Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Carter.

And I'm gonna be guiding you through our lesson today where we're gonna be looking at producing a reduction print.

This is really in depth process and there are quite a few stages to it.

Make sure that you've got everything you need to get started and then we'll be able to have a fantastic lesson full of learning.

I'd like you to have a go all the tasks and engage with all of the checks for understanding, and I'm sure that you're gonna make excellent progress.

Let's get started.

By the end of our lesson today, you're gonna be able to say, "I can create a reduction printing plate "and print with ink." For our lesson today, there are a few words you need to be very comfortable using.

So the first is a reduction print.

A reduction print is a printmaking technique where the plate is carved between each layer, reducing the printing surface at each stage.

The other word we're going to be using a lot is opaque.

So opaque is being impenetrable to light, the opposite of transparent.

So in printmaking, it describes the inks that completely cover the underlying layers, allowing no previous colours to show through.

As I said before, our lessons got quite a few stages and we've got three learning cycles.

We're going to start by understanding and creating a print design.

We then move on to carving and printing the first layer.

Then, we'll carve and print additional layers.

Let's get started.

Understanding and creating a printing design.

Izzy's comparing these two prints.

What similarities and differences do you notice? Izzy shares, "One has different layers of colour, "and the other is black and white.

"The first is abstract and the other is machinery.

"But I do think they're made of the same material." Did you make similar observations? Izzy has correctly noticed that this print is a reduction print.

A reduction print, is a printmaking technique where the plate is carved between each layer, reducing the printing surface with each stage.

You might also notice with this that different plates have been printed over the same design, so that red layer produces a texture that isn't featured in either the orange or the black layer.

Okay, check for understanding time.

What happens to the printing plate in a reduction print? Is it A, multiple prints are combined to create a final print.

Is it B, a new plate is used for each colour layer.

Is it C, the plate is carved away between each layer.

Or is it D, the plate remains unchanged and the colours are added on top.

Pause the video and decide which you think is the correct answer.

Did you say, C? Well done.

This kind of printing works by removing the areas where ink is not wanted, like this print.

And you can see here dark lines are the areas that have been carved away.

'Cause they've used a biro to push into the poly block and that's indented the surface and essentially created a carved away section.

And the second area is the print.

And you can see that those areas, those corresponding areas, are now white, so the colour of the paper that's underneath.

This means you have to think about removing, not adding, and it makes it slightly different to drawing.

'Cause with drawing, we tend to be adding rather than removing.

In a reduction print, you start with your paper.

The first print is the largest and it shows some of the paper.

The second print is smaller than the first and it shows the paper and the first layer of printing.

This can continue as much as the artist chooses, and some artists make incredibly detailed prints with multiple layers of colour.

Okay, check for understanding time, true or false? When making a reduction print, you are removing from the plate, making the print surface smaller.

Pause the video and decide if you think that is true or false.

Well done if you said true.

When making a reduction print, you remove from the plate making the print surface smaller, which allows the previous layers to show through.

Artists have to think about the print layers when they're planning their design.

So layer one might look like this.

And layer two like this.

How has the artist's plate changed between each layer? Have you noticed that the second layer is far more detailed? There's a lot more that's been carved into that surface.

That means that some of whatever is printed in layer one will be visible through those carved lines.

So for task A, you're going to create an abstract print design inspired by maps, which is at least two printed layers.

Quickly sketch your shapes, lines and patterns from maps.

And I've provided a series of maps in the additional materials for you.

You might want to switch them for local area maps or places that are really important to you.

You should work quickly.

We're not looking for lots and lots of detail, we are trying to use this to gain inspiration.

Use a thick pen or graphite stick and as I said before, you could look at maps to the local area or maps of places that are important to you.

Pause the video and get started sketching now.

How did you get on? You might have produced something like this.

And Jacob shares, "I've created some interesting "abstract shapes, that link to the maps "of my granddad's hometown." So, for task A2, you're going to use the shapes from task A1 to plan your first layer for your abstract map, you should, plan the areas that will remain the colour of the paper.

Remember that this will form the background of your print.

Pause the video and get started on your design now.

How did you get on? You might have drawn something that looks a little bit like this.

