Relief Prints Answers

Wood engraving is the process of carving into the hard side of a piece of wood. It is useful if the artist wants to add a lot of fine detail to the image, rather than color for instance. It was perfected by Thomas Bewick.

Answer will vary but may include the following: The image is an Asian artwork, specifically a Japanese ukiyo-e scene. In the image there are men carrying either some type of cargo in boxes or baskets of food, across a bridge. Most of the men pictured are walking in two rows, in a sort of procession. Houses are visible in the background. Orange, blue, and yellow are the main colors used. There isn't much variation in the width of the lines. The shapes are fairly geometric. The image is framed on either side by what appears to be a gate or fence. This is an example of a woodblock print, also called a woodcut. Its registration points were likely located in the corners of the woodblock.

Registration: A method of correlating color separation so that the colors line up correctly. Press: A device used to transfer an image. Keyblock: A printing block that is used to create a black outline before the color is added, and usually has the most detail.

The gouge is a triangular shaped printmaking tool used to produce a rounded line. Graves are also used for scraping out the wood. Another tool used is a knife. Some commonly used types of knives include: hangit (Japanese), mat, palette, and x-acto. Leather pads, chalk, and brayers. Lastly, paper and ink is also used.

Woodblock printing is done using a keyblock. On the keyblock, the artist marks registration points so that they can line up the different blocks with the correct color. It originated in China and was popularized during the 14th century.

Printmaking allowed pieces of art to be shared with more than just the artist themselves. It allowed art to be reproduced and circulated both quickly and inexpensively.

Printmaking is the process of taking a design or image and adding ink to it to make a copy using a printing plate, a press, or a piece of paper. The two types of printmaking are relief printing and intaglio. Relief printing is done by outlining an image on a surface, and then carving along the outline. The artist then applies the raised areas with ink, to be pressed on to a surface. Intaglio is similar, but the ink is added to the grooves, rather than the raised surfaces.

A linocut is created by cutting away an image from linoleum, a soft synthetic material. It is effective because it creates images that are bold and striking, in which the designs are highly contrasting. The process is critiqued because it is relatively simple to create and perfect, when comparing it to other techniques in art.

The tools, paper, ink, and method of relief printing will influence the final product and the effect it produces. Certain methods/techniques, tools, and products serve different purposes, whether it be detailed, color, design, etc.

Picture 1 is an example of a linocut. Picture 2 is an example of a wood engraving. Observations may vary, but could include the following: Picture 1 has a lot of dark values, bold lines, and non-detailed images. With picture 1, there is either black or white, and the values are created by the thickness of the lines. With picture 2, the values change based on the detail of the engraving and the amount of ink applied. Picture 2 includes a lot of details and is a realistic portrayal of the subject (owl). The subjects in both pictures are visible and definable. Picture on is of a bull ring, with Spanish matadors and picture 2 is of an owl in a tree. Neither picture uses color.