Relief Printmaking

Relief printmaking is a graphic and versatile type of printmaking that dates as far back as 500 BC. An image is carved in reverse onto a block, which is then inked and sent through a press. The tools are simple and approachable but the possibilities are expansive.

Relief Printmaking empowers students (both first-time and seasoned printmakers) to plan, carve, and print relief blocks. Throughout the class, students will use subtractive thinking drawing techniques to transfer to linoleum blocks and use a variety of carving techniques that exploit line, shape, contrast, and texture.

On the press, students will learn how to mix ink, handle paper, register multiple colors, and finesse pressure to produce a set of prints that utilizes the skills built throughout the class. Students graduate authorized to print independently at Spudnik Press through our Open Studio or Keyholder programs.

Basic carving tools are available to use during class, but we encourage students to acquire their own set to use outside of class. We recommend Blick’s Student Wood Chisel Set as well as Flexcut SlipStrop to keep them sharp.

Zine Workshop: Tiny Stories

During this workshop, students will use personal narratives and memory to create illustrative stories. After various group and individual exercises students will use pencils, ink, brushes, and collage to create original zines that explore and excavate their personal stories.

Screenprinting Explorations (October 2019)

Most people are fans of screenprinting whether they know it or not. Screenprinting is an art form known for its bold graphics and versatility. A close cousin of stenciling, screenprinting is relatively easy to learn, yet has many facets to explore and master. Our eight-week class provides adequate time for new printers to complete a range of projects on paper and fabric, gradually increasing in complexity and nuance. With the ongoing support of a pro to help trouble-shoot along the way, students will be familiar with dark room exposure, mesh count, screen tension, ink consistency, and registration.

In addition to developing A+ printing skills, this class will help students develop their imagery, be it hand-drawn illustration or digital files, to successfully translate to print. By the end of the class, students will know their way around the print shop, and be well equipped to continue printing independently at Spudnik Press Cooperative.

This class typically fills 2+ weeks in advance. Early registration is suggested.

Risography 101 (Late October)

The Risograph is an automated duplicator from Japan that efficiently produces offset-like prints in a variety of saturated colors. Though not originally intended for artistic application, the machine has recently gained traction (and notoriety) in small-press culture for its distinct footprint and efficiency as well as being rather finicky.

This workshop will walk students through the fundamentals of risograph printing for making books and fine art prints, and familiarize students with techniques to best reproduce their imagery. Students will become acquainted with the mechanics of the printer and learn basic maintenance, including how to change the master roll and a drum’s ink tube. Lastly, students will learn how to best design for the risograph, taking into consideration ink drying time, ink density, paper options, registration, and patience. Everyone will leave with a three-color collaborative print produced throughout the workshop.

While students gain authorization to continue making risograph prints at Spudnik Press Cooperative, attendees are encouraged to round out their riso know-how by taking a Risography 102 workshop and/or returning to use Open Studio shortly after taking the workshop.

Printmaking Foundations (October)

For anyone who wants to be creative through printmaking, our foundations class introduces first time printers to the wide variety of printmaking processes, equipment, and resources at Spudnik Press Cooperative. Students will experiment with three unique types of printmaking throughout the six weeks. With each printing process inducing its own aesthetic, this class offers abundant opportunities to elevate sketches and designs through print and to understand the basic concepts that bridge the many types of printmaking at our studio.

Screenprinting is a form of stencil making that is used to print fine art as well as posters, cards, t-shirts, and more. A relief print is made by carving an image into wood or linoleum with gauges, inking the surface, and transferring the image onto paper. Etching, also known as Intaglio [in-tal-yoh], is a family of printing techniques in which an image is incised into a metal plate. Artist can directly scratch into plates with needles, or they can draw through a ground and etch the image into a plate using a chemical. Two weeks are devoted to each process, with a final session for wrapping up projects and planning next steps.

Together, these processes range from experimental to exacting, bold to subdued, and unpredictable to calculated and can open new possibilities for artists, writers, and anyone who wants to learn a new way to make art. Printmaking Foundations can act as either a general introduction to everything Spudnik has to offer, or a refresher course for artists who have previous experience.

Risography 102: Bring Your Own Files (Late October)

Risography 102 reinforces the skills introduced in Riso 101. Each student will bring their own project to set-up and print during the workshop.

Best practices for imposition or layout for zines and publications will be reviewed as well as tips for color separation and digital file set-up. Smart file set up is step #1 to ensure smooth and efficient printing!

Then, through creating a small run of prints during the workshop, students will get a refresher on how to make masters from digital files, how to troubleshoot paper jams and other typical print errors, and how to replenish ink and masters. Lastly, students will have the opportunity to use our guillotines to trim their prints.

