What is a relief print?
Linocut & Woodcut Prints
What is Printmaking?
Printmaking is an artistic practice in which an artist draws, carves, etches or cuts an original design into a ‘matrix’ - a smooth surface, and then makes a print of that design by inking the surface and using pressure to transfer it onto paper. Traditional printmaking techniques include lithography, etching, serigraphy, linocut & woodcut, which use matrices of stone, copper, screen, artist’s linoleum and wood, respectively.
What is a Relief Print?
A relief print is an artwork created using a carving technique. The artist uses small knives and gouges to carve a design into a wooden board, sheet of plywood, or artist’s linoleum, and then applies thick ink onto the surface and, using pressure, transfers the design onto paper. The design is transferred either using a burnishing technique, or using a manual mechanical printing press. The carved matrix is usually inked and printed multiple times to create an edition of prints.
What is a Print?
The prints presented on my website are, as described, original artworks.
In the contemporary world, the word print can refer to many things: a document is printed from a computer; books and magazines are printed. Also, digital or offset prints of artwork, often labeled 'archival inkjet print,' 'Giclée print' or 'pigment print' can be produced at high volume. These are reproductions and should not be confused with artist’s prints. Artist's prints are created by an artist’s hand.