PrintmakingPrintmaking

The history of the relief print is the history The history of the relief print is the history of people’s desire to communicate of people’s desire to communicate information, first through symbols and later information, first through symbols and later through images and the printed word.through images and the printed word.

Relief PrintingRelief Printing

In a relief print it is the surface of the block In a relief print it is the surface of the block that yields the image. that yields the image.

The artist draws an image onto a suitable The artist draws an image onto a suitable surface such as a wooden or linoleum surface such as a wooden or linoleum block.block.

He then cuts away all the spaces around He then cuts away all the spaces around leaving only the drawn areas raised, or in leaving only the drawn areas raised, or in ‘relief’‘relief’

Ink is applied to the surface using a roller Ink is applied to the surface using a roller or “brayer” and then transferred onto or “brayer” and then transferred onto paper by rubbing or passing the block paper by rubbing or passing the block through a press. through a press. Since the cutaway areas do not take the Since the cutaway areas do not take the ink, they appear white on the printed ink, they appear white on the printed image.image.Relief prints are characterized by bold Relief prints are characterized by bold dark-light contrasts. dark-light contrasts.

Albrecht DurerThe Riders On the Four Horses

(From the Apocalypse, c. 1496)

Woodcut

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York