Major: Printmaking
A printmaker can carve or etch a design onto almost any surface -- from potatoes to silk -- flood it with ink, and imprint it onto another surface. Once a printmaker has created her master design, she can print it again and again. This ability to reproduce an image and to vary it slightly with each reproduction opens the door to a world of possibilities.
As a printmaking major, you’ll explore these possibilities. Practicing lithography, woodcut, and other techniques, you’ll develop your own personal style.
Printmaking majors learn how to create images, often expressing ideas and emotions, by transferring designs from one surface to another.
Did You Know?
- Chinese scholars developed the art of printmaking soon after the invention of paper -- early in the second century.
Are You Ready To...?
- Take studio classes lasting hours
- Take academic as well as studio art classes
- Spend money on materials and equipment
- Work on your own
- Check out the website of the American Print Alliance
- Come up with original ideas
- Experiment with a wide range of techniques
- Listen to criticism of your work and use it to better your art
- Deal with frustration when a project you’ve worked on for hours doesn’t transfer well
- Sketch out your ideas in advance
- Study color theory
- Visit museums and galleries to study master artists
- Hang your work in student shows
It Helps to Be...
A patient artist who loves to experiment and pays close attention to detail.
College Checklist
- Do you need to prepare a portfolio to be accepted into the school or the major?
- Will you earn a BA or BFA (bachelor of fine arts)?
- Is printmaking a stand-alone major or is it a concentration within the art major?
- Does the program encourage experimentation?
- Are the professors working artists?
- Are studios equipped with a wide range of printmaking tools?
- What non-printmaking courses will you have the chance to take? Can you combine your degree with course work in business, teaching, or another related area?
- Are there any art museums or galleries on or near campus?
- Does the school have strong internship and study abroad programs?
“You get the same image, slightly different each time. It was all so simple -- quick and chancy. I was thrilled with it. ”
Andy Warhol, speaking of the silkscreen technique he used to create pop art portraits of Marilyn Monroe and others
Course Spotlight
A class in relief printmaking, one of the oldest forms of printmaking, is a great introduction to the basics of creating prints. Relief printmaking is the art of cutting a design or image into a block of wood or linoleum, flooding the block with ink, and imprinting it onto paper by hand or with a special press.
During the semester, you’ll learn how to select wood, how to choose and use cutting tools, and how to add layers of color. You’ll study the work of master artists and may even visit the studios of local printmakers to see them in action.
