Printmaking (PRMK)

Printmaking is everywhere, from the shirts we wear to the books we read to the containers we package food in. In this course, students learn the historical evolution of printmaking and apply it to a variety of media.

Etching, a form of intaglio, is a core practice in printmaking that allows artists to create visually engaging images on diverse materials. In this course, students creatively experiment with both contemporary and historical approaches to etching on a variety of plate materials, including zinc, copper and acrylic sheeting. Media selection, etching techniques and digital processes are introduced as a gateway to developing creative graphic images.

Contemporary artists and designers use lithography as a key instrument for translating their creative visions to print media. Students draw on stone and plate to establish an understanding of the media, and then integrate digital processes with hand techniques to innovatively apply lithography in a wide range of practices.

This course introduces students to several approaches to relief printmaking and to techniques such as woodcut, linocut, relief etching and wood engraving. Using additive and reductive processes, students work in black-and-white and in color, learning the registration and printing of multiple blocks. Both traditional and experimental approaches are encouraged.

Screenprinting is a versatile printmaking practice with unlimited potential. Initially produced on paper, students learn to apply these images to a variety of surfaces such as wood, fabric, glass and metal. Fused with fashion, luxury and interior spaces, printmaking becomes a catalyst for fine art and commercial design, expanding professional opportunities for the printmaker.

With an emphasis on balance between refined technique and inspired conceptual development, students learn to elevate intaglio prints through the use of color. Using experimentation with digital and multiple plate processes, students unify complex artistic vision with appropriate techniques for production and integration of color.

A further investigation of lithographic printmaking, this course emphasizes color work and strengthening of printing skills. Students learn methods for producing color prints on stone and metal litho plate. Demonstrated techniques include transfer, monotype combinations and the registration and printing of multiple plates. Critiques stress the relationship between conceptual concerns and technical processes.

From Degas to Chagall, monotype has been used to create unique and captivating works of art. In this course, students explore the creative possibilities of combining various printing tools and techniques with monotype to develop sophisticated prints. Incorporating sketches and photographs, students also create prints inspired by local settings, including landscape and architectural forms, market items, furnishings and garden settings.

Students fully explore the symbiotic relationship between printmaking and digital technology to produce innovative artwork that diversifies their creative skillset. Applying digital, laser and photographic processes to heighten their printmaking capability, students expand print diversity in output, surface and application.

Pushing the boundaries of traditional printmaking, students use time and space to create dynamic 3D objects and immersive experiences. Students innovatively merge a variety of mediums and techniques to optimize delivery of concept in a considered space.

A further investigation of fine art serigraphy, this course emphasizes color work and strengthening printing skills. Students learn and elaborate on color prints, multiple screen registration, monoprinting, and blends and multiple matrix prints. A balanced outcome between technical and conceptual development is stressed through discussions and critiques while commercial tools related to planning and equipping a water-based screen-printing studio are addressed.

Students enhance conceptual and technical skills for printmaking mediums. This accelerated course investigates contemporary trends in printmaking, including the use of digital and photomechanical processes, but is designed for graduate students with limited experience in printmaking.

In this course, the full range of processes offered in the program is introduced and explored as the art of the graduate-level critique. Through individual evaluation, areas of inexperience are explored and strengthened. Students emerge from this course more well-rounded and confident in technical processes.