SMFA Boston - Print and Paper

Printmaking and papermaking offer artists from varied disciplines an alternative direction for development and growth. Print and Paper area courses present a diverse menu of media and approaches that enable students to develop, understand, and expand their visual ideas. Students with experience in drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and digital media may find unique applications and combinations in print and paper media.

Printmaking
Print courses offer in-depth instruction of the traditional printmaking techniques—relief, intaglio, lithography, and screenprinting—as well as a wide variety of mixed-media and interdisciplinary approaches. Processes are taught as a means of visual expression and exploration while edition and production skills are addressed by means of various print exchange portfolios throughout the year.

The relief and intaglio area has three etching presses, and the adjoining lithography area has a large selection of stones and four presses. The screenprinting studio is entirely water-based and is equipped with darkroom facilities as well as a large vacuum-frame exposure unit. The studios share four Macintosh G4 computer workstations equipped with scanners and appropriate software for digital imaging, and printers for color output and production of film positives for photo processes in all media.

Paper
Papermaking courses explore the possibilities of pulp as a dynamic and versatile material that can be used two- and three- dimensionally as well as made from a variety of materials (plant fibers, old clothing, recycled papers). Its incorporation with sculpture, painting, photography, and printmaking can expand and personalize more traditional uses of these media.

The Paper studio is fully equipped with two Hollander beaters, a mixer/hydropulper, hydraulic press, vacuum table, and pulp sprayers. The studio is open (outside of regularly scheduled class) to students who have successfully completed a papermaking course and have the permission of the instructor. Monitors are available to assist students outside of class.

Previous Course Offerings
Below are previous course offerings for the Print and Paper area. Students must visit mySMFA to see current offerings and register.

Students in the undergraduate, graduate, Studio, and Post-Baccalaureate certificate programs may also take Continuing Education courses for credit. Rather than duplicating courses, Continuing Education courses are designed to complement the Print and Paper area curriculum.

Intensive Printmaking Workshop / PRT 1002

Section I

This course is designed for students at all levels, from those who would like an introduction to printmaking techniques to those who have experience and wish to continue working intensively in the area. It encompasses two to four printmaking media, and may be taken as one full-day course or as two full-day courses. Section I offers lithography and etching while Section II offers screenprinting and relief. Enrolling in both sections is recommended for students who wish to cover all four of the major print media; the result will be an understanding of multiple techniques that may then be pursued alone or in combination. This class requires perfect attendance to keep up with technical demonstrations and class projects. Lithography (TBA): Explore the creation of images on a grease-receptive surface-lithographic limestone and metal plates. Draw with a variety of grease-based or soap-based drawing materials and learn the printing skills and methods of lithography. Etching (TBA): Cover the basics of monoprinting and intaglio (dry-point, collagraph, and etching) on a variety of plates, printing these separately and in combination to produce both black-and-white and color prints.

Beginning/ Intermediate Lithography / PRT 1011

We encourage and expect beginning students and students who have some experience in lithography to explore this medium in depth. Demonstrations and hands-on instruction guide students through basic stone and plate lithography before we continue onto other techniques such as color printing, photo manipulation, and transfer methods. Students are encouraged to experiment and incorporate other mediums as they create and develop their work. We schedule individual and group critiques throughout the semester. This all-day course also requires some time outside of class.

Lithography in Color / PRT 2013

Through demonstrations and individual projects, students begin an in-depth exploration of some of lithography's more unusual techniques, some old and some new, with a focus on the multi-run color print. Our goal is to develop image and content, and a personal approach to lithography as a means of expression. Demonstrations, critiques, and individual consultations take place in the morning. The lithography studio is open to students enrolled in this class during the afternoon session. This class is for students who have a basic understanding of lithography and wish to continue working in the medium. However, students with little or no experience in lithography may take this class. Signature required.

Mixed Media in Print / PRT 2015

This course will concentrate on expanding your imagery in print media. A wide variety of print techniques will be covered such as monoprinting, viscosity and multi-plate color printing, intaglio and relief etching, photo etching, collagraph techniques, chine collé, etc. These techniques will be addressed as they serve the needs of your ideas rather than as a set technical procedure. Through individual consultation, scheduled class critiques, and collaborative projects, attention will be given to your work in and out of printmaking so that the technical and conceptual strengths of print media can serve as a worthwhile adjunct to your overall work. This course is intended for the intermediate to advanced student; entering students may take this course only by consent of the instructor. Due to the advanced nature of the class, enrollment will be strictly limited, and admission is subject to portfolio review on the first day of class.

Properties of Pulp / PRT 3022

Understand the different properties of various pulps and papers and learn how they can be used sculpturally. Did you know that: over-beaten flax dries hard, taut, and has enough shrinkage to bend steel; sheets of Japanese Kozo can be laid over an armature as thin yet strong and translucent skin; paper fondue can be applied over carved forms and other interior armatures to create a lightweight, adobe-like surface. Students learn how to process fibers into paper/pulp. We cover mixing, beating, coloring, sizing, and surface treatments. In addition to handmade paper and pulp, students experiment wiht commercial papers and paper products. As the year progresses, we design projects that incorporate one or more of the techniques.

Experimental Printmaking Workshop / PRT 3042

This course is for students who have a working knowledge of printmaking and are interested in advancing their approach to the medium in a more open-minded, somewhat unorthodox manner. We break from traditional methods of making and viewing prints to fuse different materials and borrow from other media. That leads to a host of exciting possibilities that may or may not fit into the world of printmaking. The exploitation of the techniques at hand should prove to be a most exciting means of self-expression. Demonstrations take place each week. The class concentrates on, but does not limit itself to, those media available within the Printmaking area. We target intaglio, relief, litho, and transfers. If images end up being something other than a print, so be it.

