Lesson video

Hi, I'm Miss Blue and I'm really excited to be learning with you today.

I hope you find our lesson as interesting as I do.

Let's get started.

The outcome of this lesson is, I can apply advanced relief printing techniques including layering, registration and texture to create a refined graphic print.

Let's go over our keywords: Relief printing: A printmaking process where raised surfaces carry ink to create an image.

Registration: aligning layers of a print accurately when printing multiple colors or blocks.

Texture plate: a surface designed to add patterns or textures to a print.

Reduction printing: a relief method where one block is progressively cut away to print multiple colors.

Let's start with exploring printing techniques and applications.

Printmaking has a long and rich history with skills and techniques that have been refined and developed throughout this time.

To achieve an effective print, there are certain techniques which can be used to help advance the level of quality found in our own prints.

As someone who is a screen printer onto textile, I rely on correct technique to ensure a good print.

Some of the techniques I use include the way I handle the ink before printing, making sure it's properly mixed with no lumps to ensure proper pigment distribution onto my print.

I know what the correct consistency of the ink should look like.

If it's too thick, it won't print well, and if it's too thin, the same thing happens.

Being a printer means knowing your craft and what you should expect from each stage of the process.

I wonder if relief printing has any similarities to screen printing, let's have a look.

It's helpful to familiarize yourself with the tools you have available.

Depending on the methods you are using, you might have lino or soft-cut blocks, lino carving tools, brayers or ink rollers, baren, printing press.

Have you heard of this equipment before? Printmaking can involve lots of materials, but essentially you'll need a block for carving or painting onto, tools to carve or paint with, ink to roll it onto the block and paper to print onto.

To help transfer the ink from the block to the paper.

You might use a printing press a baren or the heel of your hand.

Check that you have these tools available.

You don't need access to lots of printmaking materials to make an effective print.

Establishing good technique takes time and is the priority to focus on even if only limited materials are available.

Printmaking lends itself to experimentation and can be practiced with minimal tools, especially with relief printing.

The principles of good technique include the pressure, consistency, registration, and surface preparation.

Some things I like to remember always are to carve slowly and away from yourself so that you can build depth easily and practice controlled cuts, making sure that they're away from your fingers.

Further into our lesson will be going over different surfaces that you can use, which include recycled materials like old juice cartons, or styrofoam.

Let's decide if this statement is true or false? You must use a printing press in order to make any type of print.

Pause the video while you decide if this is true or false.

If you said false, you'd be correct.

Why? Because while printing presses are useful to transfer ink from a block to a plate to paper, they're not essential.

You could use a baren or the heel of your hand.

Registration means aligning each layer of your print so color doesn't overlap incorrectly.

Good registration ensures your design looks crisp, professional and intentional.

I've used aligner cut technique before and I found it's really fun to create repeat prints, but you have to make sure that your registration is on point.

Otherwise, it could be lopsided.

For multi layer prints, each color should sit perfectly on top of the other.

This is achieved by using guides, templates, or careful planning.

Without registration layers can look messy.

Using a grid, tape, pins or a wooden corner jig can help with aligning paper and printing blocks for accurate registration.

In professional screen printing rooms, print tables might have a metal bar that you rest on to ensure correct registration for repeat prints.

There is a specific process for setting up these repeats as an industrial standard.

A common type of printmaking is relief printing.

In relief printing, only the raised surfaces carry ink to create an image.

This means that the areas of the block, which are carved away, will not carry or transfer ink when printing.

Relief printing is often regarded as an easy and quick process, which is thoroughly enjoyable because of its direct, tactile and wonderfully immediate prints.

Unlike other methods like screen printing, there's minimal setup.

You can carve ink and print within a few simple steps, and it's easy to do from home.

You can also often find materials from home.

I find it to be a very intuitive process.

I like the idea of carving away what you don't want.

It allows for such creativity to unfold between the positive and negative space.

Each print feels like a small discovery and it's a fun quick way to create different color experiments even with just one block.

Many colors can be used in a single print, a process known as reduction printing.

In reduction printing sections of the block are carved away after each color is printed.

This means that once an area has been carved away, it cannot be reprinted.

So careful and intentional planning is key.

For reduction printing, print the lightest color first, then carve away more areas for each subsequent layer.

Each stage reduces the block further revealing only what remains raised, and these are the only areas which carry ink for the next pass of printing.

From my point of view, I think that relief printing lends itself so beautifully to fluid and organic shapes like this one on the right.

I always tend to think of flowing lines, leaves, waves, or abstract forms, maybe inspired by nature.

The artwork on the right almost looks like an in depth study of a tree trunk, which has become more abstracted through the printing process.

It's a great example of how you can have an idea or theme in mind and through making it transforms into something unique and playful.

Each layer becomes a conversation with the last revealing unexpected harmonies between color, shape, and negative space, allowing for a richly expressive and intuitive outcome.

Looking at this artwork, in which layer do you think they started with? What do you think their theme was or starting idea? Pause the video while you have a think.

What is the main principle of relief printing? Is it A, ink is pressed through a stencil? B, ink is transferred from assessed lines? C, ink is painted directly onto paper? Or D, ink is applied to raised surfaces only? Pause the video while you decide on the correct answer.

If you said D, you would be correct.

The main principle of relief printing is that ink is applied to raised surfaces only.

Your task now is to use two colors and make a simple test print focusing on registration accuracy.

Don't worry about detail.

Concentrate on precision in lining up layers.

You could choose from the techniques that we've had a look at earlier in the lesson.

Pause the video while you work on this task.

There are many possible outcomes to this task.

