Printmaking is a way of making pictures by pressing ink onto paper. Instead of drawing a picture one time, you can print the same picture over and over again! Artists have been making prints for hundreds and hundreds of years.
To make a print, you start with a block or a plate. You carve or draw a design on it, add ink, and then press it onto paper. When you lift the block, the picture appears on the paper like magic!
Making a print is like using a rubber stamp. First, you create a design on a flat surface called a block. The block can be made of wood, rubber, foam, or even a potato!
Next, you spread ink or paint on the block with a roller called a brayer. The ink sticks to the raised parts of the block. Then you press the block onto a piece of paper and push down firmly. When you peel the paper away, your picture is there! You can use the same block to make lots and lots of copies.
There are many fun ways to make prints! In relief printing, you carve a picture into a block and the raised parts get the ink. This is the oldest kind of printmaking.
Stamping is the easiest type of print to try. You can cut a potato in half, carve a shape into it, dip it in paint, and press it onto paper. You can also use leaves, sponges, or bubble wrap to make cool patterns!
Screen printing uses a special screen with tiny holes. Ink is pushed through the holes to make a picture. Many of the t-shirts you wear are made with screen printing!
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