swansea print workshop
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STUDIO ACTIVITIES
INSET
INSET COURSES
THE WORKSHOP
Over the last ten years, Swansea Print Workshop has become one of South Wales' foremost visual arts organisations. It is unique in Wales for providing resources and facilities to professional artists and the public alike. Users from a wide variety of backgrounds make use of SPW including people from the community, educational and business sectors.
High on our agenda has been our intention to raise the profile of printmaking and demonstrate its versatility and accessibility. To this end we have focused particularly on the educational sector. Our workshop leaders have accumulated a vast amount of experience working with children in schools and running training courses for teachers.
A downloadable file is available, SPW inset courses, (adobe acrobat format (pdf) approx 1892Kb)
In devising suitable printmaking activities for schools we have been sensitive to the particular challenges that the classroom environment can hold. We have specifically developed accessible approaches to creative printmaking that do not depend on sophisticated equipment or hazardous materials for their success. Our courses for teachers are designed to pass on our experience and expertise in a simple and enjoyable way, ensuring that the methods and techniques that we demonstrate will translate successfully to the classroom.
SPW’s status as a professional and community arts facility means that we maintain a high profile in the printmaking industry. People that come on our courses gain a valuable insight into the business side of printmaking and where appropriate, we include an introduction to the commercial aspects of the workshop.
The courses are held in the workshop at Clarence Street, but we are also able to come to a venue of your choice with our mobile presses.
We have a membership scheme which gives individual support and the opportunity for further development either on a ‘one to one’ basis or as further group development.
We can design a course around your particular needs. Give us a call or email your requirements.
Professional Development Printmaking INSET Day:
INDEX OF PROCESSES
1. Monoprint
2. Card Relief
4. Collagraph
5. Press-Print
6. Drypoint
These courses are projected as one day events.
Additionally we can project two day courses which could support more ‘hands on’ experience with a specific technique with the aim of printing a small edition of individual prints by the end of the session.
Alternatively any other aspect of the course can be developed further
A digital camera will be available all day and any of the processes/ prints can be photographed and transferred to CD for reference and teaching purposes for you to take away.
Schedule for the Day
9.30 am - 4.30 pm
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Introduction to Printmaking A short presentation on the history of printmaking, the industry today and the role that Swansea Print Workshop has in the professional practice of artists and printmakers in Wales. A selection of original prints will be shown along side documentary photographs of the workshop and some of the activities that take place within it.
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Introduction to the Day's Events The activity covered by the workshop will be specifically introduced. Health and safety aspects, tools and materials, practical and organisational issues will all be discussed in detail. Handouts will be distributed covering all information, including a step-by-step guide to the process and links to artists and further research.
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Demonstration A demonstration of the activity will take place and examples of finished work will be shown.
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Practical Participants will try out the activity for themselves.
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Lunch Break 1 hour
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Practical Participants will be encouraged to explore and experiment with the process to produce differing outcomes.
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Appraisal The results of the workshop will be considered and any practical and aesthetic issues discussed.
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Conclusion The best way to display and exhibit finished work will be discussed, and examples of best practise shown and considered.
1. MONOPRINT
Age Range: For children aged 6 and up.
Press: No press required.
Equipment: Rollers, plastic/acrylic plates, brushes, rags, access to a sink.
Monoprint involves the application of printing inks to a non-porous surface such as plastic, which is then printed off. By its very nature, mono-print offers almost limitless potential to experiment with colour and mark making and can be printed over a variety of pre-prepared substrates. Mono-prints can be printed with or without a press and great results can be achieved without the need for specialist equipment. For this reason, it is the ideal medium through which to introduce printmaking to children. It offers students and printmakers alike a very simple and direct way to produce an image and print it on to paper.
The workshop will explore the three main techniques of mono-print: reduction, additive and offset. Each method offers a distinctive result and allow for all levels ability.
