The Bright Side of Being an

Art Student: Printmaking

By Abbie Roux
 Shown in this display case are some works
done by several different student artists
across campus from over the years. This
particular medium is called printmaking, and
can be defined as an artistic process based
on the transferring of images onto another
surface using ink and a roller, typically paper
or some sort of fabric. There are many
different types of printmaking which take
place on different kinds of matrixes, or
templates, such as linoleum carving blocks,
woodcuts, metal plates, and foam plates.
Professor Haig is one of the primary
printmaking professors at Salem State, as his
training is as a printmaker, mostly in intaglio.
He has been an artist and professor for more
Source: Abbie Roux than 25 years.
 The station of a printmaking student is an
organized mess. There should always be a
roller and a spatula of some sort to spread
the ink on whatever surface is being used to
roll the roller into the ink. The ink is then
rolled onto whatever matrix is being used,
whether that be a woodcut or linoleum
carving block, as most commonly used.
After, the matrix is covered with whatever
the image is going to be printed on and
rolled using a hand roller or a printing press.
In the printmaking studio at Salem State, a
printing press is typically used by students
and professors alike.
Source: Abbie Roux
 G Daigle, junior at Salem State University, found
her passion in printmaking after half a year at
this school. She never originally intended to
major in art, she actually entered school as an
elementary education major. As she continued
her student career at Salem State, G says, “In
my freshman year spring semester, I took a
bunch of classes in various topics to try to
decide what I wanted to major in. One of the
classes I took was color and design with
Professor Gross. I specifically decided to make
printmaking my concentration because Ben was
a printmaking professor and I just loved learning
under him.”

Source: Abbie Roux

 When peeling the finished product off of the
matrix, the artist must be extremely careful so
as not to smudge the ink. A lot of processes in
the art world are as tedious as this one and
require just the right amount of patience when
being created. It takes a special person to
have that patience and allow themselves to
give in entirely to their art. Many people that
love art are scared to do so, for fear of not
having a promising future in art no matter how
much they want it. If more people went after
what they were truly passionate about and
pursued it as a career, maybe more people
would feel accomplished and satisfied with
their day to day lives.

Source: Abbie Roux

 One thing that all art students have in common,
no matter the concentration, is that they all have
a large capacity for passion. One thing that
Professor Haig notes is, “There's no substitute
for being obsessed… If you're not obsessed,
some people say ‘passionate’, you'll lose sight
of what you're after, get distracted, and that's
the end or at least the beginning of it.” When
talking with G about her passion for
printmaking, she said, “There is something deep
inside me that tells me I’m doing exactly what I
need to do with my life with printmaking. Finding
relief specifically was an emotional process for
me, because I instantly fell in love with all
aspects of it.”

Source: Abbie Roux

 Different artists use many different techniques
and processes when coming up with new ideas
for a project. G explains, “Depending on what
type of printmaking process I am doing, it will
differ how process intensive the medium I’m
going about is. However, I constantly have two
words going off in my head while printing: ‘adapt
and overcome.’ Constantly learning, constantly
adapting keeps the excitement and momentum
going that keeps the process engaging from
start to end.” This tool of adaptation can be
extremely helpful in so many circumstances,
and G learned it through her art.

Source: G Daigle
 With all things in life come challenges,
especially with things that hold a lot of
importance in our lives. Especially in the early
years of self discovery is when these challenges
begin to arise most. When discussing the
challenges she faces in art, G says, “While
printmaking never going exactly as planned can
be stimulating, sometimes it can be really
frustrating when a piece you’ve spent hours on
doesn’t come out exactly how you want it to.
This frustration is something that you must learn
to ride the wave of as that’s what printmaking
is.”

Source: G Daigle
 Something that can make people shy away
from pursuing a career in art is the limited work
options when graduating college. This is where
many people are wrong, saying that there aren’t
careers in the art field. There are actually more
than we could ever imagine, because as an
artist you can really go whatever direction you
decide. Whether you want to teach it, or sell it,
or just plain create for your job, it’s possible. G
eventually wants to pursue a career as a tattoo
artist, concentrating on American Traditional as
her primary style. There are virtually unlimited
options for an artistic career.

Source: G Daigle
 Art helps one to persevere through whatever
obstacles they need to overcome. It helps one to
adapt to different situations depending on what
is being asked of them, and helps the brain to
work faster in finding quick and creative
solutions to certain problems. While art teaches
these useful skills, it also teaches one to always
believe in their passion and dedication. This
passion is what drives artists forward, and while
passion isn’t exclusive to artists, it is most
prominent in them. Art helps to build a certain
self-confidence and sense of individuality, both
extremely important qualities.

Source: G Daigle
Art + Design is one of the most
interesting and versatile majors that
is offered at Salem State
University. There are a variety of
concentrations to choose from,
some of the most popular being art
history, graphic design,
photography, painting, and
printmaking. Interactive multimedia
used to be offered, but has been
removed from the list of programs
in the past two years. As the years
have progressed, the art
department has shrunk due to
decreased university enrollment.
But, as Professor Haig says,
“These things are cyclical… with
increased funding and enrollment
on the way, I expect that there will
be room to grow.”
Works Cited
G Daigle; (781)812-7678; g_daigle@salemstate.edu

Professor Haig Demarjian; (978)542-7132; hdemarjian@salemstate.edu

Art Gallery of Peel. (n.d.). The printmaking process. Visual Arts Brampton.
https://www.visualartsbrampton.com/resources/articles-tutorials/printmaking-
process

Salem State University. (2023). Art, printmaking concentration, BA.

Program: Art, Printmaking Concentration, BA - Salem State University -
Acalog ACMSTM. https://catalog.salemstate.edu/preview_program.php?
catoid=54&poid=6882&returnto=14289