Fall 2008
Department of Art and Art History

This studio course is an introduction to the traditional technique of the woodcut print. It is a medium capable of immense graphic power and unique subtlety. The woodcut medium offers comparatively straightforward printing techniques for both black and white and color print projects.
Through demonstrations, creative and technical assignments and the viewing of contemporary and art historical examples, students will be introduced to the practice and the aesthetics of this expansive medium.

Time spent working on projects outside of class will be necessary; plan for an average of about 6 - 8 out-of-class hours per week.

While this is a studio course in which we will learn many new techniques associated with relief printmaking, the primary focus will be on the art works created for this class. We will be working exclusively in black and white.

An Original Print

An original fine art print is the creation of a work of art, by an artist, in the print medium. What distinguishes it from printed reproductions is the artist's direct participation in the creation of the image. It differs dramatically from a poster, which is a mechanical reproduction of an original work of art. Although there are examples of posters that can be considered works of art because of the artist's involvement in the reproduction process, most posters are executed without the participation of the artist, or even produced posthumously. This will never be the case with original prints. They are new works created by the artist and, for that reason, they are considered within the larger body of the artist's work.
Chris Byrne,from The Original Print, Understanding Technique in Contemporary Fine Art Printmaking,© 2002