Relief Tester & Refresher

Relief printmaking (aka block printing) is a graphic, versatile, and timeless form of printmaking. Starting with a block of wood, linoleum, or rubber, artists use gouges to carve away the negative space. Relief prints can be as simple as geometric stamps used to create repeat patterns or as complex as a complex as one’s ambitions.

This workshop invites people to test out a new craft or to refresh skills from a prior class or printmaking experience. Students will learn how to visualize and create a design that will stylistically work well as a relief print. Students will then move through each step of the relief process from image transfer to how to select the right gouge, hold the gouge, and carving an image in reverse.

Lastly, the ink, brayers, presses, and paper come out! Everyone will produce an edition of their prints. Students with prior intermediate experience are encouraged to use the last hours to address questions related to setting up the press, multiple plate registration, planning more complex plates, even and consistent inking, etc.