Throughout history, artists have used symbols as stand-ins to represent stories, communicate ideas, or allude to hidden meanings. Imagery such as birds, flowers, and insects carry specific connotations that add layers of meaning to artwork. This course will delve into the use of such symbols in art, and explore how personal experiences as well as historical or cultural context can inform meaning.

Using photo and aluminum plate lithography, students will develop their own symbology and exercise their critical thinking skills during the printmaking process. Classes will include brief introductions of historical examples of symbolism in art to serve as inspiration, followed by demonstrations of technical aspects of the lithographic printmaking process. Over the span of the course, students will be expected to complete two studio projects based on each lithographic process, as well as a final assignment synthesizing technique and concept. Individual and group critiques will be used to help develop each student’s ideas and technical skills.

By the end of the course students will be able to transfer and print both hand-drawn and photographic imagery using photoplate and aluminum plate lithography techniques. They will also have developed their own visual language and symbol vocabulary, be able to articulate their ideas clearly, and have gained a deeper understanding of symbolism in art.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $150.00

Elective

This course offers an introduction to intaglio printmaking techniques and explores the medium of storytelling as a narrative art form. Students will develop both technical and conceptual skills as they learn traditional intaglio processes, including Drypoint, Etching, and Aquatint, to build a cohesive body of work rooted in personal or collective narratives.

Through lectures, demonstrations, studio practice, and critiques, students will gain hands-on experience in preparing plates, inking, printing editions, and signing prints. The course culminates in a collaborative Print Exchange Project, where each student contributes to a class portfolio—highlighting their individual growth and creative vision while working in a communal artistic setting.

In addition to technical instruction, the course emphasizes storytelling as a tool for expression, cultural reflection, and communication. Students will be encouraged to draw from diverse experiences and cultural influences to craft meaningful and inclusive visual narratives.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $175.00

Elective

Expanding on the fundamentals of Intaglio, this course will explore the Mezzotint technique that was developed in the mid- seventeenth century. This technique is unique because it achieves tonality by roughening a metal plate with thousands of little dots made by a metal tool with small teeth, called a "rocker". The plate will print with a strong and even velvety black. At this point, the burs created by the rocker are then scraped and burnished away to create arrange of tonality. Students will learn how to rock a plate, develop their drawings, transfer their designs on a copper plate, use a rocker, sharpen a rocker and printing methods. Mixed Media etching methods with mezzotint images will be explored as additional mark making possibilities and color layering. Emphasis will be placed on sound technical execution, image making, and the development of students’ personal artistic language.  Technical demonstrations, individual and group critiques will be used throughout the semester to encourage students’ artistic practice. Let’s “Rock” and “Roll”!

Estimated Cost of Materials: $120.00

Elective

This course explores queerness as material, method, and lens for making art. Together, we will look at how queer printed media and art movements have challenged dominant traditions, positioning queerness as a source of resistance, joy, community, and transformation. Students will experiment with techniques and methods such as papier-mâché, Screen Printing, Riso Graphs/Zine making and temporary tattoos, engaging them through queer theory and lived experience. Making becomes a way to ask: how does queerness take shape in our lives and practices?

Readings will include José Esteban Muñoz’s Cruising Utopia, and Sara Ahmed’s Queer Phenomenology. We will also study artists such as Allyson Mitchell, Deirdre Logue, Jim Hodges, Juliana Huxtable, and Jesse Harrod, along with films like Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters and Grey Gardens. Students are encouraged to take risks, embrace failure, and push the boundaries of printed media and performance. Projects will include individual works as well as collaborative sculptures, zines and performances, drawing inspiration from the collective nature of a print studio as a metaphor for queer collectivity.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $100.00

Elective

Ceramics and printmaking have a shared ethos in the production of multiples and process-driven technical methods. This is reflected in industry but is not often explored in an academic context. This course would be the first at RISD to explore the rich resources of the Ceramics and Printmaking Departments to promote research into innovative ways to combine the disciplines. For almost three centuries ceramics have been enhanced by printed elements. The combination of ceramic and print technologies have tremendous potential for new applications in functional and sculptural approaches to ceramic multiples and printed editions. RISD has all the facilities in ceramics and printmaking required to pursue research in this field. Students will learn ceramic techniques such as hand-building and slip casting to create forms to hold screen printed, intaglio, relief, and digital images. Historical techniques will be presented and new methods and combinations will be developed.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $200.00

Elective

The Sculptural Print looks to the multiple as a material (rather than a form) for the construction of one-of-a-kind works. The primary technical focuses will be in photo-emulsion based screenprinting, polymer-plate etching/intaglio, and basic relief printing. Students will be asked to design unique image vocabularies, transform and translate them to various matrices, and then to alter, manipulate, reimagine, and finally to build structural pieces using the printed matter. In the first half of the term, class sessions will begin with a presentation of artist precedents and technical demonstrations. In the second half, classes will still begin with a short presentation, and will then focus largely on in-progress critique and technical troubleshooting/consultation. Works completed for midterm will be based on provided prompts with detailed parameters and require students to work in series and at a large-scale. The final will be fully self-directed.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $125.00

Please contact the instructor for permission to register. Preference is given to Junior, Senior or Graduate Students.

