8 Week Intro to Printmaking

8-Week Intro to Printmaking Course

Led by Jemma Gunning at the Bristol Print Collective Studio, Centrespace, Bristol

All materials provided | Open to all abilities

Join us for a captivating 8-week journey into the world of printmaking. This course is designed for beginners and those looking to refresh their skills in a relaxed, supportive environment. Each fortnight will focus on a new printmaking technique—monoprint, relief, collagraph, and drypoint—encouraging creative exploration and play. Whether you're a curious beginner or an experienced maker looking to experiment, this course will offer inspiration, guidance, and hands-on learning.

Weeks 1–2: MonoprintingBegin your printmaking journey with the fluid and experimental process of monoprinting. Explore additive and subtractive methods, stencil use, and direct drawing onto the plate. These sessions embrace chance and experimentation, inviting you to play with mark-making and texture to produce bold, one-of-a-kind prints.

Weeks 3–4: Relief PrintingGet hands-on with linocut techniques and explore the expressive possibilities of relief printing. Learn how to carve your design, experiment with texture and tools, and print by hand. We’ll explore various mark-making styles and layering techniques, helping you to develop your visual language and build confidence with the process.

Weeks 5–6: CollagraphExplore the tactile world of collagraph printing. Learn how to create plates using textured materials and found objects, building surfaces that invite inky exploration. Emphasis will be on layering, discovery, and the joy of unexpected results as you print from your handmade plates.

Weeks 7–8: DrypointConclude the course with drypoint—a beautiful intaglio technique that captures the directness of the hand. Learn how to scratch into plastic plates, tetrapak and card, ink them up, and print using an etching press. This process allows for rich, expressive lines and prints full of character.Suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to those looking to refresh or expand their practice.

All materials provided.Full course dates:

8 weeks:7 Oct, 14 Oct, 21 Oct,(28 Oct Half Term)4Nov, 11 Nov, 18 Nov, 25 Nov, 2 Dec

Please note that our studio is up a flight of stairs and there is no access for wheelchair users.