Prints: Materials, Practice, and Techniques Flashcards
What is linocut?
o Similar to woodcut
o Linoleum block is used instead of wood
o Surface of print has less texture because material does not have wood grain
o Early 19th century
o Pine resin, solidified linseed oil
o Linoleum is cheaper than wood- or metal cut
o Easier to carve compared to wood and metal – softer
What is aquatint?
Intaglio print with acid that creates tone rather than lines
What is a burin?
V-shape sharp tool used for engraving
Steel shaft, wooden handle, sharp point - held in palm of hand – leaves clean V-shaped groove
What is metal cut?
Form of relief print
o Metal plate is used instead of wood – more durable
o Used from 15th – 19th century, particularly of book illustrations
o Outlines are engraved – stamps used for texture
What is Chiaroscuro?
(Chiaro = light scuro = shade)
o Printing with two or more block – different colors on blocks
o 1 block for each color
o Usually no more than 3 or 4 blocks
o Key block = outlines, mid tone block, light tone block
What is the process of mezzotint?
o Plate is worked with rocker (metal tool with teeth) – plate is roughened
o Entire plate is rocked to create rough texture
o Rough texture catches ink – a proper mezzotint plate will print completely black print
o Plate is then smoothened with tools to create lighter shades
What tool is used on etching plate to remove ground?
Etching needle: varying in thickness, more or less sharp according to need
What are the characteristics of mezzotint?
- Presents many tones
- Tones rather than lines
- Each plate prints limited number of high-quality prints
What is a mezzotint rocker?
Tool that creates dots/rough texture on plate
What is the process of screen-printing?
o Screen is evenly coated with thin layer of photosensitive emulsion – emulsion dries
o Designs are placed on screen
o Screen is put in exposure unite that emits UV light – designs block UV – emulsion around is hardened
o Unhardened emulsion is washed away
o Screen is put in mechanism with hinges
o Thick layer of ink is applied on screen, paper is put underneath
o Ink is forced through screen with squeegee – called flooding screen
o Multiple colors can be used – multiple prints with multiple screens – registrations marks are used to align paper to screen
How is drypoint used?
Often in combination with etching - used after plate is bitten to do revisions
Describe the printmaking process!
- Transferring an image from a matrix – from one surface to another
- Design is added to a surface – ink is added – surface is pressed to paper
What is a drypoint needle?
Piece of steel stronger than an etching needle for copper
What is the difference between wood cut and wood engraving?
Woodcut:
uses gouge/chisel
wood is cut length wise
Wood engraving
uses graver
wood is cut across the grain
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: Beggar with wooden leg and crutches
Name of artist: Jacques Callot
Date: 1622
Technique: Etching
What is the process of lithography?
o Stone is polished
o Artist draws design with oily/greasy medium directly on stone surface
o Greasy medium
Oil based medium
Tusche
o Stone is rubbed with powdered rosin – then rubbed with layer of powdered talk
o Solution of Gum Arabic and acid is brushed on stone – makes stone water receptive
o Process makes drawing fixed
o The drawing is wiped off – leaves ghost trace
o Preparing for inking –
o Stone is dampened with water – only stays on blank areas
o Ink is applied with roller – only sticks to oily areas – water areas repel ink
o Stone is covered with sheet of paper and run through press – design on bottom, paper on top
o Reverse image of design is printed on paper
What are the characteristics of woodcuts?
- Could be put in printing press together with text (movable type)
o Preferred wood: pear wood (sycamore also used)
o Wood is cut length wise and planed
o Wood is seasoned (dried) – reduce moisture in wood – prevents warping and cracking
o Size of woodblock is limited to size of printing press
o Larger prints can be made from combining smaller woodblocks
o Ideal thickness – 1 inch or 2.54 cm
o Process is done by multiple people
o Sketch is added to woodblock – can be traced – often don by 2 people
What are the characteristics of drypoint?
Drypoint needle creates burr that is not removed - gives lines a fuzzy feeling
o Difficult to control needle
o Lines produced are shallow
o Drypoint lines wears quickly
Only 12-13 good quality print can be made
20-30 prints can be made, 12-13 first are the best
- Difficult to distinguish from other intaglio
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: Battle of the Nude Men
Name of artist: Antonio Pollaiuolo
Date: ca. 1470–90
Technique: Engraving
What are the characteristics of aquatint?
- Creates shaded areas
- Dramatic contrast of light and dark
- Imitates watercolor
- Most often used in combination with etching or engraving
What is burr?