Let's hear from Sam who says, I made this print using two colors.

The first layer was printed in yellow and the second layer was in a darker color to add contrast.

You can see his outcome is very effective.

I love the use of color theory.

It's interesting working backwards from the lightest color to the darkest.

It makes you think about the print differently.

Now, let's go over applying advanced printing techniques.

Texture plates can be made by pressing materials into inked blocks to great depth and variety.

This technique is also known as planography.

A texture plate adds richness and originality to your print outcomes.

For me, texture plates are a fascinating way to bring depth and tactility into relief printing.

I love the way it transforms a flat surface into something richly layered and more sensory.

In the past, I've explored a range of different textured materials onto my plates, such as lace, sleeves, fabric string, or even recycled cardboard.

I find that you can really capture the intricate patterns and irregularities of the material itself.

And now so many possibilities when you begin to collage different textures together so that it becomes more abstract.

The process is really organic and unpredictable.

I think it's a lovely way for the artist to truly reveal the different layers of their interests in one print.

With this dialogue between surface pressure and the memories of different materials.

In this texture place on the left, it seems like perhaps cardboard and string has been used.

I'd say there's a few different layers hidden within.

Texture plates can be made using polystyrene by drawing into them of a sharp pen and cutting out the shape.

How you ink these plates can change the resulting print.

I love the effect of these prints and the simplicity of it.

You get a real sense of detail because it's been cut out.

To transfer an image onto a plate before carving, use a good quality photo printed in black and white on standard printer paper.

Then draw over the top with a marker pen.

Next turn the paper over.

The pen should be visible through the paper in reverse.

Go over the marker pen lines on this side of the paper.

Now use graphite to trace the image onto the lino.

If it's green or blue lino, then roll that a little ink on the photo to help with the tracing.

You can see some examples below.

Use a marker pen once more on top of the lino to stop the design rubbing off as you work.

Use the lino carving tools to cut away and carve out the areas of the lino that are not in by your marker pen.

You can also use graphite to make rubbings of the lino to see how it's going at this stage.

Lino is one of my favorite processes.

Forgetting texture.

This depends on the type of carving tool that you use, whether it's fine or thick.

Continue carving the lino until all areas around the design are removed.

You can see how this turns into this, turns into this.

Only the areas of your design, which of the printing should remain raised.

Take your time of this process and make sure that you protect your fingers and hands as the carving tools can be quite sharp.

Why is registration important in multilayered printing? Is it A, it helps the ink dry faster? B, it prevents smudges during printing? C, it ensures each color layer aligns correctly? Or D, it makes carving easier? Pause the video while you decide on the correct answer.

If you said C, you'd be correct.

Registration is important in multi layered printing because it ensures each color layer aligns correctly.

Let's have a look at this piece in more detail.

To advance your printmaking, consider combining different techniques like relief printing, reduction printing, and texture plates.

Incorporating varied techniques requires thorough planning.

Discuss with a partner the techniques you might use in your printmaking process.

Pause the video while you have this discussion.

With your linocut ready for print, you can experiment with different color combinations to create a series of prints.

I love how the artist has used fluorescent colors here with a contrasting warm background.

Notice how each print is slightly different.

Which one is your favorite? Pause the video while you have a think.

Laura says, I want to use multiple colors in my print, so I will use the reduction techniques to carve each layer away between prints.

I will start with a light background color.

Andeep says, I'd like to use a variety of textures to create a dynamic composition through printmaking.

I'll wait for each layer to dry between prints to avoid them smudging.

Historical and contemporary examples of print printmakers include Raduan Man: uses printmaking, particularly woodcut to create large scale works that merge traditional techniques with contemporary narratives on urbanization and memory.

Sybil Andrews: produced bold linocuts that captured the dynamism of urban life, machinery and movement with strong colors and simplified forms. Sherrie York is a contemporary relief print maker working with woodblock and linocuts focusing on the environmental and ecological themes.

Printmaking can also be used to provide social commentary, exploring identity, and developing narratives.

Margo Humphrey uses vibrant color linocuts and lithographs to explore themes of family, faith and cultural identity.

Ade Adesina: produces intricate, surreal linocut landscapes that fuses natural and human made elements reflecting environmental concerns and cultural journeys.

Michael Mules is a print maker whose detailed linocuts use strong contrasts and precise carving to capture architecture, landscapes and narrative scenes with graphic intensity.

Let's test your knowledge.

What is the process of reduction printing? Is it A, using two blocks side by side? B, adding texture plates to one block.

C, printing without using a brayer? Or D, cutting away parts of the block after each print run? Pause the video while you work out the correct answer.

If you said D, you would be correct.

The correct process of reduction printing is to cut away parts of the block after each print run.

Your task now is to create a print combining at least one texture plate and one instance of reduction printing.

Pause the video while you work on this task.

Feel free to go back over the slides to get some inspiration.

There are many possible outcomes.

Let's have a look at Izzy's.

I made this print by creating a texture plate with polyboard and expressive mark-making for a turquoise background.

I then carved lino for the black sewing machine printed on top of orange to complete the composition.

You can see in that image that the two different processes work effectively.

The sewing machine is in the foreground and is a dynamic print thanks to the linocut.

The background is more subtle and delicate.

This is thanks to the poly board technique.

To summarize, relief painting can be advanced using layering reduction techniques and texture plate applications.

Precision and registration is vital to produce, to produce professional, multi layered prints.

Experimentation with texture plates and surfaces enhances creative outcomes.

Thank you so much for listening and paying attention in this lesson.

I hope you had fun and learn something new along the way.

See you next time.