Relief Printing (3-4:30pm)

Sundays: 3-4:30pm

Fall session 2: Nov. 1-Dec. 20 (no class Nov. 29)
Ages:15- Adult

Instructor: Micah Beree
Fee: $210

Intro to Relief Printmaking

Carve it. Ink it. Print it. Then do it again.

Discover the hands-on process of relief printmaking in this 7-week class designed for adults with little to no printmaking experience. You'll learn how to transform your own drawings and ideas into carved blocks—and then use those blocks to create original prints by hand.

We'll begin with the basics, exploring both soft rubber blocks and traditional linoleum while learning how different carving tools create different lines, marks, shapes, and textures. Students will learn how to develop an image for printmaking, transfer a design to a block, carve safely and effectively, apply ink, and print by hand.

Once we've explored single-color printing, we'll introducemultiple-color relief printing and learn how registration allows separate colors and printed layers to work together.

Along the way, you'll discover one of the things that makes printmaking different from drawing or painting: one carved block can produce multiple original impressions. We'll talk about editions, artist proofs, signing and numbering prints, and what makes an original print an original work of art.

By the end of the class, you'll have experienced the relief printmaking process from initial idea to finished edition and created a collection of original prints to take home.

What You'll Explore

• Designing images specifically for relief printmaking
• Transferring drawings and images onto a block
• Working with rubber and linoleum blocks
• Safe carving techniques and proper use of carving tools
• Creating line, shape, pattern, and texture through carving
• Inking a block evenly
• Hand-printing without a printing press
• Single-color and multiple-color printing
• Registration and layering colors
• Choosing papers and inks
• Creating, signing, and numbering a small edition

Class Details

• Adults
• 7-week class
• 90-minute sessions
• All blocks, carving tools, inks, papers, and other materials are provided by the studio
• No previous printmaking experience needed

You don't need a press, a printmaking studio, or previous experience to get started. Come learn the process, carve your own images, and experience the moment when you pull the paper from the block and see your print for the first time.