And Sophia shares, "Jacob has made it clear "which parts of his first printed layer, "and there are lots of details to use in the second layer." Have you noticed that Jacob hasn't chosen to draw all of the detail, across the whole of the map? There's lots of information that he's left.

He's just focused in that purple line with the areas that he will use for his first layer of printing.

So moving on to carving and printing the first layer.

This print has been made with yellow ink on white paper.

What does the artist do, to the printing plate, to create the white lines and shapes? Sam shares, "They've removed the surface of the plate "to create the white parts of the print." Artists carve or remove the surface of the plate as part of a reduction print.

This preserves the colour of the surface that they print onto.

If the artist prints onto paper, the areas they cut will remain the paper after printing.

Okay, check for understanding time.

In reduction printing, what happens to the areas of the plate that the artist curves away when printing onto paper? Is it A, they absorb more ink than the uncarved areas? Is it B, they transfer ink onto the paper? Or is it C, they remain the colour of the paper? Pause the video and decide which you think is the correct answer.

Great work if you said C, they remain the colour of the paper.

So where the artist has carved away that surface will remain the colour of the paper.

How artists remove the top layer of the plate surface depends on the material chosen.

Wood cup prints use tools like chisels to carve the surface.

Lino prints use specific tools called lino cutters.

And poly tile printing requires pressure from biros onto the surface of the plate.

A poly tile is a polystyrene tile used for printing, often used in schools.

Its soft surface can be indented with pens or pencils to create the design.

However, excessive pressure or closely spaced lines can make the tile fragile, limiting the number of prints and layers before it deteriorates.

Check for understanding time.

Why might a poly tile become too fragile to use for multiple prints? Is it A, ink builds up preventing further prints? Is it B, poly tile hardens over time, making it unusable and inflexible? Is it C, the poly tile material expands when exposed to air? Or is it D, too much pressure or closely spaced lines weaken the surface? Pause the video and decide which you think is the correct answer.

Well done if you said D, too much pressure or lines that place too closely together can damage the surface of your poly tile.

So be really mindful of the thickness of your tile and don't apply too much pressure or space your lines too closely together.

Printing a poly tile plate can look like this.

The roller is loaded with plenty of ink.

The ink is applied to the plate with the roller.

This allows you to get a nice, even smooth coating of ink over your plate.

The plate and paper are pressed together firmly.

And you can see in this image, a weighted tool is being used to make sure that that pressure is being applied evenly over the whole thing.

If you don't have access to something like that, you can use the heel of your hand or the palm of your hand, but you want to make sure you're applying even pressure and not pushing too firmly in only one area.

And then when you remove the plate from the paper or the paper from the plate, a mirror print is revealed.

So you'll get a mirror image to what you have carved.

Printing a plate requires a thick layer of opaque ink.

If it's too wet, the design will be lost as the ink will get into the indents that you've carved.

And if you don't put enough ink, you won't have a bold layer of opaque colour that will cover the paper.

Okay, check for understanding time.

Why is it important for the ink to be thick when printing the plate? Is it A, it creates a glossy professional finish, which looks like a laser printing? Is it B, it dries faster on the plate so that the new layer can be printed, making the process quicker for artists? Is it C, it ensures a smooth layer of ink while preventing it from seeping into the indents? Or is it D, it reduces the amount of ink needed for printing, making it more cost effective.

Pause the video and decide which you think is the correct answer.

Great work if you said C, it ensures a smooth layer of ink while preventing it from seeping into the indents.

So another check for understanding, what happens if the ink on a printing plate is too wet? Is it A, the design may be lost as ink fills the indent? Is it B, the ink will dry too quickly to print properly? Is it C, the plate will not transfer any ink onto the paper? Or is it D, the print will be clearer and more detailed? Pause the video and decide which you think is the correct answer.

Great work if you said A, the design may be lost as ink will fill the indents.

Artists who create art inspired by maps include, Rich Fowler who examined map shapes and lines in his lino cuts Aloft III from 2019.

And Aloft II also from 2019.

Rirkrit Tiravanija, layers prints, drawings and collage elements to create Untitled, a map of the land feeling, I-III, which was made in 2008 to 2011.

Ingrid Calame examined line and shape in her map paintings and Vinita Voogd used shapes in her collographs to create map like imagery.