Elective

Pattern and print have been closely linked since the development of printing techniques in East Asia in the 600s. Since then, printed patterns have enriched pictorial art, textiles and wallcoverings - any surface that can take a print. All printmaking methods have been used to create patterns, from the earliest woodblocks to digital printing today.

 This course explores a handmade approach to pattern through drafting on graph paper, working with gouache, carving wood blocks in relief and printing with distemper paints. Emphasis will be placed on developing structures that exploit the fixed size of a block to make patterns that are satisfying when spread over a large area. The potential of the carved and printed mark and impact of layering with a small number of colors will be explored in individual and group projects. Students with prior printmaking experience will be free to execute designs in a range of media such as screenprint, intaglio and letterpress.

The hands-on approach will provide a foundation for exploration of design and printing methods introduced in the second half of the course. Students will work through a series of self-directed projects and apply appropriate computer programs as needed.

 A final portfolio/collection of patterns will employ and potentially combine techniques and methods learned in class. Readings about the history and theory of pattern design will be presented throughout the class and RISD Museum and Fleet Library collections will be consulted for historical background and inspiration.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $120.00

Elective

In today’s competitive higher education landscape, MFA graduates must go beyond artistic excellence to secure a full-time teaching appointment. MFA Forward: From Studio to Professorship equips emerging art professionals with the essential tools for thriving in academia. Through a focused blend of workshops and practical exercises, students will learn how to build compelling cover letters, refine portfolios of both personal and student work, write impactful teaching philosophies and diversity statements, and secure powerful references to support their candidacy.

Students will also receive in-depth guidance on crafting a polished curriculum vitae that highlights their unique blend of creative and pedagogical strengths. Interactive sessions on acing the job talk and navigating the campus interview process prepare students to present confidently to search committees. Finally, the course addresses how to sidestep the “adjunct trap” and plan a more sustainable, long-term career trajectory. By synthesizing these professional development strategies with each student’s creative vision, MFA Forward cultivates artists who can seamlessly transition from the studio to the classroom—and ultimately, into full-time professorships that recognize and reward their investment in artistic and academic excellence.

Elective

This studio course introduces students to the art and craft of papermaking, focusing on traditional Chinese and Japanese methods. Students will learn paper specifications, fiber preparation, sheet formation, and processed paper techniques, working with both plant fibers and recycled materials. The course also explores how handmade paper can be applied in two- and three-dimensional projects, including sheet production, book arts, and installation-based work.

Elective

Introduction to Silkscreen Printing will introduce students to the entire image-making process, from stencil making (digital/photographic stencils, CMYK, hand-drawn positives, paper & ruby-lith stencils, drawing fluid, laser cutting, and so on) and hand-pulled silkscreen printing techniques for beginning students. The final project 'Metamorphosis' will be a collaborative project using collage-like methods and various printing techniques such as drawing into prints, digital and/or photographic stencils as well as repeat patterns. Silkscreen is a time-based art making process. Students will experiment with many layers, and create multi-color layered variations. Independent and self-motivated projects will be encouraged using both traditional and nontraditional printmaking methods.

Elective

Technical fundamentals related to each of the basic intaglio processes will be demonstrated throughout the semester. Traditional and contemporary intaglio applications will also be presented and experimentation will be encouraged. A series of monotypes, small editions in each process and a larger technical combination plate will comprise the final portfolio assignment. Imagery, concept and content will represent a primary course element as technical facility is mastered. Individual critiques will be the standard throughout and two group critiques at the midpoint and end of the semester will also be scheduled. This course is not available to Sophomore Printmaking Students.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $100.00

Major Requirement | BFA Printmaking

Students will stretch their own screens and will be introduced to a wide range of stencil techniques (cut film, paper stencil, crayon and glue, tusche and glue, and photo). Students are urged to experiment with stencil and printing techniques to produce a portfolio of editioned prints.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $175.00

