Printmaking & Bookbinding Classes
The New Orleans Printmaking Studio is designed to facilitate a wide array of print processes and paper arts from traditional to experimental. Our collection of printing presses includes large and small format intaglio presses, a Vandercook Automated Letterpress, a manual letterpress, and even a spring-loaded Whelan Press. In addition to our standard print shop set-up, we also feature an exposure unit, a light-safe drying unit, a light box, a dark room, and several book presses.
Studio Courses and private lessons are regularly held in relief (wood-cut and lino-cut), intaglio, monotype, serigraph (silkscreen), and book construction. Printmaking classes are geared towards beginning - intermediate students; please inquire about private lessons for advanced instruction. Classes in specialized or alternative processes (such as vitreography and Polaroid transfer) are also offered on occasion. Please help us tailor the curriculum to current interests by expressing requests to the faculty. For more information on instruction or group events, please inquire at front office.
Relief Printing
Relief prints can be traced back to prehistoric origins, where cave dwellers used rough iconography to produce stamped images onto clay. Relief prints are made by cutting away the non-image areas of a surface; ink is then applied to the remaining raised surface and transferred through pressure onto any number of surfaces.
In this course, students use art grade linoleum to explore basic relief printing techniques, including reduction cut, embossing, and registration. This is the perfect introduction to novice printmakers because of the simplicity of materials and technique - and yet it has to potential to help create everything from decorative stationary design to dynamic and vital art prints. No experience required! All materials are included. Limited to 6 students.
2-Week Course
Saturday Afternoons: 12 noon - 3pm (TBA)
Introduction to Book Arts
The term book arts refers to all types of handcrafted books. Making your own book is much easier than it sounds, and even beginners can produce professional journals, sketchbooks, and photo albums using the simplest of bookbinding techniques. In this course, students will learn how to make Japanese stab-bound books, traditional case bindings, and portfolios while incorporating decorative papers, textiles and embossing techniques. Once learned, bookbinding can be continued at home. All materials are included. Limited to 6 students.
4-Week Course
Wednesday Evenings: 6pm - 9pm (TBA)
Intaglio
Intaglio is a form of printmaking that has been used through the centuries by artists such as Dürer, Goya, Picasso, and Rauschenberg. In this class, students are invited to join the rich heritage of this art form. They will learn basic history and techniques as they use plexiglass and copper to begin, or extend, their own body of work.
Basically, intaglio (to cut) is the opposite of relief printing. It encompasses a myriad of techniques, but in all of these, the image is cut into the surface of a plate using sharp tools or acids. These incised lines and textures are inked, and the surface is wiped clean. Through the pressure of the printing press, the ink is transferred to paper, resulting in a rich, and often textured, image. Examples of techniques that will be covered are: engraving/drypoint (using tools to cut grooves directly into the plate); etching (using the corrosive action of acids to cut into the plate); and aquatint (creating images with smooth areas of shading). All materials are included. Limited to 6 students.
3-Week Course
Tuesday & Thursday Evenings: 6pm - 9pm (TBA)
Silkscreen
Variously known as serigraphy, silkscreen, or screen-printing, this is one of the fastest and most versatile ways to create multiple prints. This process uses a screen of finely woven fabric as matrix for a free-floating stencil; to print, non-image areas are blocked-out, so that ink may only pass through the image area. Images can be printed onto any flat surface, including paper, fabric, plastic and glass. Due to the popularity and innovations during the 20th Century, this is often thought of as contemporary process. Yet, many centuries ago, the Japanese were using screens of silk or human hair to print onto fabrics.
This class will explore the basics of silkscreen printing, including manual stenciling, photo-based techniques, and multiple color registration. Archival paper will be provided for prints, although students are encouraged to bring other materials to print on, as well. Students are responsible for the cost of photocopies necessary for photographic processes. Limited to 6 students.
4-Week Course
Thursday Evenings: 6pm - 9pm (TBA)
Printmakers
The printmaking studio is also AVAILABLE TO RENT by the day or the hour for qualified printmakers who would like to use our studio for independent study. Please inquire with Ms. Martin at GlassWorks for any questions pertaining to the Printmaking Department at (504) 529-7279, Monday- Friday, 10am - 5pm.
General Policies and Information
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