Learn the basic techniques of lino, collagraph, dry-point and monoprint, then experiment with each medium and ways of combining them. Methods and examples of hybrid prints will be shown and demonstrated to give you ideas and an understanding of technique.
Printing by hand and with the press will be taught. The technical pros and cons of both will be discussed, enabling you to move forward with the knowledge of when to use each of these methods in your work.
Use of colour and monochrome will be demonstrated, with lots of tips on how to mix your own colours to help you experiment further with your printmaking.
Over the six days, you will make a range of unique prints, each one individual, as you will not be working with editioning. You will be stopping at regular intervals to see what everyone else is working on, so that you may learn and understand from each other. Your tutor will help with the discussions to encourage confidence in talking about your work as, with printmaking, collaboration is as important as individual practice. Throughout the course, there will also be a few surprise and fun projects to keep you engaged and challenged using the methods explored.
By the end of the course, you will have a wide knowledge of how to combine two to five different print techniques on the same image. You will have a basic technical knowledge of printing, including printing by hand and when to use a press. You will also have the confidence to experiment within print, seeing technical challenges not as boundaries, but, instead, as rules to be broken. You will also have explored your own preconceptions and boundaries in your work, and challenged yourself artistically to allow for a beautiful freedom of expression.
Summer School Highlights
The Summer School week is an immersive learning experience with more time to develop your creativity and embrace opportunities for creative development beyond your chosen course. A detailed timetable for your Summer School week will be given to you on arrival. This will include:
- Short inspirational talks by tutors and displays of their work
- A short creative experience session in another discipline/media or course
- An optional evening at the Chichester Festival Theatre (discounted if pre-booked through West Dean)
- An optional lunchtime tour of West Dean Gardens, the historic rooms at West Dean College, or West Dean Tapestry Studio
- A celebration dinner on the last evening themed on Fantasy and Myth. Feel free to respond to the theme if you wish
- Informal end-of-course group reviews and displays of students' work in studios
All lunches and evening meals are provided for residential and non-residential students during summer school due to planned activities/events in the early evenings.