This workshop is limited to just four students to ensure that everyone can print their own imagery and log time operating the machine independently. Students who take this workshop will be well suited to print and use guillotines unsupervised during Open Studio.

Students should come ready with a 2-3 color project–either a single-sided print to be completed in the workshop or a longer project to be finished during open studio. While PDF files are great, students are welcome to bring anything from text typed in Microsoft Word to photocopies.

From Plant to Paper: Making Paper with Milkweed

In this class, students experience the entire process of paper making beginning at the
source: the raw plant material. Focusing on Milkweed, an abundant native plant, we will learn how to responsibly harvest, extract fiber from the plant, and process it into pulp. Once processed, we will then learn how pull sheets using the Western method of sheet formation.

Similar to Kozo and other bast fibers commonly used in eastern papers, Milkweed has long fibers. When beaten by hand, this long fiber creates strong paper with a cloth-like surface.

Students will leave this class with an understanding of how plants are processed into paper, as well as skills pulling, pressing, and drying handmade sheets.

This class will meet for SIX Saturday sessions starting on November 2nd until December 14th, omitting November 30th for Thanksgiving weekend. 

Introduction to Paper Marbling

This class meets for two consecutive days: Tuesday, November 5th and Wednesday, November 6th

Paper Marbling is a design technique that has been used by paper artists since the 12^th century. Pigments are floated on a viscous water-based solution and carefully transferred to paper to produce mesmerizing patterning, similar to smooth marble. Marbled paper is art on its own, but it can also be used as book covers, end papers, and as a base for handmade prints.

In this two-day workshop, students learn the complete process, from preparing marbling baths to creating a range of patterns on paper. On the first day, students prepare paper for the marbling process by applying mordant to paper, setting up baths, and creating marbling combs. On the second day, students return to prepare pigments and pull their own paper. Every student will create five original pieces of marbled paper, each featuring a method of marbling, such as stone patterns, combed patterns, free hand, and the application of stencils as a resist.

T-Shirts & Totebags Screenprinting Workshop (November 2019)

Convert your own drawing or design to a collection of hand-printed wearable items in this energetic and informative one-day workshop. Printing an assortment of t-shirts or totebags is practical, fun and incredibly gratifying!

Students will bring to the workshops with a bold black and white drawing, a high-contrast photo, or a digital design. While .AI or .PSD files are great, we welcome students to bring anything from text typed in Microsoft Word to photocopies. After students refine the artwork (as needed) to be “print-ready”, student will use a pre-coated photographic screen and mix their own custom ink color. Everyone should bring five items of their choosing to print. As long as they are fabric and flat, we can help you print on it! Shirts, tote bags, tea towels, bandanas, and thrift store jean jackets will all work great. Leave with a sample for an Etsy store, a surprise gift for a friend, or an eco-friendly totebag!

For those who love this introduction to screenprinting, our 8-week Screenprinting Explorations class will round out your skills and allow you print independently through our Open Studio program!

This class typically fills 2+ weeks in advance. Early registration is suggested.

DIY Greeting Cards: Screenprinting

A handmade greeting card is always a wonderful gesture and a great gift to receive. Through this class you can impress loved ones with a hand-printed card featuring your own design.

Students will learn the entire screenprinting process, starting with burning images into screens using photographic emulsion in the darkroom. All participants will learn how to mix custom ink colors, how to register images, and how to pull successful screen prints. Students will receive twenty white A6 sheets of paper but everyone is encouraged to bring additional blank note cards varying in size and color to continue to print. Students are also encouraged to swap cards with their classmates to bring home a variety of hand-printed cards.

Participants will each bring a one-color design to transform into a stack of greeting cards. Designs can be a black and white drawing, text-based, a Photoshop or Illustrator file, or found imagery.

Bookbinding: No-Sew Books

This class is the perfect introduction to bookbinding. Students will learn the basic vocabulary and tools of bookbinding, and the core skills needed to recreate a variety of book structures on their own. The workshop will address various ways to cut and fold paper to make an economical book from a single sheet of paper. Another glue-less binding that will be introduced is the concertina book–a basic structure with endless variations. Students will learn to use a guillotine to cut book pages and a nipping press to flatten and add a professional touch to their books. This workshop is great for people who create comics, poetry, prose, enjoy journaling, or would like to add a narrative or sculptural element to their prints.

Papermaking Workshop: Native Milkweed

In this one-day workshop, students will learn about Milkweed: an abundant native plant with strong, long bast fiber. Participants will learn the properties of Milkweed fiber and how it compares to other papermaking fibers, best practices for harvesting and processing fiber, and will learn hands-on how to pull sheets of Milkweed paper using a Western-style mould.