Introduction to Printmaking
University of Delaware / ART243-011
Instructor:
Michael Merry
Contact Info:
Studio # 218 Studio Arts Building
Office Hours:
Monday & Tuesday 1:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
If my studio door is open, as it usually is, feel free to ask questions.
Print Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday: Noon to 8:pm.
You cannot work in the studio arts building after the building closes. You cannot work in the studio arts building alone, i.e. there should be a shop monitor on the premises or you should have a friend with you.
Statement from the instructor:
Art courses should not merely be about completing assignments. Printmaking classes in particular can tend to focus on the basic technical skills and neglect to encourage students to develop their own interests. While this course has objectives which must be met, we are going to work together to meet those objectives in a way that allows you to explore your interests. In that spirit, I am always open to suggestions and constructive criticism about the course and your interests.
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to a variety of print techniques including chine collé, digital, intaglio, lithography, monoprint, relief, or silkscreen.
Many people seem to think printmaking is making copies of work made in other mediums, a poster version of a painting for example. It is not. Printmaking is creating original works of art
that exist as multiples in a set called an edition. I.e. the work of art is not one print, it is
the edition of prints. However, there are
exceptions, such as monotypes, in which an artist uses printmaking techniques
to make a suite of similar but not necessarily identical prints.
Learning to make prints is learning a craft and in taking printmaking courses, students often feel that the focus is entirely on technique. However, an introduction to printmaking means much more, especially now when so much of what we experience (pictures, movies, music, etc) comes in the form of multiples.
Mechanical and now digital production and reproduction has made mass produced images ubiquitous, challenging the notion of the “authentic” experience or the “original” object or even "objectness" itself.
With this in mind, an introduction to printmaking, print media as well as the theories and ideas involved, is a course on contemporary culture. We will explore contemporary topics and ideas that the students bring to the class and discuss them via questions such as; What influence does an image have on a culture or individual? How does it influence the way we see the world? How we create art in response? What forms will this art take? And who is the audience for this art?
Students are expected to develop a set of interests and an awareness of professional artists who deal with those interests as well as the cultural contexts in which those interests exist. The work of those artists will be will be critiqued in the context of students developing a working understanding of printmaking and developing a vocabulary and conceptual position from which to discuss their own work.
Course Objectives. Students will:
1. Create editions of prints utilizing one or more print techniques that demonstrate both technical and conceptual consideration.
2. Learn and apply different printmaking techniques and processes with proficiency.
3. Analyze and evaluate their own work and that of other students through the process of critique using terms and concepts appropriate to the medium.
4. Understand the history of printmaking as a distinctive form of art production.
5. Engage with the community of printmakers and work collaboratively toward the above objectives.
Students will practice and apply the following desired abilities:
1. Competency in the Disciplines. Included in this genera ability:
- Knowledge of content in prerequisite or transfer courses, as well as preparation for a career.
- The basic principles of plate making and ink transfer.
- The basic techniques of color registration.
- The traditions and terminology of original print production and how these may be applied to the development of personal work.
2. Literacy
Included in this general ability: skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and quantification, as well as awareness and appreciation of learning styles.
3. Critical Thinking
Included in this general ability: skills in analysis, synthesis, problem solving, decision making, creative exploration and formulating
4. Personal and Social Responsibility
Included in this general ability: awareness of and responsiveness to diversity and commonality among cultures, multiplicity of perspectives, ethical behaviors, and health and wellness issues.
5. Using Resources
Included in this general ability: effective use of computers and information technology, accessing of information resources including campus resources, and awareness and appreciation of lifelong learning options.
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
- Analyze and interpret works of art.
- Create works of art that utilize technical understanding and an appreciation of craft.
- Use vocabulary specific to printmaking.
- Create works of art that utilize the elements of art and design.
- Create works of art that utilize expressive, emotive, and aesthetic elements.
PRINTMAKING ASSIGNMENTS:
There will be 5 assignments. They are based on following directions given via this blog and in classroom demonstrations. Restrictions on technique are specified while subject matter and imagery is determined by the student.
Printmaking Assessments: The student has / has not:
- Utilized the designated criteria set forth in the Assignment
- Produced a neatly, carefully and thoughtfully executed artwork.
- Visually conveyed an idea central to the student’s interests.
- Demonstrated an understanding of the elements and principles of art.
