INSTRUCTOR: FAITH MCCLURE

SPRING SEMESTER 2012
404.441.5568
CLASS RM: 454-AH
faithmcclure@gmail.com

INTRO TO PRINTMAKING - DPP 3050

SYLLABUS
COURSE NO. CRN 15647
HRS: T-TH, 5:20-8:20pm
Office hours by appointment

PROCEDURE AND REQUIREMENTS:

1. Each student is expected to be present for all scheduled class meetings. Additionally, students should be on time for class, and remain until the end of each class session.

2. All projects must be completed on time. No exceptions. Each late project will be lowered by one-half letter grade for every 24 hours that it is late.

3. Printmaking is an elaborate process and REQUIRES studio time OUTSIDE OF CLASS. You should expect to spend a minimum of four hours per week outside of class if you want to do well in this class. Do not take this class if you are looking for an easy grade. Art is hard.

4. CRITIQUE: A successful learning environment is supported by active dialogue between everyone in the class. Everyone has something valuable to say. Each person is expected to participate in class discussions and critiques—even if your work is not complete. You can still participate in the discussion, learn from others and receive an in-process critique of your work. A work not presented for critique is considered late and will automatically be marked down one letter grade.

5. Only three absences (excused or unexcused) will be allowed for this course without consequences to your grade. After three absences, your overall grade will be lowered ½ letter for each subsequent absence. A total of 8 or more absences for any reason will result in either failure or an incomplete grade for this course.

6. Each problem is designed to challenge your imagination and experience level regardless of your artistic background. If you have more experience, then more is naturally expected from you. This is taken into account when grading.

7. TARDYNESS: Each time a student is late to class by 20 minutes or more, they will be considered tardy. Because of the disruptive nature of this conduct, each two times a student is tardy will be marked as the equivalent of one absence. Students should not leave class early even to do research without instructor permission.

8. Office hours will be announced in class and may vary from week to week depending on students needs. Office hours will take place in the printmaking room (since I don’t have an office on campus). I suggest contacting me ahead of time via email if you would like to set up an appointment for any reason. More than likely, appointment times will be scheduled just before or just after class.

9. COMMUNICATE WITH INSTRUCTOR! If you find yourself unable to meet expectations or requirements for this course due to a serious personal matter (health, disability, domestic issues), it is in your BEST interest to communicate with the instructor as soon as possible. I’m happy to work with students on an individual basis should circumstances arise that are disruptive to coursework.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students will learn a range of concepts, techniques, vocabulary and history of printmaking through demonstrations, lectures, personal research and hands-on experience. Included will be Etching, Dry-point, Aquatint, and Monoprint techniques as well as various image transfer strategies. While this course entails learning a range of technical processes, the evolvement and development of personal imagery is an equally important component of this class.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY

A. ASSIGNMENTS: Assignments will be given in relation to the concepts, techniques and history of various printmaking processes that will be presented through lectures and demonstrations by the instructor. In addition to the range of technical processes presented within this course, students are also expected to further cultivate and develop their overall artistic vision, both technically through printmaking processes and conceptually through the evolution of imagery explored via individual creative problem-solving during class projects. We will discuss your artistic ideas both as a class and in one-on-one conversations.

A majority of the assignments for this course require that you complete preliminary studies for some of your ideas through drawing (idea sketches and compositional studies). Each student will be required to have some sort of regular sketchbook.

B. SAFETY AND SHOP MAINTENANCE:

SAFTEY: Your safety is a primary concern within this course and safety precautions introduced for this course must be observed. THEY ARE NOT OPTIONAL. You will receive an in-depth safety handout which you are expected to study carefully. These safety concerns go beyond adherence to correct (safe) procedures for working with toxic materials such as solvents, dilute nitric acid and rosin dust.

SHOP MAINTENANCE: Proper use of tools and equipment is another safety concern for yourself and those around you. You are also required to help maintain a clean and workable shop. This responsibility demands that you respect shop equipment and do a thorough job of cleaning up after yourself at the end of each work session. Poor adherence to safety and maintenance standards can effect your grade adversely and in an extreme case can result in your being dropped from this course.

CLEANUP REQUIREMENT: If the printmaking studio should become disorderly and in need of cleaning, we will work together to put the room in order. All students are required to participate in these cleaning and organizing activities. A major cleanup is scheduled for the end of the semester.

