Instructional: How to Print (and Clean Up Afterwards)

Here's a simple instructional video on printmaking. I've also posted some examples of printing projects below.

Important Vocab:

Printing Plate: Either Styrofoam or linoleum (rubber). Whatever you are "carving" into to make a design/picture.

Plexi Plate: The Plexiglas plate upon which you spread out the ink using a brayer.
Brayer: A "roller." What you use to spread around the ink once it's on the plexi plate.

Printing Ink: We have many colors! Only use a dime sized amount and do so with a palette knife.

Palette Knife: A white plastic knife used to get ink and place it on the plexi plate.  

And here's the link if you'd like to watch it on YouTube.

PLEASE NOTE:

You can print in any color (you don't need to use just black).

Printmaking works best for line-type drawings. Meaning, the more "expressive lines" you have, the better your print will be. Look at all the expressive and decorative lines in the prints below. Imagine how boring they would be without them. Lines add so much INTEREST!

An up-close of a linoleum block printing plate.

Look how much energy and focus the lines of the background add. They show your eye where to look. They tell you that the car is REALLY IMPORTANT! AND EXCITING!

Look how much ACTION the lines add to this already action-filled piece. The way the white background is carved out in an almost halo/sun-ray pattern around the bird tells your eyes that the focal point of this piece is the bird/alligator mouth. Lines are SO IMPORTANT!