- Explored the media used in the creation of the artwork.
- Produced a consistent edition as appropriate for the project.
- Practiced safety procedures and safe handling of cutting tools, knifes and solvents.
ARTISTS' JOURNALS:
- Your journal should be utilized as a tool of personal investigation from life and/or imagination and a tool of study. As such, your journal is possibly the most important aspect of this class. In your journal you are establishing the foundations of your personal artistic direction.
Journals will be due at midterm and at the end of the term.
STUDIO ETIQUETTE and EXPECTATIONS:
Assigned Printmaking Projects will require 5-10 out-of-class hours per week and usually nearly 200 hundred additional weekend hours to complete.
Showing up for class is not enough, students are expected to:
- Read the syllabus and know what is going on. Come to class prepared and equipped to take notes, print, and participate. Once you have read over an assignment page and the class has had a demonstration of the process, students are expected to take the initiative to come to the shop and begin printing on their own. The instructor should be thought of as being there to help with trouble shooting.
- Be aware of due dates and have work ready for them.
- Exhibit good work ethic, sound craftsmanship, and consistency of effort.
- Push skill development, show initiative and overall improvement.
- Show a willingness to explore and learn beyond known limits, i.e. take chances.
- Clean work areas as you go. If the classroom and shop spaces become disorderly in-class work time will be used for clean up. Repeat offenders will be banned from the shop.
GRADING:
The artist and instructor Paul Thek wrote to his students “Remember, I’m going to mark you, it’s my great pleasure to reward real effort, it’s my great pleasure to punish stupidity, laziness and insincerity.” My feeling about grading is not too far from Thek's, you either did the work to you didn't. This course does require a great deal of time and work outside class, but it is a whole lot easier than calculus or thermodynamics. All that's asked of you as a student is to take the class seriously and spend time developing both a thoughtful, conceptual approach to subjects that interest you and a careful, thorough approach to physically making the work.
There is no extra credit work or make up work available for this class. However, one of the most basic expects of being an artist is developing a thorough understanding of the materials and processes involved. With that in mind, if you buy your own materials, including your own paper, you may redo an assignment and resubmit it as many times as you like. Unfortunately, the cost of materials makes it impossible to provide students with more than one set of materials for each project.
If you simply did not turn in the assignment on time there is no way to get the late penalty points back.
Mid-term evaluations are given to freshmen as a gauge for final grades and as an indicator of problems. If you encounter problems that keep you from successfully completing the class see the instructor as early as possible. Other grading options are available.
Incompletes are given in extreme situations and only if already passing.
Project Evaluation Criteria:
There are 5 projects each worth 20 points making a total of 100 for the semester.
Each project will be scored based on the following three criteria. These will be weighted differently for each project.
1. Concept:
Interpretation and application of your own ideas to the assignment using expressive, emotive, and aesthetic elements. Ask yourself “What am I trying to say with this image?” “What is the best way to visually convey my idea?”
2. Participation:
- Active involvement with your group or partner.
- Putting in time in the shop.
- Proper shop etiquette and clean up.
- Participation in discussions and critiques.
- Attendance.
3. Process:
- Display an understanding of the process.
- Display of craft as a priority via making an edition of consistent prints.
- General neatness of the work.
Students can loose points on individual assignments through the following:
- Messy prints will cost you a letter grade.
- Failure to clearly number, title, or put your name on your work will cost you a letter grade.
- Assignments turned in after critique begins are considered one day late.
- Late assignments will be discounted one full letter grade for each weekday late. Be aware that no grade higher than F is possible after four weekdays have passed, or on the fifth weekday.
Students can loose points for the semester through the following:
- Apathy. Merely completing assignments is not enough and will earn a C or lower. You are expected to develop an understanding of each process and to creatively problem solve technical issues. Do not give up and settle for a lesser print. Seek help from your classmates and instructor. Apathy will cost you on an assignment and possibly for the semester.
- Not keeping an organized sketchbook containing clear notes and reflecting an effort to fully develop your artistic interests.
- You are expected to complete assigned readings, participate in discussions of readings and slide lectures, work successfully with a group or partner, and participate in critique.
- Habitually leaving the shops in disarray or showing disrespect for university property and unwillingness to adjust your behavior will cost you a letter grade on the assignment and possibly for the semester. Repeat offenders will be banned from the shop.