Curls of copper left behind from burin – burr is removed with scraper
What is the history of aquatint?
- Invented in 1650s in Amsterdam
- Used most effectively in England
What is etching?
Second most important process
- Iron copper or zinc plates
- Plate is covered with ground
- Etching needle removes ground
- Plate is put in acid – acid removes metal where ground is absent
What is intaglio printing?
- Intagliare = to incise
- Image is either incised with a pointed tool or bitten with acid
- Plate is covered with ink – plate is wiped off - ink stays in the incisions/grooves – paper is pressed on top
- Platemark:
o Plate is larger than image – leaves platemark behind
What is the history of lithography?
1798, Germany accidentally discovered by Senefelder
Used in 19th century by artist working in the commercial sphere
Used for advertisement and book illustration in late 19th century
What is the planographic printing process?
The ink lies flat on surface, pressure of press, much lighter
What is the process of engraving?
o Surface is polished to remove imperfections and scratches
o Lines are cut directly on surface
o Pressure changes line thickness
o Plate can be put on small pillow – plate is more easily moved and turned
o Tones can be created
o Ink is applied to plate evenly
o Excess ink is removed with rags and palm of hand
o Printing the plate on paper under a press
o Plate is put on bottom, dampened paper is put on top, felt blankets on top of paper, “sandwich” is put through rollers
What tool are used with mezzotint?
Burnisher – blunt tip
Scraper - sharp tip
Roulette - rounded tip that rolls
What is the history of engraving?
o Practiced since antique period (before early modern period) as a way to embellish metal objects
o 15th century – started using engraving to print on paper
o First appeared on paper in Germany in 1430s
o End of 15th century rollers are used
o 2 most important artists – anonymous – Master of the playing cards, the queen of flowers – Master E.S., 6 birds 1463
o End of 15th century – painters take over more (before goldsmiths)
What is the process of a woodcut print?
o Woodblock is cut – early modern period – done by cutter – highly skilled
Tools – chisel/gouge
o Ink is added
Tools – roller, dauber (sheep skin with handle)
o Printing – putting the block under the press
Paper is dampened
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: Four horsemen of the Apocalypse (from the series Apocalypse)
Name of artist: Albrecht Dürer
Date: 1498
Technique: Woodcut
What are the characteristics of etching?
Shaky, nervous quality - looks drawn
- Popular among non-professionals
- Longer acid bath = deeper and wider recesses = more ink in recesses = darker lines on paper
What is a scraper?
Tool used to remove burr on copper engraving
What is the function of monograms in engravings?
Show authorship/ownership – prevents copies
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: Sleeping nymph and satyr
Name of artist: Francesco Colonna
Date: 1499
Technique: Woodcut
What is the stencil printing process?
Prints open areas of stencil
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: Farnese Hercules
Name of artist: Hendrick Goltzius
Date: ca. 1592-1617
Technique: Engraving
What is the history of mezzotint?
-Developed in Amsterdam by amateurs
-Wallerant Valliant - first pro mezzotinter
-Most popular in London
- Golden age of second half of 18th CE
What is a threading tool?
Tool used on copper engraving to engrave parallel lines
Wide flat end
Who was Maria Sibylla Merian?
- Went to south America 1705 – documented flora and fauna
- From drawing to print in book in large format – some details and nuances are lost when you compare
- Print can only be done in black – color is added later
- Crosshatches, dots, and lines convey a sense of depth
What is an Échoppe?
A type of large etching needle, with the point cut off diagonally. Mainly used in 17th-century France by Jacques Callot and Abraham Bosse to imitate and
simulate the swelling lines produced by the burin in engraving
What is the process of etching?
1, Preparing, polishing, the plate.
2, Putting the ground on the metal plate (laid using a dabber). The ground is made of gum/wax and is resistant to acid. A cloth with ground inside.
3, Drawing the design with an etching needle (to remove ground), a blunt stylus.
Some limitations: don’t draw line to close, the acid will come in-between.
Foul-biting: when the acid attacks the metal because the ground has not been properly laid.
4, Dipping the plate in acid (or poured over plate). Remains there until the lines are sufficiently bitten. The longer the exposure lats, the deeper and wider the recesses are it will have darker lines on the paper. How long? Varies a lot from a couple of minutes to a few hours. The biting can be made in several operations – if you want even darker tones.
5, After removing plate from acid bath, removing the ground.
6, Inking the plate and cleaning it. Like engraving.
