Photolithography is a technique perfect for anyone interested in photography or drawing in printmaking. This course will cover a range of possibilities to transform photographs, digital creations, or drawn material into richly detailed lithographs. Participants will learn to process a photosensitive plate, exposing it to light to develop a printable image.

This course is suitable for all levels with no prior experience needed.

Want to learn more about the world of printmaking? 

If you want to give it a go but have no idea where to start, this workshop is for you! You will get a hands-on taste of FOUR unique techniques, including screen printing, drypoint, linocut, and typesetting on a Nolan Proof Press.  Come away with four unique prints! This course is a perfect choice for those beginning in print or want to dabble in different techniques as a lead-up for taking further courses that Alberta Printmakers offers. 

This workshop is for folks who are 18 years of age or older. 

No experience necessary and all supplies are provided. 

This beginner- level course introduces participants to the fundamentals of hand papermaking, from fibre preparation to forming and drying finished sheets. Working primarily with cotton pulp, students will learn the basic tools, materials, and techniques used to make paper by hand, including vat setup, mould and deckle use, sheet forming, couching, and drying. Emphasis is placed on understanding paper as a material through direct, hands-on experience. No prior experience is required, and the course is suitable for artists, printmakers, book artists, and anyone interested in learning how to make paper by hand.

Decorative techniques such as laminating, shaped sheets, and inclusions will also be introduced, and participants are encouraged to bring found materials to experiment with. A basic Nepalese-style deckle box will be covered which allows for individual pulls of different coloured pulp, combinations of fibres, and the incorporation of found materials within a single sheet.

Because papermaking is a wet process, participants should wear closed-toe shoes that can get wet and clothing that may get wet. Small amounts of water may be present on the floor, so participants are asked to move carefully to avoid slipping.

This intro class to the reduction woodcut technique will teach the basics of the process over the course of two classes.

The reduction process is one way of introducing colour into the relief printing process without the necessity of having multiple blocks. Students will be instructed on ways of designing imagery for reduction printing, useful approaches to the carving process, the use of a registration jig, and finally the setting of the press and printing. 

Participants should leave the workshop with a small edition of reduction prints designed and printed by themselves as well as a good foundation in the technique to allow them to continue with their own personal explorations.

Some prior experience with relief printmaking (linocut or woodcut) is an advantage to taking this workshop but is not a necessity.

This workshop introduces participants to the technique of chine collé – a paper laminating technique specific to printmaking used to create spatial, material, and visual separation in printed works. 

Over the course of a six-hour workshop, participants will be shown various approaches to chine collé and will be given ample opportunity to actively practice, play, and experiment with the technique through a series of prescribed and self-determined exercises.

Participants should leave the workshop with a portfolio of chine collé experiments and a good foundation in the technique to allow for continued personal exploration. 

Experience and understanding of basic printmaking is highly recommended for those interested in taking this workshop, though it is not a necessity due to the technique being very accessible to all. Artists, printmakers, and creators working in collage, installation, colour, and experimental print may find interest in this technique which is easily adaptable to individual ways of making.