What Goals Should I Have at a Printmaking Workshop?

[CindyRinAL]

Hi, I usually stick to the mixed media page, but this is a printmaking question. My big area of interest is fiber art, but that is spilling over into surface design, etc.

I am the recipient (thanks to a dear sweet husband) of a one day, one-on-one workshop with a friend of mine who is an artist/printmaker. Conrad Ross has his own private press, Wycross Press.

I have done no printmaking, but have done a little reading on the subject and want to learn more by doing. I can do anything from just watch him (nope, want hands on) to working with him.
What are reasonable goals? As you can tell, I have a hard time even formulating questions, a real newbie to this.

Here is a little about Conrad & Wycross Press, to give you the idea of where I will be working.

"Conrad Ross is an important American artist/printmaker who has been described as "a contemporary Marco Polo". He constructs images that refer to cultures that were once remote from us in times before modern travel, media, and the Internet."

"Wycross Press is devoted to the advancement of experimental printmaking and in bringing to an appreciative audience the fine contemporary art being done in print media by the contemporary artist/printmaker."

Thanks for your input!

Cindy R.

[sassybird]

I have heard of his work, and you are one lucky lady :D Talk to him before you have the workshop. Tell him that you want some hands on experience. I am a fiber artist and a fine art printmaker. I am working on blending the two mediums, so I will post my experiences and work here.

I don't know if you want to learn about intaglio etching, or to begin with something like linoleum relief printing. The linoleum can be as complex as some of the intaglio techniques if you do more than one color on the print.

You are always welcome in here to discuss things you are interested in, and we have some good tutorials at the top of the printmaking page. You might want to look them over to get a better grasp of different techniques. That will help you decide what you want to concentrate on with Conrad in your workshop.

Above all else don't stress on it once you are there :) Just keep your eyes and ears open, take some notes, and get some ink on your hands :D In other words just have fun! Printmaking is a very different medium than any other due to the array of techniques, and the unlimited ways of combining them to create an image. Please let us know how the work shop went, and post what you did on that day.

[timelady]

I'd speak to him too. I know a couple of printmakers who combine textiles and fabric with their prints - they run it all through the press together with an inked plate. Maybe that would interest you? Or ask him about chine colle, that would probably interest you too, the ideas of layering.

There are so many ways to printmake it really is worthwhile discussing your interests first so he can help you choose a few things to focus on and play with.

Tina.