Printmaking in action
Printmaking is a A way of doing something. in art.
A design, usually a picture or words, is made on a surface and then copied or printed onto another surface.
The first surface is usually glass, wood or metal, but it can also be other materials such as foam or cardboard. The first surface is called a The surface on which the design for printing is made..
Next, a special type of paint, called A special type of paint that is placed on a surface and used for printing., is placed on the surface.
Then, a piece of paper is placed on top of the matrix.
The picture or words are then printed onto the paper.
The artist or printmaker has to press the paper onto the surface to make sure the design is printed properly.
Printmaking means that you can make many copies of the same picture or writing.
Watch how to make a print
Find out what printmaking is and all the different ways to do it with Oliver Jeffers
Oliver Jeffers: We're doing some printmaking today. Printmaking is when you transfer or print ink or paint designed into a shape from one surface onto another.
I've cut these stamps out of sponge and a potato and I'm going to cover them with paint and print with them.
You can use lots of different materials for printmaking.
Cooper, what are you going to use?
Cooper: I am going to use some foam board.
Oliver Jeffers: Oh, that sounds wonderful. And Fadzi, what about you?
Fadzi: I'm going to be using some pinecones and leaves.
Oliver Jeffers: Excellent idea, great texture, good shapes.
Now, watch how I can transfer the shape of my stamp onto the page. And you can do it many, many times and while the shapes are all mostly the same, each one is a little bit different and that's the cool part is that they don't have to look perfect.
So, what can you print with? You might want to experiment by printing with different shapes, or colours, or materials.
So, why don't you try and give it a go, see what you can print on and print with?
Prints inspired by Japan
This is a famous print by a Japanese artist called Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai was a Japanese Someone who makes prints. who was born in 1760 and died in 1849.
This print has two names: 'Under the Wave off Kanagawa' and 'The Great Wave'. Hokusai used a type of printing called woodblock printing.
Woodblock printing began in Japan and is one of the oldest types of printmaking.
In woodblock prints, the design is cut or carved into a piece of wood.
This print is also by Hokusai and shows Mount Fuji.
Hokusai made 46 prints that all show Mount Fuji in different ways.
Hokusai and his art inspired many other artists such as Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.
Vincent van Gogh was inspired by Japan.
He painted an artwork called 'Flowering Plum Orchard (after Hiroshige)' in 1887 to show what he admired in Japanese woodblock prints.
Printing and printing tools
Image caption, This is screen printing
Screen printing uses a material called mesh and a special tool called a squeegee.
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Activity
Did you know?
In prehistoric times, humans made a type of print by using their hands as stencils and placing them on cave walls.
If you look closely at the print of 'The Great Wave', the signature of the artist can be found in Japanese in the upper left-hand corner. It says: 'From the brush of Hokusai'.
Quiz
Glossary
Here are the meanings of some important words.
Matrix - The surface on which the design for printing is made.
Printing ink - A special type of paint that is placed on a surface and used for printing.
Printmaker - Someone who makes prints.
Process - A way of doing something.
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