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ARTS: 2nd Quarter Grade 7

History of Philippine Printmaking

Philippine printmaking became accepted as an art in the 1960s. This art form
involves transferring images made by an artist onto paper. Many copies can be
made of the image. Usually a limited number of copies is produced by the artist.

Printmaking in the Philippines did not gain popularity as an art form until the early 1960s.
Manuel Rodriguez Sr. and Rodolfo Paras-Perez were responsible for the development of interest
in contemporary printmaking techniques. Rodriguez in particular became known as the Father of
Philippine Printmaking.
Printmaking was soon taught in several schools. Rodriguez taught at the Philippine Womens
University, making it the unofficial center of printmaking in the country. He helped organize the
Philippine Association of Printmakers. The majority of the first young printmakers were taught
by Rodriguez either in PWU or in his workshops. Among these are Virgilio Aviado, Lucio
Calaguas, Emet Valente, Brenda Fajardo, Nelfa Querubin, Ivi Avellana-Cosio, and Nonon Padilla
as well as his own sons Manuel Jr., Marcelino, and Ray Rodriguez.
Some of the methods used in printmaking in the Philippines are the following:

Intaglio is a process in which images are printed from a plate that holds ink in recessed
areas. Some intaglio methods are aquatint, engraving, etching, mezzotint.
o In aquatint, an acid-resistant powder is used to coat the plate, which is then
immersed in acid so only the uncoated areas are etched. This gives the print a
grainy appearance.
o In engraving, lines are incised into the plate.
o In etching, the plate is covered with acid-resistant coating and the design
scratched into this. The plate is then immersed in acid to create lines in the
uncoated areas.
o In mezzotint, the whole plate is roughened to hold the ink, which creates a dark
background. The artist smoothens some areas so they will hold less ink allowing
tonal gradations to be produced.

Linoleum block or Linocut is a method of printing in which the image to be printed is

carved into a block of linoleum.

Lithography is a method of printing in which an image is drawn on a smooth plate that

has been treated to accept ink but repel water. A greasy ink or special crayons are used for
drawing on this. A coating of acid and gum arabic is used to fix the drawing onto the
surface of the printing plate, to lightly etch the plate, and to help the parts of the plate that
were not drawn on to hold water. Oil-based ink is spread on the wet surface and the wet
areas repel the ink so it sticks only to the drawing. The image is printed from this plate
with the use of a press.

Serigraph or Silk Screen is a method of printing in which a design is created on a

stretched mesh fabric using a resist. Ink is then pressed through the fabric to produce the

Woodblock or Woodcut is a form of printing in which a carved woodblock covered with

ink is used.

Drypoint is a method of printing in which a sharp point is used to draw directly on a

copper plate, creating rough-ridged etched lines. The ink coats the raised areas, which are

Bataan, Philippines, who was the first Filipino printer and is sometimes referred as the "Prince of
the Filipino Printers."
Pinpin is remembered for being the first native Filipino to publish and print a book, "Librong
Pagaaralan nang manga Tagalog nang Uicang Castilla" in 1610, entirely written by himself in the
old Tagalog orthography.[1]
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on
paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints that
have an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic
variables intrinsic to the printmaking process, and also because the imagery
printmaking technique. A print may be known as an impression.
the printmaking processes lends itself to.
of matrix substrates and related processes are discussed below.
late 19th century, artists have generally signed individual impressions from
Relief printing is a printmaking process where protruding surface faces of
and bringing it in firm contact with the paper. A printing-press may not be
simple tool such as a brayer or roller.
metal (the original processin modern manufacturing other chemicals may
be used on other types of material). As an intaglio method of printmaking, it

and remains in wide use today.
repeatedly and rapidly produce the same letters or design. The design produced with a stencil is
also called a stencil. The context in which stencil is used makes clear which meaning is intended.
stencil islands (sections of material that are inside cut-out "holes" in the stencil) to other parts of
stream of pigment.