A r t F o unda ti o ns

P ri n t m a ki n g

“W ILD T HINGS ”
Learning Goals:
You will explore the
entire linoleum block
printing process: con-
tour line drawing, de-
sign development,
composition strate-
gies, carving, and fi-
nally an edition of
prints.
Materials:
• Burin or gouge - a pointed
steel cutting tool used in
engraving or cutting stone
• Baren - to press the paper
firmly into the inked plate
• Linoleum block
• Brayer or roller: Used to
apply the printmaking ink
to the surface of the plate
• Drawing Paper
• Newsprint – for test
proofs
• Watercolor paper
PROCEDURE :
Create a design:
1. In your sketchbook
create 3 thumbnail
sketches of your “wild
thing” using Maurice
Sendak’s W here the
Wild Things Are as
your inspiration. Your
creature can look like
almost anything so be
CREATIVE.
2. Choose the one you like
best and recreate it on a
separate page in your
sketchbook in a 4x6
inch rectangle (use pen-
cil). This will be the
design your transfer to
your linoleum block. In
block printing, your
design is only two col-
ors- the color of the ink
and the color of the
paper. Color in any-
thing you want black;
paying attention to
large areas of white
next to each other. (See
examples).
3. Once your finished
design has been ap-
proved, transfer it onto
your linoleum block.
Place your block direct-
Printmaking Defined:
Printmaking is a reductive process, the oppo-
site of most art processes such as drawing
and painting which are additive processes.
The white areas of the print are the negative
spaces carved away from the linoleum block.
The inked image of the print is the surface
area of the linoleum block. The linoleum
block print is a modern version of the more
traditional woodcut method which is still prac-
ticed today by many artists.
ly on your design and
turn the paper over.
You will then scribble
on the back side of the
paper causing the
graphite to transfer.
4. Go over the block with
a sharpie. Color in all
areas that are to remain
black- you will cut out
anything you left white.

• Sketchbook
• Printmaking folder
• Pencil for sketching
• Water soluble printers’ ink
PROJECT
When you print your plate for
the first time you should use
newsprint. The proof prints
are often when the artist dis-
covers unanticipated prob-
lems that need to be correct-
ed before the first piece of
good quality print paper is
used and the edition begun.
You will be required to pro-
duce and turn in 10 proof
prints on newsprint.
Once your finish your proofs
you will make an edition of 5
prints that is a color shift from
black to another color. Start
with black for the first print
and add a second color to the
plate for each additional pull–
the hue will gradually change
from black to the second col-
or.
Your edition prints should be
labeled lightly in pencil:
Your name under the left cor-
ner and the number under the
right corner (1/5, 2/5, 3/5,
4/5, 5/5).
“Wild Things”
CUTTING
Once you have fin-
ished your design for
your print and trans-
ferred it onto you
block, you are ready to
cut.
This is a reduction pro-
cess, you remove mate-
rial to create your image
– this is the opposite of
how we are used to
working when we paint
and draw.
Keep in mind that the
areas you carve away
from your plate will not
INKING
Preparing to ink the plate:
Squeeze out fresh ink
onto your plexi glass
and distribute it even-
ly with your brayer be-
fore applying the ink
to your plate. When
you have enough ink
and it is evenly rolled
out, you should hear a
tacky sucking sound.
Globs of ink will result
in a blurry, messy
looking image.
Inking your plate:
Evenly apply ink to
your linoleum plate
after making sure it is
dry and chunk free.
Refresh your roller
with ink after each ap-
plication.
print when you ink the resting in the palm of
plate (if the paper is your hand.
white – the carved areas Use the opposite hand
will be white). to steady the tool and
the plate – this helps to
avoid slippage and run
CAUTION – THIS WILL
CUT YOU IF YOU ARE away cuts.
NOT CAREFUL!
Do not cut so deeply
When cutting with a bu- that you cut through the
rin, always hold your block
hands close to your
body (in front of your Be careful to remove all
block). loose pieces of linoleum
from your block before
The round end of the pulling your first proof
buren handle should be print. AND THE WILD
THINGS ROARED
THEIR TERRIBLE
WASH YOUR HANDS – Pulling the Print:
ROARS
no finger prints on When you are sure
print borders that all area of the
plates surface have AND GNASHED
been burnished you THEIR TERRIBLE
Printing and registra-
will be ready to slowly
tion: Make sure the TEETH
pull the print from the
area under the inked
plate. The resulting
plate is clean (wash
and dry the table or image will depend AND ROLLED THEIR
largely upon how
use a clean sheet of TERRIBLE EYES
much ink was on the
newsprint). Align the
paper over the inked surface of the plate
and how evenly the AND SHOWED THEIR
plate before lowering
it onto the ink surface. ink was applied. TERRIBLE CLAWS...
Be sure to position the
plate parallel to the
paper edge.
Press the block firmly
to the paper to avoid
slipping when flipping
the plate and paper.