TITLE: Suito and Printmaking

SUBJECT: Art - Printmaking

GRADE LEVEL: Art Level II

TEKS:

117.54 (1) perception (A & B) (2) creative expression / performance (A) (3) historical / cultural heritage (A) (4) response / evaluation (B)

OBJECTIVE:

Students will analyze the block prints of Kiyoshi Suito and discuss the appearance and techniques in block printing.

Students will create their own artwork using a reductive block process

MATERIALS:

• See images below
• Student examples (optional)
• Linoleum
• Lino cutters and handles
• Water soluble printing ink
• Brayers
• Printing paper
• Burnisher or Printing Press
• Iron (optional)
• Sharpening stone (optional)
• Colored markers or crayons
• Water bottle
• Photographs of Kiyoshi Suito's Woodcut Prints ( see images below)

Time Required: 2 1/2 to 3 weeks (12 to 15 class periods)

DISCUSSION:

Show the three examples of Suito's wood block prints to the students and use the following questions to examine the work.

1. What subjects are represented in each picture?
2. Are the images complex or simple?
3. How many colors are there in each picture?
4. Are the colors flat or do they have variation?
5. How is the composition organized?
6. Do you see any texture or patterns in the pictures?
   

ASSIGNMENT:

Create a reductive block in an edition of 5, using the woodcuts of Kiyoshi Suito as inspiration and instructive example.

Explanation of Reductive Block Print:

A reductive block print is a means of creating different images on the same block by a process of elimination. Because each cutting alters the printing image, the artist must have a clear idea in mind of the steps needed to produce the final print and must plan the cutting accordingly.

Any areas in the design that are to remain the color of the paper are cut from the block first, and the remaining areas are printed with the lightest color such as yellow. The entire edition must be printed with the yellow at this time. Next, the areas that are to remain yellow are cut from the block and the next darkest color is printed. Continue the process until all colors are completed. Because the colors are printed over each other, it is best to work from light to dark or more opaque (white and color with white added can appear very opaque and therefore used in a later cutting).

PROCEDURE:

• Plan your idea. Create at least three thumbnail sketches of ideas. Choose the best one and create a rough draft that is the same size as the linoleum. Critique the rough draft and make necessary corrections until you are satisfied with the drawing. Stress simplified shapes, use of space, and pattern.
• Make a Xerox copy(s) of the rough draft and plan the colors; decide on 4 to 5 colors to use in the print. (one color will be the color of the paper and the others will be ink). Make a color rough draft.
• Transfer the drawing from the rough draft to the linoleum with carbon paper and then trace the lines again on the linoleum with a sharpie marker. (Carbon lines will wear off before the project is complete)
• Fill in the first area to be cut (the color of the paper) with a sharpie marker to insure mistakes are not made in the cutting.
• Carve away this area, being careful to always cut away from your body and hand. (Heating the linoleum with an iron makes the cutting much easier and safer.)
• Ink the linoleum with the first and lightest color. Use the ink in a thin layer to prevent too much texture. Thick ink can be thinned by spraying it with a little water.
• Lay the inked linoleum on the paper and trace around the edges to register the print. Write top on both the paper and the back of the linoleum to insure the plate is turned the correct way for the remaining prints.
• Flip the linoleum over and apply pressure to the paper to transfer the ink. Lift the corners of the paper away from the linoleum to check the print. Add more ink if needed and continue pressing until you are satisfied with the transfer. Print the entire edition with this first color. (If the ink dries before you are finished printing it will tear the paper. Lightly mist the linoleum between prints.)
• Clean the linoleum after the printing is complete and allow it to dry.
• With a Sharpie marker, fill in the areas of the linoleum that will remain the color you just completed printing and carve that area away.
• Ink the linoleum with the second lightest color and place the linoleum on the paper aligning it with the registration marks. Print the edition following the instructions above. (It may become necessary to ink the linoleum a little thicker with each new color, because of the texture build-up).
• Follow the above steps until all colors are printed.
• Sign, title, and edition number the prints.

SUGGESTIONS:

• Sometimes textures left by accidentally or purposely inking and printing areas that were cut away can add interest to the print.
• Careful registration is important, but outlines left from the registration being slightly off can be a positive effect.
• Plan a full class period for each print. Do not start in the middle of the period or you will not be able to complete the edition. Have a backup project for the students to work on if they are waiting.

CLOSURE:

Place all the prints on the wall and critique the work.
Discuss what the students learned in the process and what they would do differently.
Did they enjoy the project?
What are they planning to do with the prints?
Do they have a better appreciation of printmaking techniques?

RESOURCES:

Read about Kiyoshi Suito
View page of Student Examples

Publications:
Katz, Elizabeth L., Lankford, E. Louis, Plank, Jan D. Themes and Foundations of Art. St. Paul: West, 1995. pp. 182-83. (Slide # 33 ancillary material).
Ragans, Rosalind. Art Talk. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe,1995., pp. 11-13.