Major Requirement | BFA Printmaking

Building on the fundamentals of lithography this course will explore the technical, aesthetic and conceptual aspects of colour printing. Using ball grained aluminum plates and photolithography plates students will develop their imagery and concepts. Students will be encouraged to innovate and experiment with colour and image making techniques in conjunction with craft and technical mastery. Technical demonstrations, individual and group critiques will be used throughout the semester to encourage students' artistic practice. Hand drawn and digitally generated films for photo litho plates and traditional drawing on ball grained plates will be demonstrated among other techniques.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $75.00

Major Requirement | BFA Printmaking

This course sustains the search for personal, idiosyncratic visual direction. Printmaking applications are refined, experimentation is engaged and study incorporates group discussion, readings and critical writing related to texts provided and visits to libraries, museums and galleries. In addition, students will update the resume created during the previous semester, an artist statement will be written, cover letters and employment/grant applications will be addressed at regular intervals throughout the semester. Installation and presentation of work created will be analyzed as a critical component. At the end of the semester, students will discuss their current work in oral/powerpoint format as it relates to personal research of historical and contemporary art/artists. Critiques, group and individual will occur each week and an outside guest critic will be engaged for mid-semester and the final critiques.

Open to Junior Printmaking Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Printmaking

What is the curatorial imperative? By incorporating curation into studio practice, artists understand the context for placing new combinations into the world. Collecting, archiving and critical analysis of source material will develop a philosophy of stewardship. Central questions about printmaking as a crucial core for many disciplines that incorporate the relation between matrix and formed object, layers, reversals, positive and negative and replication of original and appropriated media will provide a structure. The state of print publishing, art fairs and current curatorial literature will inform ongoing discussion.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate Printmaking Students.

Major Requirement | MFA Printmaking

This course will introduce students to contemporary letterpress printing. While keeping the broad historical role of letterpress printing in mind, the course will allow students to use the various incarnations of letterpress printing to further their own work. The focus of the course will be learning to print, and print well, how to troubleshoot on the Vandercook proof press, and exploring how the different approaches, processes, papers, and techniques effect and direct the finished work. The course will begin with an overview of letterpress printing history and its relation to the evolution of typography, and its major impact on, and reaction to, societal change. We will first focus on setting and printing from handset type, and more traditional image making techniques (read: Linocuts!), and then introduce digital images through the use of polymer plates. Once the basics of the process have been covered, the focus will be on students using the techniques and processes to further their own work, and the creation of a final project using any of the techniques as appropriate to the piece.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $100.00

Elective

This course will focus on book binding methods including, but not limited to stab binding, Coptic stitch, variations on the pamphlet stitch, drum leaf, and books sewn through the fold. Through weekly demonstrations and assignments, students will acquire skills in both adhesive and non-adhesive binding as well as basic box making techniques. The course places a focus on facilitating individual practice in the form of books, and the integration of binding methods learned in class into one's personal artistic process. At the end of the semester, students will have thorough understanding of the anatomy of books, how to make them, how to plan and execute their own design, and where to acquire materials and tools. There will be opportunities to view books from the RISD Special Collections and critical discussions surrounding the functions of book making in contemporary practice.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $175.00

Elective

What is the place of printmaking in the art-world and the world at large today? Central questions about printmaking as a crucial core for many disciplines that incorporate the relation between matrix and formed object, layers, reversals, positive and negative, the replication of original and appropriated media will provide a structure. The state of print publishing, art fairs and current critical literature will inform ongoing discussions, research, and presentations.

Major Requirement | MFA Printmaking

Building on the students pre-existing experience with the materials and process of etching, this course will focus on advanced intaglio practices and methodologies. Primary techniques covered will include experimental copperplate etching, polymer-plate processing/printing, and various other unique plating approaches that utilize aspects of other print-processes and tools; monotype, relief, and screenprinting. The plate, or printing-surface/matrix, will become as important as the printed image or multiple. Assignments will be guided by prompts that require students to push the plating material to new and unexpected places, and to begin to consider ways in which the plate figures in as finished work. The two main course projects, a midterm and final, will both be self-directed.

Elective

Engraving requires a single tool - the burin - to make intaglio prints of astounding clarity. The engraved line is unique in its brilliance and energy. A skilled engraver has complete mastery of every aspect of line, allowing a great range of expression from the most delicate linear shading to visceral gestures that stand our in relief when printed on the paper. Students will learn tool sharpening, image development, techniques for transferring designs to copper, burin use and special printing requirements. Emphasis will be placed on development of a personal language of marks appropriate to individual artistic needs. Museum visits and a master copy will provide inspiration for contemporary expression through an analysis of great engravings from the fifteenth century to the present.

Estimated Materials Cost: $50.00

Elective