Print Making

1.   Describe the overall composition of your artwork (balance, unity, rhythm and movement).

I used larger areas of pink at the top to balance out the larger areas of white at the bottom. I used thick, curved lines for the tree branches at the top to balance out the thinner, straight lines at the bottom of the print. I used negative and positive space by using the positive space to draw attention to the negative space.

2.     How did you add texture and contrast to your print? Is this important? Why?

I added texture by carving out the lines, spots, whiskers, and features (eyes, mouth, nose) on the cheetah's face. I also carved out short, thin lines, close together, to give the illusion of fur around the cheetah's face. I added contrast to the print by carving out the cheetah, the grass, and the tree branches and leaves to make them stand out from the ink.

3.     Explain how you used positive and negative space to show your image.

The positive space contrasts against the negative space to create the image of the cheetah, the branches, and the grass. There is more positive space on the top, which balances out the negative space on the bottom.

4.     Describe the craftsmanship of your print. (How good the project is technically crafted)

The craftsmanship isn't perfect, but I worked really hard on my print and did the best I could. The image carved on the linoleum looked good, but it didn't turn out the same way on the final print. Some of the ink smudged on the leaves and some of the shapes, like the grass, didn't turn out the way I had planned.

5.     Were you able to achieve depth by showing a foreground, middle ground and back- ground? Explain.

There isn't much distinction between the foreground, middlegorund and background. The cheetah is supposed to be the foreground, the grass the middleground, and the tree branches the background. However, this idea is lost since the thick, curved lines of the branches make the branches dominate the print.

6.     Explain your experience with Printmaking. What were the obstacles and advantages?

Drawing the cheetah in my sketchbook was difficult because I had trouble penciling in all the little details on the fur and the face. Once I was able to do that, I was able to enjoy the rest of the process. It was fun carving out the outline on the linoleum, though carving out the small details, like the leaves and the spots ont the cheetah, did take time and patience. Rolling the ink onto the linoleum was fun, but getting the print onto the paper was tricky. The ink kept smudging and the first few tries, I couldn't get the print within the registration lines. However, I did get better at it, and the final print turned out pretty good, even if the ink still smudged a little at the top.