the center of the space- make sure not to go off the edge.
Cut design down the middle, flip, and tape. Then, cut the other way, flip and tape.
Fill in the remaining space with additional design.
*See attached form and video for specific directions*
CLICK LINK ABOVE TO WATCH COOL PATTERN MAKING VIDEO!
Continuous pattern.mp4
Step 2: Transfer Your Design To the Printing Plate
Directions:
Lay the carbon paper black side down onto your printing plate. Tack down with masking tape.
Place your design on top of the carbon paper. Tack down with masking tape. You should have the ability to lift and check the image without it moving.
Using a pen, trace over all the outlines of your image. Check to make sure the lines are all transferring.
Go over lines with sharpie and color in sections of black.
Transfer Design To Printing Plate.mp4
Carving and Printing
Step 1: Carve out all your whites
Learning Objectives:
Students will use the safety measures to cut linoleum safely.
Students will carve out their plate in layers, understanding not to carve a color until AFTER it has already been printed
Students will understand the process of reduction printing and relief carving
Directions:
Warm printing plate using an iron, microwave (10-15 seconds), or a hair dryer
Using bench hook and linoleum carving tool, remove areas of white from the printing plate.
Careful not to go too deep
Carving the Plate.gifDetailed carving video
Carving Linoleum Plate.mp4Understanding Reduction Printing Order
Step 2: Registering your Paper
Directions:
1. Select paper that is the correct size for your printing plate
2. Line ruler up with the edge of the paper and measure 1" from the side at the TOP AND BOTTOM of the paper.
3. Line your ruler up with both marks and connect them with a LIGHT pencil line. You now have a 1" boarder on one side.
4. Repeat on all four sides giving you a 1" boarder all the way around.
5. Line the ruler up with the edge of the boarder line and make a mark every 4, 5, or 6" depending on your plate size. Do this the same at the TOP AND BOTTOM of the space inside the boarder.
6. Repeat going the other way
Step 3: Printing
Learning Objectives:
Students will understand how to roll ink onto a plate evenly
Students will be able to register their printing plate on their paper
Students will apply pressure through burnishing to transfer the ink onto the printing paper
Students will understand the order of colors they need to print
Directions:
Lay a small amount of ink out on your printing tray
Use the brayer to roll the ink out evenly
Roll and even amount of ink onto your linoleum plate
Register your printing plate and paper
Burnish your design to solidify your print onto the paper
Carefully peel off and repeat
Printing Process.mp4