Printmaking Terminology — obvious to obscure

 

Print - A single piece of paper upon which an image has been printed from a block or other matrix.
Edition - An edition of a print includes all the impressions (on paper) published at the same time or as part of the same publishing event.
Relief - An image printed from a design raised above the level of the rest of the block. Usually the areas of a block's surface not meant to be printed are cut away (lowered) with chisels or knives, leaving the surface raised with the design to be printed.
Proof - An impression of a print made prior to the final published edition, allowing the artist to see what work still needs to be done to the block(s).
Provenance - The history of a print, including when it was purchased and by whom, and also where it has been exhibited. Provenance in older pieces often becomes hard to establish.
Key Block - The block, also called a master block, that carries the full image design and is used to print an outline of the image onto any other blocks needed to print additional colors for the image.

Excerpts from Collecting Prints, by Leila Lyons, Random House, 2006.

 

For Collectors: What is an original print?

 

First, it's important to understand what an original print is not. It is not in any way a reproduction or copy of another work of art. An “original print” is the artist’s conception of a unique idea printed during the artist’s lifetime, on paper or similar material employing one of a number of processes.

From start to finish, an original print is under the control of the artist. He or she chooses the subject, the technique, the printing process, and controls the quality of the impression on paper and the number of prints in the edition to be printed.

If the print is pulled after the artist’s death, the print is no longer an original print but rather, a restrike. Restrikes are invariably inferior because they are not printed by the artist or under the artist’s supervision.

Second, an original print is usually not one of a kind (except for mono prints) but rather one of a series (an edition) of nearly identical images. Since there is more than one impression of each print, “original’ does not mean “unique.” But while the basic image remains the same, the condition and clarity can be markedly different from impression to impression.

Third, not everything that has the label of original print is actually an original print. Caveat emptor - buyer beware. Many times a reproduction print will be represented as, or mistaken for, an original print. Ask for a gallery or dealer to give you written documentation on the authenticity of the print. Any reputable dealer will provide detailed information about your purchase and will stand behind their inventory. As you become more familiar with prints, you will be comfortable identifying the processes, papers, and coloring of original prints.

Excerpts taken from Collecting Prints, by Leila Lyons, Random House, 2006.

 

Way of the Mountain

 
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Just after light snow in early autumn on Lone Peak at Big Sky, Montana, Way of the Mountain is a reduction  woodblock print pulled from a single block of basswood; printed on Somerset paper with oil-based inks.

Reduction woodcut; 6.0″ x  8.5″
Edition of 25

 

Sherwood Point Lighthouse

 
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Sherwood Point Lighthouse, built in 1883, was one of the last maintained lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Located in Lake Michigan near Sturgeon Bay and Door County, it stands on a point about 60 feet above the water. The lighthouse was automated in 1983, one of the last of the Great Lakes lighthouses to be automated.

Multi-block woodcut; 6" x 8"
Edition of 44

 

Point Betsie Lighthouse

 

Point Betsie Light stands on the northeast shoreline of Lake Michigan, near the entrance to the Manitou Passage. Construction was finished on it in 1858 and it began service the following year. It was automated in 1983, and along with Sherwood Point Light, one of the last to be automated.

Multi-block woodcut; 6" x 8"
Edition of 40

 

Light of the Rock

 
 

A view of Split Rock Lighthouse on the north shore of Lake Superior. One of the infamous ‘Gales of November’ back in 1905 wrecked or sunk almost 30 ships and spurred the construction of this iconic lighthouse. It’s one of the most photographed places in Minnesota.

The lighthouse was commissioned in 1910 and became part of Split Rock Lighthouse State Park in 1971. In 2011 it received designation as a National Historic Landmark.

Woodcut with watercolor; 3.5" x 5.5"
Edition of 50

 

Lime Kiln Point State Park

 

Lime Kiln Point State Park is one of the best land-based whale watching spots in the world. On the western edge of Washington State’s San Juan Island, and the Haro Strait which separates the San Juan Islands from Vancouver Island, it’s possible to see Orcas, Gray, Humpback, Minke whales, and Porpoises.

This is a woodblock print of Lime Kiln Lighthouse looking out at Haro Strait.

Original woodblock print; 6”x 8”
Edition of 50

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The cherry-wood block I carved and used for printing Lime Kiln Point State Park. 6”x 8”.