My Printmaking Techniques - Personal Statement Example

Printmaking The print I made was an original element, which involved creating a print from a plate. The materials employed here werequite easy to work. In this specific print, I preferred to employ the soft ground technique because it has a high grease content, more than in the hard ground technique. The thing with soft ground is that it is easy to press any other texture onto the metal plate. I found the process to be quite simple. First I had to bevel the printing plate and prepare it nicely.

From here, I had to wash the plate and let it dry for the purpose of degreasing it. I placed my plate on another hot plate, melted the soft wax onto that hot plate, and then used a roller to spread the wax evenly and thinly across the plate. The plate should be left to cool once reaching this stage. Before etching would take place, I had to place the plate in a thin paper cover before drawing on this paper. I drew on a piece of paper that covered a soft wax coating on the metal plate. After lifting the paper off, the wax where the pencil had pressed was removed.

As it can be seen from the print, the lines appear crayon or pencil like. The process was simple enough, and I was happy with the result. In this print, I sought to show how art can be used to pass across powerful messages to the society. A person can be seen smoking while the T-shirt he wears has been printed “STOP SMOKING” in capital letters. References Cunningham, E. L. (2006). Printmaking: A Primary Form of Expression. Colorado: University Press of Colorado. Griffiths, A. (2010). Prints and Printmaking: An Introduction to the History and Techniques.

New York: University of California Press. Leaf, R. (2012). Etching, Engraving and Other Intaglio Printmaking Techniques. London: Courier Dover Publication. Muir, P. (2000). Printmaking in the Sun: An Artists Guide to Making Professional-quality Prints Using the Solarplate Method. Chicago: Watson-Guptill Publications. OBrien, M. (2010). Hard ground. New York: University of Texas Press.