Artists who create art using map like patterns to examine culture, place and history include, Ilma Savari's, whose art often incorporates elements that can be interpreted as maps, reflecting her connection to her homeland and cultural heritage.

And Lin Onus is recognised for his contributions to contemporary indigenous art as his work in Lino Printing demonstrates deep connection with his cultural heritage, while incorporating modern day influences.

His work, Dislocation Yellow 2000, is a striking lino print and showcases Onus's ability to blend traditional and contemporary elements.

So moving on to our second practical task B, one, you're going to be creating an abstract print design inspired by maps, which has at least two printing layers.

And the first task is to transfer your layer one design from task, A onto your plate.

You should tape the design to your tile or to your poly tile.

Press softly so you do not damage your plate.

Be selective about the lines you include, make sure you are only including the lines that you planned for layer one.

And press dots through to transfer your design like a dot-to-dot.

Pause the video and get started transferring your design now.

Moving on to task B, two, we're going to need to refine the lines and the edges of the shapes you produced on your poly tile.

So for this, you should use a pencil or pen to smooth the dots into lines.

Press softly so you don't damage your plate.

And it looks something like this.

And this design has got some holes through it as well, which is part of the design.

By removing the whole part of the plate, you are ensuring that that initial layer is going to be completely white or whatever the colour of the paper is going to be.

And you can see here there are some dot to dot lines.

The edges have little kind of indents coming in, so you're not gonna get a smooth straight line, it's gonna look like a string of dots.

But here the line has been smoothed by gently moving the pen or the pencil tip through that layer of poly tile.

Pause the video and get started doing the same to your design.

How did you get on? Have you managed to get your whole poly tile ready? It might look something like this.

And Laura shares, "Jacob's plate "for his first layer of printing, has a lot of detail, "but also large areas left blank.

"These will be filled up with layers "to come in the final composition.

"He has pressed softly to preserve his plate." So for task three, we're gonna print our first layer of the plate.

You should, load the roller with ink.

Apply an opaque layer of ink to the plate, press the plate and paper together with firm pressure and then reveal your print.

I would always suggest peeling the paper from the plate so that you bending the paper rather than trying to bend the plate, which might, especially with fragile poly tile, cause it to fragment or break.

Create at least 10 good prints.

This style of printing, you will never be able to get that first layer again.

So you want to make sure you've got a good base level so you've got plenty of outcomes at the end to make sure you print at least 10 versions of your tile.

So remember, the process of printing will look a little bit like this.

You're going to fill the roller.

So load the roller with plenty of ink.

You then use that roller to transfer the ink onto the surface of your poly tile.

This will ensure you get a nice, smooth, even coverage over the whole of the tile.

You then put the plate and the paper together and apply firm pressure, either with your hand or with a weighted tool if you've got one.

And then you reveal your print, peeling the paper from the tile so that you can see your mirror image.

Pause the video and get started making your 10 prints now.

How did you get on? Did you enjoy it? Are you surrounded by printmaking now? You might have something that looks like this and Jacob shares, "I'm pleased with the first layer of my print.

"I need to use plenty of thick ink "to create this smooth, opaque layer." I've created many prints at this stage as I will never be able to create this layer again.

That's a really good insight, Jacob.

Because you've actually going to need to remove more to produce your next layer, you can never get back to this stage.

So it's really important, you've got a good base of plenty of prints now.

So moving on now to carving and printing any additional layers.

What's the difference between these two prints? Andeep shares, "The first image is only one layer "and the second has two layers." And you can see that, can't you? We've got a green layer with only green and white.

So we've got the paper that's white and the green ink layer.

And then the second image we've got black as well, adding an additional layer.

How has the artist created this second layer? And Andeep shares, "They have cut more from the surface of their plate "and then printed it again." And he's exactly right.

Did you get the same answer? When making a reduction print, you are removing from the plate, making the print surface smaller.

The smaller second layer is printed on top of the prints taken, from the larger first layer, revealing parts of that first layer.

Artists can create detailed printing with many different colours this way.

Okay, check for understanding.

What happens to the printing surface when making a reduction print? Does it A, it becomes larger with each layer? Is it B, it gets smaller as areas are removed from the plate? Or is it C, it stays the same size throughout the process? Pause the video and decide which you think is the correct answer.

Well done for saying B.

