Creating a series of small works based on the same theme or composition is a great way to indirectly explore the expressive potential of that theme: a series can stand as a finished piece in itself, and it can also clarify the path towards a more fully developed work - or towards another series. With a combination of repeatability and variability, printmaking offers interesting tools for developing such a series.

This is a five-week course, and the first three weeks will demonstrate a range of techniques -- monotype, intaglio with tetrapak cartons, counterproofing, color printing, & post-printing re-work -- that can be used to create and vary an initial composition. In the final two weeks, students will be able to use a selection of these techniques to develop their first composition further, or to start a new series from another motif. We will use the school's printmaking presses during class, but the techniques explored can be used without a press in a home studio, and students will come away with a set of skills that they can easily incorporate into their regular studio practice.