These first prints are called artist's proofs. The number of prints pulled from one plate is called an edition. Once a certain number of prints are pulled, the plate is destroyed so that more prints won't be printed later. At the bottom of a print are two to three things always written in pencil. At the bottom right, is the artist's name and sometimes a date.
Printmaking is by no means a new art form.
In fact, the idea has been around for centuries. The concept of printmaking or making multiple images can be traced back to those fun loving Sumerians who in 3000 BC had a notion to carve designs into stone cylinders. The process and materials of these techniques influence the appearance of the final print. Follow me as we learn about each of the four processes and the artists who perfected them. Historical images which have been scanned by Mark Harden have been used with permission.