What Is a Print?

Woodcut:
An example of woodcut is Anxiety (1896) by Edvard Munch. I selected this work because its emotional connectivity stood out to me. I immediately noticed the overwhelming black ink and unsmiling expressions of the figures. This created an overall gloomy and dark scene, one that depicted a trail of people on an involuntary journey. Anxiety is a good example of woodcutting because in the white spaces, there are marks that might resemble being made by gouging and carving done with an instrument.

Etching:
An example of etching is Death Chasing the Flock of Mortals (1896) by James Ensor. I selected this work because of its incredible details. When I saw it, it was hard to believe that it was a print. Just about every space of the paper is filled up with ink. The reason this print is a good example of etching is because the details seen. Etching makes it possible to create print with such thin and specific lines. Other techniques like woodcut would make it extremely difficult to make such controlled lines. However, etching can essentially be treated as drawing or sketching.

Lithograph:
 An example of lithography is Untitled (1960) by Willem de Kooning. I selected the work because I thought it was unique in showing almost brush-like strokes. It seems so much like a painting, but in reality it was done by printmaking. Specifically lithography, in which designs are drawn with a greasy crayon, then set with a chemical wash and dampened with water, and finally oil-based ink is applied and the image is pressed onto paper. The fact that the technique involves the resistance of water and oil makes this print a great example. There are beads and other marks on the print that appear like the beads or streaks that form when you mingle oil with water.

Screen-printing:
An example of screen-printing is Love (1967) by Robert Indiana. I selected this work because it was so colorful that it caught my attention immediately. It's a great example of screen-printing because the clean-cut lines of the work really showcase the technique of stenciling used in this style of printmaking. The boldness of the design and colors are also characteristic to screen-printing.