Art and Design: Fine Art - 4FA1 PearsonEdexcel

Printing

Overview

Printmaking is the only area of study in Fine Art where you do not make the image directly. You make a thing that makes the image. The specification puts it exactly that way: the creation of surfaces from which an image can be transferred. That object, the block, the plate, the stone or the screen, is called the matrix, and everything interesting about printmaking follows from the fact that it stands between your hand and the paper.

Two consequences run through this note. The first is reversal and delay: what you cut is not what you get, and you often do not know whether it worked until the paper comes off the block. The second is the multiple. A print exists in an edition, so the image is not a unique precious object but a thing that can travel, be given away and be seen in ten places at once, and artists from Hokusai to Elizabeth Catlett have chosen the medium precisely for that reason.

Objectives

Create surfaces from which an image can be transferred to communicate ideas
Use a variety of materials, media and techniques such as linoleum, screen, intaglio, relief, lithography, drypoint, etching and monoprint, using a range of inks and printing surfaces

Lesson Note

Every printmaking process in the specification, and there are eight named, belongs to one of four families. The families are not distinguished by the tools or the materials but by one question: after you have inked the matrix, where is the ink? Answer that and you know how the process behaves, what kind of mark it can make, and what will go wrong.

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Lesson Evaluation

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Printing. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.

You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

In which family of printmaking does the ink sit in incised lines below the surface of the plate? A) Relief B) Intaglio C) Planographic D) Stencil Answer: B
Which printmaking process does NOT reverse the image? A) Linocut B) Drypoint C) Screen printing D) Woodcut Answer: C
Why must the edition size of a reduction lino print be decided before the first colour is printed? A) The ink changes colour over time B) The block is cut away further at every stage, so earlier states can never be printed again C) Registration jigs only hold a fixed number of sheets D) The paper must all be torn at once Answer: B
What is the burr in a drypoint? A) The debossed mark left by the plate edge B) The ridge of displaced material beside the scratch, which holds extra ink C) A tool for wiping the plate D) The acid-resistant coating on the plate Answer: B
A print marked 7/20 in pencil below the image means: A) It took seven of twenty attempts B) It is the seventh impression in an edition of twenty C) It uses seven colours from twenty screens D) It is a trial proof Answer: B