Teacher Glossary

The following terms are important to know and understand for discussions and activities related to printmaking and the works of Chuck Close.

Printmaking - The process in which a work of art, usually on paper, is created from a “plate” that has been transformed to contain areas that will and will not transfer ink to a surface it comes into contact with. Printmaking methods fall into one of four main categories: relief, intaglio, planographic and stencil processes.

Balance (Symmetrical and Asymmetrical) - The equilibrium of various elements in a work of art. Symmetrical balance contains equal balance on either side of an imaginary middle line. Asymmetrical balance is achieved through unequal distribution on each side of an imaginary middle line.

Brayer - A roller used to apply printing ink to the plate.

Color Schemes -The use of colors of varying hues, tints, shades or tones to create a specific look in an artwork. Some examples include analogous colors, complementary colors, warm colors, cool colors, neutral colors, etc.

Composition - The manner in which the forms, lines, and colors of an artwork are arranged.

Editions - Numbered set of identical prints.

Master Printer - A person who has advanced to the top of the art of printmaking, whom others often entrust the task of creating prints of their images.

Monochrome - Using only one color.

Mono-prints - A unique, one time impression used to obtain a single copy of an image with characteristics different than that of a painting or drawing.

Non-Objective -  An art work that has no recognizable images in it.

Plate - Tthe object whose surface is altered to create areas that will and will not transfer ink to the surface to be printed. Some examples of plates are a block of wood, a piece of linoleum, a slab of stone, or a sheet of metal.

Portraits - A work of art whose subject is intended to be a representation of a particular person.

Registration - Marks used to line up the images printed by the different plates used in a multicolor print.

Self-Portrait - A portrait in which the subject is the artist who created the work.