It gets smaller as areas are removed from the plate.

Artists aim to create opaque layers of ink as they print subsequent layers in a reduction print.

This layer of ink, would completely cover underlying layers without allowing previous colours to show through so that the artist can create distinct layers.

So check for understanding time.

Why do artist aim to create opaque layers of ink in a reduction print? Is it A, to allow previous colours to show through so that they blend? Is it B, to create transparent effect, allowing light through? Is it C, to fully cover underlying layers to create distinct layers? Or is it D, to make the ink dry faster so the work is quicker to make? Pause the video.

And so which you think is the correct answer? Well done if you remembered that the correct answer is C, to fully cover underlying layers, so you have distinct layers in your final print.

So task C, you're gonna create your abstract print design inspired by maps, which has at least two printed layers.

And for the first part of this, you're gonna transfer your layer to design from task A onto your plate.

So you should tape your design onto the tile, press softly so you do not damage the plate.

Be selective about the lines that you include.

If you worked similarly to Jacob, you might have lots of lines still left on your design, but if those are too close together, you may find that it damages or weakens your poly tile, so be selective about the ones that you include.

You may need to miss some of them out.

And then press dots through your design to transfer it like a dot-to-dot.

Pause the video and get started transferring your design now.

Well done for transferring your design.

So we now need to start, printing the subsequent layers of the plate.

You should apply an opaque layer of ink to your plate.

Press the plate and the paper together with firm pressure and print over all of your first layer prints.

You could alter the colours you use with each print.

So this means of the 10 prints that you produced in task B, you are going to print on top of all 10 of them.

This gives you the opportunity to experiment and learn about the amount of ink and the colours that you choose to use, as you develop your work.

Remember, this is the process that you are using.

So you are loading the roller with plenty of ink in a new colour.

The ink is then applied to the plate using the roller so that you get a nice even coverage.

And you can see in the image there, that it's black ink that's been chosen 'cause we're working on top of that green layer.

The plate and the paper are firmly pressed together, applying pressure to ensure that the transfer of that ink from the plate to the paper.

And then you reveal your mirror print, by peeling the paper from your plate, pause the video and get started printing over all 10 of your previous designs.

How did you get on? Did you vary the colours and try out different ideas? You might have something that looks a bit like this and Jacob shares, "The smooth opaque layer of ink "I have achieved is successful "where both plates have areas indented, "the white paper shows through.

"I would love to create more layers in my reduction print "so that I can create more details." I think Jacob's done an excellent job of designing those two prints up, which is likely the most challenging part of the printing process.

How did you get on with it? Did you find you had to be very careful as you placed your poly tile back in the correct place? So we're gonna move on and look at how we can develop our work.

You can develop your work by printing more layers.

So you could rotate the plate and you'll create something completely new.

You could use a range of different plate designs.

Maybe if you're working together in a class, you could collaborate or you might want to produce additional layers with different types of pattern.

Think about how you could also alter the colours that you use to create more layers of interest in your work.

Pause the video and have a try at developing your print on one or two of the designs that you've created so far.

How did you get on? You might have made something that looks like this.

And Jun shares that, "This print has the same two layers "printed with an effective opaque layer of ink.

"But Jacob has rotated the second print "and it makes it look more abstract and interesting." So can you see in the design there that the white layers don't appear as a single line? They kind of cross and intersect because of how Jacob has rotated his second layer of print.

So in summary of our lesson, printing of the plate reduction printing, a reduction print is a printmaking technique where the plate is carved between each layer, reducing the printing surface with each stage.

Printing a plate requires a thick layer of ink.

If it is too wet, the design will be lost as ink will get into the indents.

Artist aim to create opaque layers of ink 'cause this helps them produce distinct layers in their final outcome.

The print process is trial and error.

Several prints need to be taken to refine the process.

You may have also developed your work and produced some excellent additional pieces.

And this shows how we can also experiment with our work, when we are making prints.

Well done for all of your work today, this is an incredibly bleak lesson with lots of stages and you've had to think really hard because printmaking, as we said at the beginning, sort of works backwards because you are removing rather than adding, which is what we tend to do with things like drawing.

Well done for all of your effort and I hope you're really proud of your outcomes.

I look forward to seeing you in our next lesson.