Blog 5 - Printmaking

Blog 5 - Printmaking 

History of Printmaking

 The method of copying text and pictures, or printing, has a very long history behind it.

The history of printing can be a history of trade, culture and individuals.

Some of the early uses of printmaking, Were  relief stamps cut on brands and seals used to mark prisoners and animals as property.

Also Clay tiles, metals and wood were the first "plates" made to transfer pictures and symbols onto skin. The first real "prints," Came from China, where early Buddhists used text and pictures printed on paper to disseminate spiritual ideas through the text.

 

Historic Printmaking Images

The Great Wave off Kanagawa

Artist - Katsushika Hokusai

Year - 1829 - 32

Type - Colour Woodcut

Dimensions -  25.7 cm × 37.8 cm (10.1 in × 14.9 in)

The Great Wave off Kanagawa  is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai.

Goten-yama hill, Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō

Artist - Katsushika Hokusai

Year - 1890 and 1940

Type - 1 print : woodcut, colour.

Summary: Print shows people having a picnic as others stroll along paths through grove of cherry trees at blossom time at the Shinagawa station on the Tōkaidō Road, with view of Mount Fuji in the distance.

The Creation of Adam

Artist - Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione

Year - 1642

Type - Monotype (dark manner) in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions -  303 x 203 mm

    

Some Printmaking Techniques 

Woodcut: The oldest printmaking technique, woodcut involves carving an image into a wooden surface, which is then inked and printed—leaving the carved-out image in negative, as well as occasional traces of the wood’s grain.

Monotype: Unlike most other printmaking techniques, this process produces unique editions. Artists draw, paint, or otherwise manipulate ink or paint to create a composition on a smooth surface, which is then produced in reverse when applied to a ground support.

Screen Print: One of the most ubiquitous printmaking techniques today, screen printing starts with an ink-blocking stencil applied to a screen. When ink is wiped across the screen, it selectively passes through, transferring the image to the ground. Look no further than Andy Warhol for iconic examples of the medium.

    

 Reference

www.artic.edu

www.wikipedia.org