ART G150: Printmaking 1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Eff Term | Fall 2026 |
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 11/18/2025 |
| Top Code | 100200 - Art |
| Units | 3 Total Units (Lecture Units 1.5; Lab/Other Units 1.5) |
| Hours | 108 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 27; Lab Hours 81) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 54 |
| Total Student Learning Hours | 162 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Open Entry/Open Exit | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S),
|
| Local General Education (GE) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
This course introduces the concepts and techniques of various printmaking processes. Students will be exposed to an overview of the tools, methods, and materials for creating printed artworks in a studio environment. This course will cover the basic materials, equipment, and processes of printmaking, including relief, intaglio, planography, and stencil. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC. C-ID: ARTS 220. C-ID: ARTS 220.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Use a broad range of printmaking vocabulary.
- Examine historical and contemporary developments, trends, materials, and approaches in printmaking.
- Construct a multi-colored print using any of the four printmaking techniques stated in the outline.
- Create an image using relief, intaglio, planography, and stencil techniques and print multiples of that image.
Course Objectives
- Produce prints that creatively interpret and apply formal design elements in the production of images in a wide range of media, formats, and surfaces.
- Evaluate class projects using relevant terminology in oral or written formats.
- Construct and prepare appropriate supports and surfaces for prints.
- Translate ideas and visual experience into images using both formal and conceptual approaches.
- Design and produce a portfolio of prints in multiple mediums and formats.
- Maintain print lab equipment and supplies.
Lecture Content
- Safety and handling
- Handling of mediums, solvents, and materials
- Handling of studio equipment
- Use of the presses
- How to adjust printing pressure
- The proper handling of press blankets
- Creating a template
- Terminology/layout of the lab
- Historical overview and developments in printmaking
- Relief - woodcut, linocut
- Intaglio - dry point, aquatint, etching, collagraph
- Planography - lithography, monotype
- Stencil - screen print, pochoir
- Materials, methods, and application of techniques for various printmaking processes
- Relief - woodcut, linocut
- Intaglio - dry point, aquatint, etching, collagraph
- Planography - lithography, monotype
- Stencil- screen print, pochoir
- Techniques in designing and executing a woodcut
- Developing the image
- Basic woodcut techniques
- Printing techniques and print registration
- Carving the block
- Printing the block by hand
- Multi-block printing
- Linoleum: Reduction or suicide prints
- Developing and planning an image
- Carving the block
- Reducing the block
- Registration techniques
- Chine-Colle
- Blend roll
- Techniques in designing and executing intaglio prints
- Drypoint and engraving
- Preparation of the dry-point plate
- The particulars of the drypoint velvety line
- How to use the needle to scratch into the plate
- Developing the image with hatching and cross-hatching
- Etched line and aquatint
- Preparation of the etching plate
- Distinction between soft and hard grounds
- Etching times
- Foul biting
- Inking and wiping of the Intaglio plate
- Applying ink
- Wiping the plate
- Open bite, texture transfer - soft ground
- Collagraph
- How to develop and create the collagraph plate
- Sealing the plate for printing
- Blind embossments and relief printing
- Intaglio printing and viscosity
- Drypoint and engraving
- Multi-color printing
- Drying prints
- Using the scraper and burnisher to make corrections on the intaglio plate
- Other methods of achieving value and texture on the place
- Spit bites, white ground, spirit ground, sugarlift, etc.
- Adding Color to Intaglio
- A la Puopee
- Chine-Colle
- Relief Rolls
- Techniques in designing and executing planography
- Lithography
- Monotype
- Monoprints
- Combine processes using Intaglio and Relief
- Water based applications
- Techniques in designing and executing stencil printing
- Screen printing
- Paper selection and proper handling for all the printmaking mediums and techniques
- Translate ideas into images using both formal and conceptual approaches
- Print presentation and critique of work in-progress and finished prints
- Printing an edition
- Related terminology of editioning and signing
- Role of master printer and print shops
- Related terminology of editioning and signing
- Pricing/marketing prints
- Matting of prints
- Southern California printmaking resources
- Contemporary developments, critical trends, materials, and approaches in printmaking
Lab Content
- Development of drawings and designs for each print technique
- Preparation of equipment and materials for each print technique
- Maintain equipment and supplies
- Group and individual critiques on in-progress and finishes print works
- Create prints using printmaking techniques and processes to include:
- Planographic - lithographic and monotype
- Intaglio - drypoint, etching, aquatint, sugar-lift, engraving, hard ground, soft ground, and collagraph
- Relief Printing - woodcut and linocut
- Stencil - screen prints
- Explore and utilize mixed media techniques with printmaking - Chine-Colle
- Create a single print edition using at least four colors
- Create relief prints using multi-plate and reductive methods of printing
- Demonstrate studio safety, set-up, and clean-up techniques using traditional and non-toxic methods
- Demonstrate the proper maintenance methods of all studio equipment and tools
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- Lab (04)
Instructional Techniques
-
Reading Assignments
Selected readings on printmaking from books and periodicals.
Writing Assignments
Gallery or museum paper focused on the medium of printmaking. Written exams on knowledge of processes, vocabulary and problem solving. Written artist's statements.
Out-of-class Assignments
Students will work on creating designs for prints, carving and preparing blocks for prints, and investigating historical and contemporary printmakers and their works.
Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended
54
Methods of Student Evaluation
- Midterm Exam
- Final Exam
- Short Quizzes
- Written Assignments
- Essay Examinations
- Objective Examinations
- Report
- Projects (Individual/Group)
- Problem Solving Exercises
- Oral Presentations
- Skills Demonstration
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
The student will demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving by applying the elements and principles of design to various printmaking techniques in the creation of fine art prints. They will also evaluate their work and the work of their peers and express reasoned judgments during oral critiques.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Construct a print edition in relief, intaglio, stencil, and planography printmaking. Register a multi-color print in each of the four print techniques covered in the course. Written assignments that include the critical evaluations of prints presented in class.
Resources Subscreen
- Textbook: Anna d'Arcy Hughes and Hebe Vernon-Morris. The Printmaking Bible: The complete guide to materials and techniques. Chronicle Books (2023).
- Textbook: Paul Coldwell. Printmaking: A Contemporary Perspective. Black Dog Publishing (2010 (Classic)).
- Textbook: Bill Fick and Beth Grabowsk. Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Material & Processes. Laurence King Publishing (2015 (Classic)).
- Textbook: Phil Sanders. Prints and Their Makers. Princeton Architectural Pres (2020).
Eligible Discipline(s)
- Art: Master’s degree in fine arts, art, or art history OR bachelor’s degree in any of the above AND master’s degree in humanities OR the equivalent. NOTE: “Master’s in fine arts” as used here refers to any master’s degree in the subject matter of fine arts, which is defined to include visual studio arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, textiles, and metal and jewelry art; and also, art education and art therapy. It does not refer to the “Master of Fine Arts” (MFA) degree when that degree is based on specialization in performing arts or dance, film, creative writing or other non plastic arts.