- Damaging, stealing, or interfering with the work of your fellow students will result in immediate failure of the class and in punishment to the full extent of the university's rules and regulations.
- You may be absent from this class three times. Each absence over three will result in your grade for the semester dropping an additional letter grade.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class via a sign in sheet. It is completely up to you to get your name onto the attendance sheet. We are not going to discuss whether you came to class and forgot to sign in at a later date.
Being physically present is not enough. If you sleep, use the internet at inappropriate times or for non-class related purposes, talk on the phone, do coursework for other classes, listen to music on headphones, or disruptively chat with your classmates at inappropriate times; such as during lectures, demonstrations, discussions, or critiques; you will be counted absent. Essentially, if you're not doing what the class is doing you are absent.
There are no excused absences. If you feel you have a valid reason to have an absence excused you may go though the Office of Academic Affairs. I agree that it is unfair to make honest people go to this trouble. Unfortunately, lies told by lying liars have brought everyone down to this level.
If you miss a demo due to absence I will be extremely reluctant to repeat it for your benefit. If you believe you have a valid reason to miss a demo or critique, talk to me about it before you miss it. Maybe we can work something out.
Work days are not optional attendance days. If you believe you have completed the assignment, work in your journal. If you are ahead of the class you may find that I am willing to show you an additional technique or help you expand your project. If you choose to slip out on work days, or any other days, I will notice, you will be counted absent, and I will be extremely reluctant to help you when you fall behind. If you believe you have a valid reason to leave early, talk to me about it before class.
Three absences will result in your grade for the semester dropping a full letter grade. Thereafter, each additional absence will result in your grade for the semester dropping an additional letter grade. Also, since there will be many demos and much of the work will be done during class time you may want to consider carefully the ramifications of missing a class. You will likely fail the course if you miss more than three classes.
Three tardies makes an absence.
APPROPRIATION:
The appropriation of published artwork may be acceptable for some concepts. There will be no copying. You must change or critique the appropriated work in some way. Discuss your concept with me before you proceed.
Work derived from any published source must contain somewhere on your print the following information: artist’s name, title, date, publication source and date of publication. Your artist's statement must relate the significance of your appropriation.
SUPPLIES:
The Art department does it's best to provide you with all of the supplies you will need to complete the required work. Unfortunately, only the minimum amount of paper needed to complete the assignments can be provided. Paper is available in the Perkins Book Store if you want to create additional work. There is a box of abandoned paper and prints in the shop. You may pull proofs on the backs of these in order to save paper.
You must purchase and maintain a journal. See the Artists' Journals Assignment Page before you buy.
There are flat files in the classroom and the print shops for you to store your materials in. You may use half of one drawer. Find an empty drawer or one with an old date on it. Do not throw out any work you find in the drawers, give it to the instructor.
You will need to buy the following materials:
- A permanent marker.
- An ex-acto knife and scissors.
- An heavy spoon or other blunt rounded object for hand rubbing prints.
The following materials are not provided. I would buy them if I were you.
- One pad of tracing paper, minimum 12 inches on the shortest side.
- Masking tape. Blue painter's tape is least likely to damage your paper.
- Transparent tape.
- Duct Tape.
- An Ex-acto knife and extra blades.
- At least 4 different colored pencils or pens.
- A few cheap paint brushes of various sizes and types and a couple of stencil brushes if you can find them.
- Disposable rubber gloves.
- One sealable Tupperware type container for each color you plan to mix for the screen printing assignment.
HEALTH & SAFETY:
Please be careful. Almost every student will have small studio mishaps. Think ahead about what you are doing and how it could go wrong.
Many of the materials used in this class have potential hazards; their safe use and handling is important. If you have, or develop, sensitivity to any materials, contact the instructor immediately.
If you have any questions or qualms about any of the materials we will be using, there are Materials Safety Data Sheets in the shops. They are in a three ring binder marked M.S.D.S. which is kept with the first-aid supplies. I will be happy to address any questions or read through the M.S.D.S with you during office hours.
A.D.A STATEMENT:
Any student, who, because of a disabling condition, may require assistance in the event of an emergency or may require some special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements, should discuss with the instructor the nature of their disability and needs so that the necessary accommodations can be made.
ABANDONED WORK:
Artwork that is abandoned or uncollected at the end of the term will be ridiculed in future demonstrations, used as scrap or be thrown out.
