Whenever I tell someone what my 6th-period class is, their initial reactions are “Wait, LHS has a Printmaking class?” and “What is Printmaking?” To that I say, Printmaking is an elective art class taught by Mrs. Newland offered by LHS, and it happens to have been a favorite of mine throughout my final first semester. 

What is Printmaking?

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, Printmaking is defined as “the process of creating pictures or designs by printing them from specifically prepared plates or blocks.” 

Printmaking is a versatile art that you might not think of straight away, but has been utilized as a creative medium for centuries, and done in famous pieces such as “The Great Wave of Kanagawa” by Hokusai, and Andy Warhol’s “Marilyn Monroe.” 

Printmaking also has endless possibilities and can be done with many different materials such as wood, styrofoam, metal, and rubber. The many forms include etching, engraving, woodcut, lithography, and screenprinting. In fact, it is an art most people use every day without realizing it. Vintage newspaper printing presses and modern-day inkjet printers are forms of printmaking. 

What is LHS’s Printmaking Class Like?

Being one of only 9 students in my particular class, I can say for certain that it has been a highlight of my day. Printmaking is very relaxing and freeing, the type of printmaking and a general idea is assigned for each project, however, you’re free to come up with your design and concepts. It is certainly not an art form you will get bored with, as there are many different methods employed one requires you to roll paint on jelly blocks, another your making marks into styrofoam, and another you carve a design into rubber blocks the act of printing itself is nearly the same but the process leading up to that point is far from repetitive. 

I also must say that the relaxing vibe and creative flexibility offered by Printmaking has very much been a major distressing outlet for me this year. I truly believe that this class has afforded me much mental clarity and prevented me from pulling out my hair on numerous occasions.

An Interview With Mrs. Newland

It is a half day and the last time I had with Mrs. Newland as a teacher for Printmaking, what better would it have been to ask her some questions I had around the class? Mrs. Newland has been a teacher for LHS since 2003. She told me how she first got into Printmaking in 8th grade through her art teacher Ms. Christie. She then told me she further explored it in high school, and then further running with it in college, and graduate school. She began instructing Printmaking as a class around the 2012-13 academic year. Even though my class was small, Mrs. Newland stated she has seen her printmaking class sizes vary widely over the years, with classes as small as mine with around 9 students and classes as large as 22 students. However she also told me and to the class throughout the semester in her class, that Printmaking has been very popular with the students who have chosen to take it. This is very much true for my class, with multiple underclassmen requesting an Honors Printmaking is instated to allow them to repeat the course with her. 

Why Should You Take Printmaking?

If you are artistically inclined and enjoy relieving the stress applied by your academic classes then just like any other Art class, Printmaking is the perfect escape. Printmaking may not be widely known around the school and may be an elective just given to you, but it is the perfect way to explore Art in an entirely different form, and who knows it could become a passion you hold so closely you continue pursuing it as a hobby or as a part of your future career.