A Class Action Suite / PRT 4004

No credit. A Class Action Suite is a year-long student-faculty collaboration to produce and exchange print portfolio. Participants determine themes, format, size, packaging, and means of printing. We consider all possibilities as long as multiples can be made. Each participant receives a bound/boxed copy of this edition. This project is not exclusive to the Printmaking area and is open to all students who want to be seriously involved. Access to the print shops during spring break is reserved on a sign-up basis for students printing editions. All participants receive their finished portfolio at the end of the academic year at the annual Printmaking and Papermaking Area Potluck Collating Dinner.

Etching / PRT 4008

This is a course for beginning students seeking thorough exposure to the possibilities the medium has to offer, and for intermediate to advanced students who wish to explore etching in greater depth. In addition to the basics of hard ground, soft ground, and aquatint, there will be demonstrations of sugar lift, white ground, chine collé, multiple-plate color printing and registration, color viscosity printing, photo etching, and relief etching techniques. You are encouraged to bring into class ideas you are interested in pursuing. Students unsure of their choice of imagery will discover problems to work on through individual discussion in class with the instructor. Students are encouraged to register for both sections one and two of this course.

Lithography / PRT 4011

This course is for students interested in learning the varied methods and techniques of fine-art lithography. Students will work on lithographic limestone and aluminum plates and explore direct drawing, transfer images, and photo-collage methods. Demonstrations and lectures are an ongoing part of this course. There will be individual instruction and group discussions based on students' printed images. Advanced as well as beginning students are welcome.

The Big Print / PRT 4015

Large-format printmaking has its own peculiar challenges in terms of aesthetics, scaling the image, choice of materials, and the need for logistical and technical assistance. In this class you will discuss and develop your ideas with an eye for determining the appropriate format and medium (monotype, relief, intaglio, photo/digital processes) or a combination of formats and media. Whether poster or mural size, it is easier to produce your ideas in an intensive workshop setting with support. Through individual consultation, scheduled class critiques, and collaborative projects, attention will be given to your work both in and out of printmaking, so that the technical and conceptual strengths of print media can serve as an adjunct to your overall work. Class is limited to 10 students. No previous printmaking experience is required. The print studio will be available with a monitor in the afternoons for students who wish to continue working.

Mixed Media Screenprinting / PRT 4019

Screenprinting derives its imagery from the use of drawing, painting, and photographic appropriation. We will explore how to use screenprinting as a means of image transfer onto two-dimensional and three-dimensional surfaces such as paper, canvas, and wood. You will be encouraged to bring objects and materials that can be altered through the screenprint process. We will begin with drawing, painting, and collage demonstrations, and then move to the basics of screenprinting using hand, paper, and photographic stencil techniques. We will also look at the works of artists who use a mixed-media process in their work such as Jean-Michael Basquiat, Donald Baechler, Sigmar Polke, and Andy Warhol. Experimentation will be encouraged

Printmaking: Monotype / PRT 4020

Explore ways of creating the painterly print. You will use additive and subtractive techniques, gum arabic photocopy transfers, stencils, drawing with rollers, chine collé, and shaped plates in different combinations to serve the imagery or idea. In addition to traditional paper, we will use various materials such as cloth, wood veneer, metal, and mylar. We will explore drypoint and collograph, and also use a combination of printing inks, oil paint, and water-based color. The course explores the history of monotype, accompanied by trips to museums or artists' studios. We will conclude with the creation of a folio for the suite or series of prints created in class.

Relief Print / PRT 4044

The simplicity of woodcut and relief printmaking facilitates direct, intuitive involvement and allows for great flexibility in scale and individual approach. This may range from developing stark, powerful images in black and white to building rich, textural, and painterly images in color. We cover basic technical information on various woods for woodcut, lino and plastic blocks, inks, tools, paper, printing with and without a press, color, and options for multi-block and reduction prints. We will also explore wood and relief engraving, relief etching, and some possibilities for photo-relief.

Print Media Seminar / PRT 4052

The dialogue between the mechanically reproducible image and art making is ancient and constant, from the earliest stencils, to "classical" printmaking (intaglio, relief, litho), through photography and the digital image. We explore prints and print media relative to content in students' own work and in a historical context. Visit the world-class print collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Boston Public Library, Fogg Art Museum, Houghton Library, as well as other related points of interest in the Boston area. Discuss your work and ideas with the Print and Papermaking area visiting artists. The course consists of two independent but thematically related semesters; students may sign up for one or both. Previous printmaking experience is recommended but not required. This is not intended as a beginning-level course, but it is open to students at all levels from all areas of the School.

Screenprinting: The Whole Story / PRT 4062

This course enables students to explore some of the most current and innovative technology within the world of printmaking and screenprinting. Color separations, large-format printmaking, and the use of computer applications in the screenprinting process will form the heart of the course, which is devoted to exploring the breadth of screenprinting opportunities. We will also examine traditional screenprinting techniques in order to provide students with an understanding of the full spectrum of screenprinting approaches. No printmaking or computer experience is required. All are welcome

Printmaking Workshop / PRT 4099

Painterly Printmaking / PRT 4101

This course will focus on "painterly" methods of screenprinting while acquainting you with screenprinting's numerous techniques and approaches. Our objective will be to strengthen your personal color palette as well to emphasize personal expression using painterly screenprinting methods. We will also examine monoprinting and photographic and computer applications as integral technique options. This class is for beginning students as well as experienced printmakers.