Syllabus: Introduction to Woodcut + Etching ADSN 8888 | N | Spring 2020 Continuing Education
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Syllabus: Introduction to Woodcut + Etching ADSN 8888 | N | Spring 2020 Continuing Education Course Information Location: Dates: Thu Jan 30 - Apr 9 Note: No class Spring Break Instructor Information Name: Rebecca Gilbert Email: Email Policy: Feel free to contact me with any questions and I will do my best to reply within 24 hours. Instructor Bio: Rebecca Gilbert works primarily in the mediums of woodcut, wood engraving, and intaglio to translate her drawings from the natural world into floating elemental reprieves - happy places that invite the viewer to slow down, live in the moment, and find optimism in that moment. Her work is characterized by a methodical technical approach to art making and a down-to-earth recognition of her own primal cravings. Ms. Gilbert’s work is in numerous public collections, including: The Princeton University Graphic Arts Library, Zuckerman Museum of Art, and The Free Library of Philadelphia Print and Picture Collection. Her work is also in many private collections and has been exhibited extensively. Among her most recent awards are an Independence Foundation Grant AND a Winterthur Artist/Maker Research Fellowship in 2018 to support her recent body of work, Visions of Plenty: Observation, Perception, Illusion, and Reverie; an Artist-in-Residence at Sparkbox Studio in Picton, Ontario in 2017, a travel grant from The Center for Emerging Visual Artists in 2015 to attend OCHO Artist Residency in Questa, New Mexico, and a Surdna Foundation Enrichment Grant to support her exploration of wood engraving at the Augusta Heritage Center in 2013. Ms. Gilbert earned an MFA in Printmaking + Book Arts from The University of the Arts and a BFA in Printmaking from Marshall University. She also studied non-toxic etching at the Grafisk Eksperimentarium in Capileira, Spain. Rebecca currently serves on the board of The Wood Engravers’ Network and is represented by The Print Center Gallery Store. She lives and works in South Philadelphia and teaches at The University of the Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Fleisher Art Memorial. Course Description This course introduces two traditional printmaking processes: woodcut + etching. Woodcut is a relief process that involves carving an image into a plank of wood, rolling ink across the carved surface of the block, and using it to print your image onto paper. Etching is an intaglio process that involves printing from a metal plate which is etched with an image. The instructor will guide you through all of the steps necessary to translate your ideas using these graphic processes. You will start by working in black and white and later (time permitting) you will learn methods for incorporating color into your artwork. Students will become familiar with the tools, language, methods, and uarts.edu/ce | @uartsce | #UArtsCE ADSN 8888 | N SPRING 2020 materials used for making unique prints as well as limited editions in a safe, clean, and friendly print shop environment. Pre-requisites There are no prerequisites for this course; however, to ensure your success, it is recommended that students bring ideas in the form of sketches or photographs to work from and always come to class prepared with the necessary supplies. Course Overview Class meetings will be divided between demonstrations, looking at examples, and time spent working in the studio. Course Objectives/Learning Objectives At the end of this course, students will: • know how to properly hold, implement, and care for woodcut tools and etching tools • be able to safely operate an etching press • will know safe practices for using ferric chloride solution to etch copper etching plates • be familiar with using oil-based ink to print relief and intaglio prints • know how to sign and number an edition of prints • have gained some familiarity of artists that have historically worked in the mediums • be able to express themselves visually through the mediums of woodcut and intaglio Course Resources The following books and websites are good resources, but are not required. Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Materials & Processes, Fick and Grabowski, 2009 www.moma.org/exhibitions/2001/whatisaprint/flash.html www.crownpoint.com/printmaking Additional Course Materials | Supplies • Sketchbook (suggested, for notes, planning projects, and idea sketching) • shina plywood - will be available for purchase in class • Pencil • Apron • Newsprint pad 18” x 24” - available from Blick, Plaza Art, or Artist and Craftsman • Printing papers (will be discussed in class) - available from Blick, Plaza, or Artist and Craftsman • Ideas in the form of sketches or photographs to work from • Copper etching plate 4” x6”, or larger - available from Graphic Chemical, Renaissance Graphics, Blick, Plaza, or Artist and Craftsman • Etching needle - available from Graphic Chemical, Renaissance Graphics, Blick, Plaza, or Artist and Craftsman • Scraper - available from Graphic Chemical, Renaissance Graphics, Blick, Plaza, or Artist and Craftsman • Burnisher - available from Graphic Chemical, Renaissance Graphics, Blick, Plaza, or Artist and Craftsman • old paintbrushes, or cheap paint brushes 2 ADSN 8888 | N SPRING 2020 • 1” foam brush - at least two of them - available from any art supply store, drug store, or hardware store • roll of paper towels • rubber gloves or nitrile gloves • If you already own woodcut tools, bring them with you to class on the first day. I’ll go over different types of tools available and suggest places to purchase tools during the first class meeting. Some tools will be available for use during class time, but many students may wish to purchase their own. Optional supplies: • Soft White conté crayon • Medium black conté crayon • The instructor will have several sets of woodcut tools available for you to use during class hours. You may choose to purchase your own woodcut tools. The instructor will go over the pros and cons of different types of tools in class. • A limited supply of Transfer paper and tracing paper will be provided in class. • Shellac will be provided in class. • Inks, solvents, and etchants will be provided for you to use in class. • Up to one can of spray paint will be provided in class. Course Policies Student Feedback/Communication If you experience an emergency, which will prevent you from completing required coursework on time, please communicate with the instructor at the earliest opportunity. Please state the nature of the emergency and when you expect to turn in the coursework. Attendance + Participation All students are expected to attend classes regularly and promptly, and for the duration of the scheduled instructional time. Individual instructors will decide the optimum time for taking attendance and may penalize for habitual lateness or absence. Please notify the instructor if you expect to miss a class. Repeated absences may result in a grade of "F" for the course. This course content is delivered through a series of presentations, examples and hands-on exercises in the print shop. Demonstrations build on one another so regular attendance is critical to your success. Students are expected to arrive on time and stay the length of the class. A student with more than two consecutive, or three total absences will not be able to pass the course, even if the absence is medically excused. Each absence past the first excused occurrence will result in a lowered grade. Any materials or announcements covered in class missed during an absence are the student’s responsibility. Lectures and class activities cannot be repeated. Students who withdraw from a course must do so in writing. Non-attendance does not constitute an official withdrawal. Syllabi Changes to the course content will be communicated by email from the instructor, and the Program Director will be copied. The syllabus is subject to change based on individual needs of the class at the instructor’s discretion. 3 ADSN 8888 | N SPRING 2020 University Policies Academic Honesty/ Integrity Policy Violations of academic integrity are considered to be acts of academic dishonesty and include (but are not limited to) cheating, plagiarizing, fabrication, denying others access to information or material, and facilitating academic dishonesty, and are subject to disciplinary action. To review the Academic Honesty/ Integrity Policy in its entirety, please visit: http://cs.uarts.edu/ce/policies#academichonesty/integritypolicy Student Code of Conduct It is the policy of the Division of Continuing Studies to provide a safe and healthy environment for learning, personal growth and enjoyment. The well-being of this community depends upon the good judgment and considerate behavior of its members. Student status at The University of the Arts is not an unconditional right, but a privilege subject to certain rules and expectations articulated in the Student Code of Conduct. To review the Student Code of Conduct in its entirety, please visit: http://cs.uarts.edu/uploads/media_items/student-code-of-conduct.original.pdf Notice of Nondiscrimination The University expressly prohibits any form of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, age, mental or physical disability, veteran status, or any other protected classification in accordance with Federal, state, and local non-discrimination and equal opportunity laws. If you have encountered any such form of harassment or discrimination, we encourage you to report this to the Title IX Coordinator and Diversity Administrator,