Hi everyone,

GLee · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 5

Hi everyone,

I am a first year student in NAS going onto second year. I need to make a decision in what to choose as a major for 2nd and 3rd year and have a dilemma between painting and printmaking. I know that it's not a be all, end all and that I can continue practising both but I'm uncertain as to which is best to major in first and at this school. Does anyone have any practical advice or comments to why they personally use the art form of printmaking as their medium of expression?

Thanks heaps.

Chrissy D · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 1053 Location: Queensland

Hello. I am much the same thinking as you. I love both painting and printmaking. I am trying to find a way I can incorporate both into my work.

However my suggestion would be, as its a Major, go with what you know most of and feel the most comfortable with (not unless you want to challange yourself). Just remember you will be under alot of stress, so you don't want to be panicking too much if something won't work out.

Be aware of availability of resources/materials. For instance, our printmaking studio can only be assessed on the day our class is running. So If you need to use a press etc on the day you don't have your printmaking class, can you assess it? Paintings are much easier to just take to and from places than setting up your printmaking stuff.

Also its time too. For instance do you work with Oil paints or Acrylics? And the same with printmaking? Which one will allow you to work faster and without delays???

I personally am a Lino person. I have recently just done a colour reduction block with 5 colours. Now to carve out and print a colour, thats a day or two. Depending on how complex I will make the colour, if I do more than one at once, and if I have to carve out at home.

Plus how many prints would you have to do including "practice" and edition? For me I have done 30prints all up. Taking about 6-8 weeks (1 day) of actual in-class time. That has only allowed me to do 1 artwork.

So give us a bit more info. What does your Major assessment required you to do quantity and timewise? What is your painting style/subject matter/medium like and what printmaking method would you do? Hope this helps and gets you thinking.

Chrissy

GLee · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 5

Thanks heaps for your reply.

THe 2nd year involves mainly learning techniques of lithography, intaglio, monoprint, screenprinting and then doing a bit of our own thing towards 2nd year and then 3rd year is when we can choose our medium and ideas etc. In regards to studio hours we are expected to be in class 4 days a week 9-4:30pm, one week day for art history. The facilities are available 9 am to 9pm weekdays and half day on Saturday. It only has one strand so maximum of 15 students are accepted in this major.

Painting has 3 strands so around 45 students are accepted. Compulsory studio hours are the same with each student having their studio space available 9-9pm weekdays and half day on Saturdays. 2nd year involves doing exercises given by our painting lecturers as well as own study. I think the medium is oil painting first.

I was thinking that by doing printmaking, it can improve my skill in drawing and also improve my way of 'seeing' which could feed into painting which I could do at home.

I'm thinking I may be trying to think too practically of what I can best learn from the school than what medium I want to use. .. Am I being too practical?

KimO · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 1470

I'd go with what you intend to be doing most of. I majored in painting & minored in printmaking & felt I learned a lot & all I needed doing printing as a minor. For me, printmaking was very straightforward - you chose a project, and it was more about learning the processes. Interesting but the only time I've done any printing since was taking another class in woodcuts - very time consuming but I enjoyed it. If you really love & are fascinated by the processes, I'm sure you could get really into it. But I was more interested in getting down what I wanted to say as directly as possible and painting is so subtle & individual that I needed to do this as a major to even begin to get a handle on it & I think it will always be an ongoing challenge. I think the more you paint & the more directly you do it, the better you see & the seeing improves your drawing as well. If you predominantly want to be a painter, I'd go with painting. Good luck with it Very Happy

GLee · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 5

Thank you for your invaluable advice. What you have said really clarified a lot of things for me. Much appreciated. Very Happy

belle · Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: Newcastle

I'm the same as KimO. We had to choose two electives from painting, drawing, sculpture and photography. I always intended to be a painter and printmaking was similar in the image making. Because I am a mature age student I wanted to be able to do my choice at home without too much heavy lifting. I enjoyed printmaking but am not the sort of person to do editions. I prefer to be experimental. Fortunately my teachers were OK with that although they were amused at how painterly my prints were! We are lucky there is a printmakers society here where you can access all the gear but there is nothing like being able to just walk into studio to paint.