art print introduction / original art print or engraving / etching, aquatint, serigraphy, lithography. the art print method / art in edition and limited art print. traditional art

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- Art Edition history - nlln

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Painting on canvas is a traditional form of artistic expression. However, in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, renowned artists in Europe were seeking a new art form that would give their works a more modern feel. And so Art Printmaking was born.

Now recognized for their excellence, limited edition art prints are to be seen on walls the world over. Whether on the part of museums, foundations, or private collectors, the desire to acquire fine art prints (etchings) never cease to grow.

An original art print or engraving is a unique creation, directly engraved and completed by the artist himself on a chosen surface (stone, copper, wood).

The next stage is the production of a very few limited editions, all of them numbered. The surface is manually inked and the works printed, one by one, on different sheets of paper using a press. The uniqueness of the piece comes from the fact that this manual process makes all the prints slightly different.

Following creation, the artist always signs and numbers each of his art prints. This stage enables the artist to verify the quality of his work and to ensure the genuine exclusiveness of each print.

While many art prints are distributed worldwide to museums or galleries, a few prints or engravings are reserved for the artist himself (artist’s proofs AP) and are recognizable by a number system different from the rest of the edition (EA, AP or HC), or they are not numbered at all which makes the art piece even more collectable!

While the overall method of creating art prints appeared fairly standard, artists such as Picasso with his wonderful, high-quality lithographs and engravings, Soulages, Miro, Indiana, Dali, Vasarely and other masters of Print Art, offered variations to the process that created unique results. The various methods are described below:

- The Art Print methods -

LITHOGRAPHY
The technique of lithography is based on the incompatibility between water and the oil contained in lithographic ink. With this technique there is no engraving, the artist draws with crayons and lithographic inks on stone or copper, then a chemical preparation fixes the original drawing to the stone. Lithographs require as many stones as there are colours. The whole surface of the stone is covered with water which is absorbed into the stone except in the areas covered in ink. Then an ink roller is rolled over it, the ink is repulsed by the water, absorbed in the areas drawn or painted by the artist, finally the lithograp is created by pressing a paper on the stone.

SERIGRAPHY
A stencil method of printmaking in which an image is imposed on a screen of silk, with blank areas covered with an impermeable substance, then the ink is forced throught the mesh on the printing surface. Also called silkscreen process.

AQUATINT
This process is used to obtain a wash drawing effect. The plate is covered with grains of resin that are heated, they will therefore fuse together but not homogeneously, then empty areas will remain between the melted grains. The metal plate is then dipped into acid and will be eroded in the uncoated areas. This process is repeated about 20 times until the darkness wanted is reached.

ENGRAVING
A method of cutting or incising a picture on metal. A print can then be made by inking the engraved surface.

ETCHING
A needle is used to draw on wax applied over a metal piece. The metal is then submerged in a series of acid baths. The metal piece is removed, ink is forced into the etched depressions, the non-etched surfaces wiped and an impression is printed.

THE SIGNATURE
In modern printing, it is common for an artist to sign every edition taken from a print.
This stage of the process permits the artist to examine the quality of the work undertaken and to eliminate any work that doesn’t entirely satisfies him.
In some cases the artist will sign on the actual plate that is used to print the works. On the other hand it is possible to find works that have never been signed.

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the artist and the print has been a long story for many years. This art print making is an art method which has been printed by all art masters XX century