Do not remove tools, ink or equipment from the print shop!!!!!!!!!!

C. CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: Because we will all be working in a small, shared studio space, it is in the best interest of everyone in the class to refrain from tending to personal matters (non-assignment-related internet surfing, telephone calls, visitors, etc.) during class time. This can be enormously distracting. If you are on the phone in class, you will be asked to step outside. Also, music is permitted during class time, but should be sensitive to the tastes and volume preferences of others in the room.

D. EVALUATION (GRADING):

Plus and minus grading will be utilized in awarding final grades for this course. The following quality points will be used to calculate GPAs (this is set by the Board of Regents and not open to change): A+4.30 A 4.00 A-3.70 B+3.30 B 3.00 B- 2.70 C+2.30 C 2.00
C- 1.70 D 1.00 F 0.00 WF 0.00

A’s will be awarded only for outstanding work. B’s will be assigned when work clearly goes beyond the minimal requirements of the assignment. C’s will be assigned when the work meets the minimum requirements. D’s and F’s will be given when work does not fulfill the assignment and is below the expected standards of collegiate competence. Grades will reflect attendance, completion of all projects on time, participation (discussion & critiques), cooperation in communication, shop etiquette (clean-up), seriousness in approach (overall effort), quality of work done, understanding of concepts and applications, and growth and interest manifested in creative work. Any homework assignments, sketchbook assignments and readings will also constitute part of the student’s grade.

DEADLINES: Projects turned in late will be counted off ½ letter grade for every 24 hours past the initial deadline. Most projects will be due at the beginning of class (5:30pm).

COURSE GRADE BREAKDOWN:

20% PROJECT 1 DRY-POINT & LINE ETCH

20% PROJECT 2 AQUATINT & SOFTGROUND

20% PROJECT 3 MONOTYPE AND ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES

20% PROJECT 4 OPEN PROJECT/COMBINATION PROCESS

The final project will allow students to utilize any of the techniques and/or combination of techniques they have learned within this course. Students are encouraged to be creative, resourceful and innovative in their creative strategies and problem-solving. Mixed-media, large-scale, conceptual, and/or installation work is welcomed.

10% SKETCHBOOK
10% PARTICIPATION (Critique, Clean-up, Safety)

NOTE ON PARTICIPATION: If there are glaring problems in your participation in this course, it may affect your grade up to 25% or result in your expulsion from the course. Participation is a requirement of this course and is especially important as concerns adherence to prescribed safety procedures proper equipment care, proper room maintenance (clean-up) and involvement in critique.

Work is due in time for each critique. A status report and project grade will be issued after each critique giving students a general idea of how they are fairing within the course.

Remember that although I am expecting each of you to achieve varying degrees of technical mastery within this course, no amount of technical mastery alone would earn a student an “A” for this course. The quality and seriousness of your effort to discover and/or meet your art making (aesthetic) goals is of equal importance. There is no time like the present to begin considering some of the following questions:

What is the impetus being your work?
What kinds of ideas, concepts, influences, emotions, etc. fuel your work?
What formal (design/composition) considerations might help strengthen your work?

It is important to show up for, have work prepared for, and interact within both course and individual critiques. Issues discussed during critiques would include content, intent, audience, composition, concept, and form as they relate to the work. In addition, remember that cooperation, participation, and communication are important to everyone’s learning within a classroom situation.

TEXT AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS:

TEXT: Not required this semester. Library and in class reference materials. Slides lectures. Supplementary handouts. Suggested reading: THE COMPLETE PRINTMAKER by Ross and Romano. Collier, Macmillan Publishers, London. ISBN: 0-02-9273-72-2 (Pbk.) Order the latest edition if possible.

HONESTY POLICY:
The Georgia State University policy on academic honesty is available to all members of the
GSU community. It is published in section 409 of the Faculty Affairs Handbook and in the GSU publication On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook. The University Honesty Policy states that certain acts of academic dishonesty might result in your failing a course. Examples of academic dishonesty include cheating on a course test; turning in another persons work for a course while alleging that it is your own and submitting the same work to meet the requirements for more than one course, unless previously authorized through consultation between the instructors involved.