7, Putting the plate under the press with a sheet of (dampened) paper to print. The print is transferred to the paper, and a “frame” is created around the metal plate.
What is woodcut?
A type of relief printing where a solid block of wood is used
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: The holy family
Name of artist: Dürer
Date: 1512-1513
Technique: Drypoint
What is lithography?
Planographic printing process
Design is drawn on flat stone (today on metal)
‘Lithos’: stone + ‘Grafein’: writing
How do you spot the difference between woodcut and engraving?
Engraving has tapering lines with more details
What is burr when talking about drypoint?
Small metal shavings left behind from drypoint needle - make lines fuzzy
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: Adam and Eve
Name of artist: Dürer
Date: 1504
Technique: Engraving
How did Rembrandt use drypoint?
Started using drypoint 1630
Dominated his work 1650
He made 5 landscape prints
Used Japanese paper and vellum
What is screen-printing?
Stencil printing process
Ink i pushed through mesh screen
What are some historical landmarks of woodcuts?
- Spreads similar to papermaking from Islamic world to western world
- First used in Europe in 13th century – woodblock on textiles
- Second half of 14th century – woodblock on paper – late because accessible paper arrives later
- The first ones are anonymous – not signed – religious motifs – sold – hard to understand where they are from
- 1490 used for books
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: View of Nuremberg
Name of artist: Michael Wolgemut
Date: 1493
Technique: Woodcut
What is a scooper?
Used to engrave makes wider lines
What is a matrix?
Comes from latin - mater (mother)
- Flat surface – metal plate, woodblock.
- Image is added to matrix – by tools (engraving), by chemicals (etching)
- Printing press applies even pressure
- Matrix creates mirror image on paper
- Carved woodblocks – kept and treasured – seen today as sculptures
- 1 matrix can print multiple images
What is the history of etching?
- Initially invented to ornament metal/armor from 14th century
- 1513 first etching: Urs Graf, Woman bathing her feet
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: The Desperate Man
Name of artist: Dürer
Date: 1515
Technique: Etching
What is relief printing?
- Composition is sketched to woodblock
- Areas that should not be printed is cut away
- Ink is added to raised areas with roller or dabber
- Paper is put on block and vertically pressed
- Ink adheres to paper
- Stark contrast between black and white
What is the history of screen-printing?
Popularised by Andy Warhol in 1960s
What is the history of woodcuts?
- 9th century first recorded in China
- 14th century first used in western world – religious images
- 17th – 18th century onward – popular in Asia
What is mezzotint?
Intaglio print with halftones
- From the Italian mezzo (“half”) and tintal (“tone”)
What are some techniques in engraving?
Dots/stippling, crosshatching, straight lines, curved lines, different thicknesses
What is the difference between wood cut and wood engraving?
Woodcut:
uses gouge/chisel
Wood engraving uses graver
What is the process of lithography?
o Stone is polished
o Artist draws design with oily/greasy medium directly on stone surface
o Greasy medium
Oil based medium
Tusche
o Stone is rubbed with powdered rosin – then rubbed with layer of powdered talk
o Solution of Gum Arabic and acid is brushed on stone – makes stone water receptive
o Process makes drawing fixed
o The drawing is wiped off – leaves ghost trace
o Preparing for inking –
o Stone is dampened with water – only stays on blank areas
o Ink is applied with roller – only sticks to oily areas – water areas repel ink
o Stone is covered with sheet of paper and run through press – design on bottom, paper on top
o Reverse image of design is printed on paper
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: The Judgment of Paris
Name of artist: Marcantonio Raimondi
Date: ca. 1510–20
Technique: Engraving
What is the process of aquatint?
o Metal plate is covered in rosin
o Plate is heated – rosin melts and hardens when cooled
o Plate is bitten with acid in areas to create shades
o Multiple bitings is done
What is an engraving?
Plate made from copper, now iron, steel, zinc used in intaglio printing
What are the four printing processes and their common name?
What is drypoint?
Intaglio print: Scratching design into metal with sharp metal tool
What tools are used to incise when engraving copper plate?
Burin
Scooper
Threading tool
(Scraper) - used to remove burr
What is the title, name of artist, date and technique?
Title: Bacchanal with a Wine Vat
Name of artist: Andrea Mantegna
Date: ca. 1470–90
Technique: Engraving (with touches of drypoint)
What is wood engraving?
o Made from hard wood – boxwood
o Wood is cut across the grain
o Woodblock cut with a graver¬
o More details and precision
o Recorded in 16th century, devolves in 18th century flourishes in 19th century
