Printmaking Research By: Hoda Mikati

Research Questions:

What are the elements of printmaking? How are they applied?

Printmaking:Printmaking is transferring an image or design from a matrix (block, plate, stone, screen etc.) to multiple copies of an image and/ or design.

There are multiple types of printmaking which are relief printing, Intaglio, planography (lithography) and finally stencil serigraphy.

There are a couple of elements of printmaking.

Elements of Printmaking:

Line

Form

Color

Space

Texture

The Element of Line:

The element of line is the most basic element in printmaking.

It’s a continuous mark made on a surface by a moving point.

That mark can come in all shapes and sizes.

Types: real line, linear, implied line, and finally painterly line.

The Element of Form:

The element of form is really interesting, it’s like a 3-Dimensial version of a shape or object.

For example instead of doing a triangle the artist would do a pyramid instead.

The Element of Color:

Color is created by the way we interpret light.

Color has a huge impact on the way the print is viewed and interpreted.

Color consists of Intensity which means brightness and Value which is either lightness or darkness.

The Element of Space:

Space determines the way each object in the image relates to the other, it also makes it easier to locate where the elements are.

Space is the distance between and within objects in the images.

There’s negative space which is the empty areas in an image and there’s positive space which is the the areas that are filled.

Space between objects create depth!

The Element of Texture:

Texture is the surface quality of an object or the way it feels when touched (smooth, rough, soft, hard etc.)

There are two types of texture; implied and real texture.

Implied: It suggested that the object in the composition is smooth, rough etc.

Real: what the object would feel like when touched.

How are Elements Applied?

These elements can be easily applied some such as line, space, and form can be applied when drawing, etching or cutting the design/ image on a matrix.

Other elements such as texture and color are applied after the drawing, cutting or etching is done, it’s basically the painting process (for color) and the process before transferring the image from the matrix to multiple copies.

Why Use Elements?

Printmaking elements are elements provided for us to help and guide us into making good, and creative multiple copies of artistic images and/ or design.

We should use the elements of line, space, color, form etc. to give the prints more texture, more value, more depth, creativity and it makes it look much more interesting than a print with none of the printmaking elements.

Thanks for Watching!