SHARED SUPPLIES FEE:
This fee is automatically charged to your registration fees when you enroll in this course. Newsprint, cleaning rags, etching inks, lithography inks screenprint inks, solvents, oils, cleaning products, and etching grounds are examples of some of the dozens of items purchased by the instructor and paid for by the students through their shared supplies fees. For a technical class such as this the sharing of these many items can actually save each student several hundred dollars.

COURSE SUPPLIES:
Students will need to purchase those items proceeded by an *. Other listed items will be optional. Students may share some items (e.g. Tape, canola oil etc.) if they wish. As they may be easily damaged, etching and linocut tools are best not shared. Please come to class with all of the materials needed for that day’s work.

Note: Start by purchasing two or more sheets of Rives BFK. This paper comes in white buff, gray and tan colors. I will introduce a number of other paper choices to you in class.
 
ETCHING (INTAGLIO)
* Printmaking paper (Rives BFK, Arches)
* Etching plate (we will discuss sizes in class)
* Rubber gloves, such as Playtex (to be worn while etching)
* Dust Mask (must be worn for rosin aquatinting)
* Etching needle, or biology needle
* Twisted scribe (drypoint needle)
* Burnisher
* Sketchbook
* Two watercolor brushes (one small 1/16” and one medium 1/4”)
* BFK Rives paper (two or more 22" x 30" sheets)
* Colored pencils, watercolors and/or pastels for working on sketches.
* Very Small Brush for detail etching and medium brush for coverage

Items listed below for etching are recommended but not required.
  Scraper
Masking or electrical tape
Lithography crayon #3
Apron
Standard tarlatan (2 yds.)

MONOPRINT SUPPLIES:
WAIT TO PURCHASE UNTIL WE DISCUSS MONOPRINT PROJECT, AS MATERIALS CAN VARY GREATLY DEPENDING ON THE PROCESS YOU CHOOSE

IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO PURCHASE YOUR OWN PLEXIGLASS
• 8” X 10”(at least) Plexiglas sheet (purchasable at most hardware stores: Home Depot, Lowes, etc)

OTHER MONOPRINTING MATERIALS CAN INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
• DRAWING TOOLS: Paintbrushes (all sizes & textures), foam brushes, small pieces of mat board, sticks, rollers, cloth, paper towels, gloved hands etc.
• Acetate, wax paper, aluminum foil, fabric and other texture/stencil making materials
• PIGMENTS & MEDIUMS: Oil paint, Printing inks, Mineral spirits (solvent & thinner), Linseed or plate oil for thinning, powdered magnesium (to stiffen ink). Except for oil paint, these are all provided.
• PAPERS: Etching papers (Arches, Rives etc.), Oriental papers (especially for hand rubbing).

Other printmaking papers include the following:
Rives Heavyweight, Domestic Etching, Arches Cover, Lana Gravure, German Etching, Fabriano Murillo, Copperplate (lightly sized), Lana Royal, Magnani Italia, Fabriano Tiepolo, Fabriano, Rosapina Heavyweight, Hosho etc.

WHERE TO BUY ITEMS:
Utrecht (screen ink and ass’t supplies) Located at 878 Peachtree at 7th St. 404-347-9119
Most of the materials you will need for this course are available at Utrecht.
Dick Blick (woodcut tools, screen inks, ass’t art supplies) 770-939-5719, Sam Flax (paper, ass’t art supplies) 404-352-7200, Binders (paper, ass’t art supplies) 404-233-5434, Just For Fun (etching tools) 770-455-1871, 770-451-8238, Office Depot (wood, razor & putty knives, dust mask, etc.) various locations around town, Kmart, MacFrugals, Big Lots are all good for items (contact paper, scissors, etc.), Drug Emporium and other drug stores (disposable latex gloves, wintergreen oil, Q-tips)
Printmaking supplies are also available by mail order: Graphic Chemical and Ink Company (best source of intaglio tools) 1-800-465-7382, Rembrandt Graphic Arts 1-800-622-1887, Daniel Smith 1-800-426-6740, Light Impressions (archival materials) 1-800-828-6216, Metropolitan Picture Framing (museum quality plain wood frames) 1-800-626-3139.

PARTIAL SOURCE: MATTHEW SUGARMAN