2. CARD RELIEF
Age Range: 12 years upwards
Press: Not Required
Equipment: Craft Knives, Ink Rollers, Water based printing inks, card, cartridge paper
The design is drawn on card and then shallowly cut into the top layers of the card using a craft knife. The card is peeled away between the cuts and printed by hand using a wooden spoon. For multi coloured prints the card is progressively cut, peeled away and printed between each colour.
Age Range: For children aged 6 and up.
Press: No press required.
Equipment: Scissors, foam rollers and trays, rags, access to a sink.
Overview:
Using stamps to print with is probably the most familiar printmaking process that there is. Stamps can be made from a variety of materials, including camping mat foam, PVA sealed card, insulation board, thick glue and even objects such as bottle tops, ring-pulls or food packaging. It offers children the chance to experiment with a wide variety of materials and textures and to explore shapes and patterns with freedom and inventiveness.
The workshop will explore a number of different techniques for making stamps to print with. It will also cover the basic printing methods and the best materials to use in order to ensure the finest quality outcomes.
4. COLLAGRAPH
Age Range: 6yrs upwards
Press: Optional
Equipment: Scissors, foam rollers, craft knives (for older children), wooden spoons, access to sink, cardboard, PVA, textured wallpaper samples
Collagraph comes from collage and is simply a board made of card or similar material to which is glued various materials which are inked and printed to produce an image.
Relief Collagraph is the most accessible form of this technique as it uses only card and can be printed without the need for a press.It is suitable for all ages and abilities and the only requirement is to be able to use a scissors.
Cardboard shapes, cut with either scissors or scalpel, are glued, using PVA, a backing card inked in at least two colours using simple foam rollers and are printed by hand using pressure applied by a simple wooden spoon. It is also possible to embellish the design with embossed wallpapers creating a wide range of textures.The impressive images produced by this technique belie the simplicity of the method.
The workshop will fully explore collagraph hand-printing techniques for all ages and will also include a demonstration using the press.
5. PRESS-PRINT
Age Range: For children aged 10 and up.
Press: No press required.
Equipment: A biro, a wooden spoon, rollers and trays, rags, access to a sink.
Overview:
Not to be confused with the polystyrene sheets used by many schools, the press-print process is done using plastic foam board, a material more often used in the sign industry. Foam board can be drawn into with a biro to create a shallow relief deep enough to print from. No cutting is required and it is easy to trace/press an image directly on to the block.
The workshop will explain how to get the best from this technique, demonstrate how to plan a successful print and how to print without the use of a press.
6. DRYPOINT
Age Range: For children aged 10 and up.
Press: Etching press required.
Equipment: Etching needle, rags, access to a sink.
Overview:
Drypoint is a type of etching that does not require the use of acid. Instead it involves inscribing a line into the surface of metal or plastic to create a positive drawn image from which to print. Ink is then worked into the lines, and the plate is wiped clean where areas have been left unmarked. An etching press is essential for this process because in order to print from the inked plate, paper must be embossed into the surface to enable it to make contact with the inks in the lines. This technique is known as intaglio printing and has been used by many renowned artists down the ages, for example Goya, Rembrandt and Picasso to name but a few.
The workshop will explore this highly effective yet simple technique using clear plastic plates on which to work. This enables students to make good use of guide drawings to aid them in the drawing process.
Age Range: For children aged 10 and up.
Press: No press required.
Equipment: Screen, squeegees, scissors, brushes, rags, access to a sink.
Overview:
Screen print is a stencil based printmaking technique. Stencils are attached to a screen mesh, through which inks are squeezed with a squeegee. Because it does not involve any form of pressing, screen prints can be made on more or less anything flat. This means that in screen print, more than in any other medium, a print can be applied to the widest variety of substrates, including, paper, card, textiles, glass, plastic and metal. Excellent results are achieved by printing over pre-prepared backgrounds such as collages or prints.
The workshop will explore simple hand cut paper stencil techniques in conjunction with collage and mono-printed backgronds.
Swansea
Print Workshop is a not for profit
company limited by guarantee
Companies House No 4078671: 19a Clarence Street Swansea SA1 3QR
© swansea print workshop 2006