The printmaker’s editioning of a print is an indicator of the uniqueness of the art print. Uniqueness meaning that each hand-pulled print will be different because humans, unlike machines, are not perfect. We move the paper slightly off-center, apply varying degrees of pressure or place the ink down unevenly. Therefore, each print can be unlike the other in many ways. Editioning is an added step to document that uniqueness.

The labeling is done in numerical values, indicating the number of prints for the particular artwork. There are also certain marks that printmakers use on their works as a way to note the way it was produced. I will list some of those in this article.

Printmaking, specifically screen printing, has always been a joy working with as an art form. It’s hands-on, down, and dirty, with results that make every edition slightly different than the other. This, in turn, leads to some interesting variations. For example, I use a one-color press and usually do multiple colors. The challenges of doing it this way are many, but the results can be pretty interesting.

One of the traditional ways to keep track of multiple prints that are finite or limited in quantity is to number them along with the artist’s signature. For instance, if the artist prints 18, each print will be assigned a number from 1 to 18. In this photo example, the print number is 13. Therefore, it would be labeled 13/18, meaning it was print number 13 of the limited edition of 18. The artist hand-pulled no more than 18 in this limited edition run. Ideally, the artist will create no other prints beyond 18. Minimizing the print quantity gives the print provenance and value. The fewer the number of hand-pulled prints, the more value it has.

Using a sharp pencil to label your prints is best, as ink labels are relatively easier to reproduce. In addition, using a pencil will help to avoid fraudulent reproduction.

Some artists may print as many as demand allows. These are called open editions. Even when a print run is over, the artist still has the option to reprint. Open editions are popular with concerts, bands, fairs, and other events and are considered collectible items for some. These may be signed but usually not numbered, as the runs could be unlimited.

Printmakers use other notations beyond just the simple numbering of the editions. I will list some of the more prominent inscriptions, but depending on the artist, there could be more.

• A/P (Artist’s Proof) – This is when the artist pulls several prints out with their edition for personal use. These are printed simultaneously with the rest of the edition and can be up to 10% of the print run.
• B.A.T. (Bon a Tirer) – The first perfect print to be pulled from the matrix is signed as the B.A.T. (good to pull). The edition and artist’s proofs are then matched up to this as it is printed. The B.A.T. usually remains the property of the editioning atelier.
• T/P (Trial proof) – These prints are pulled to assess the development of an image. They are marked as trial proofs as they indicate the unfinished progress of a print. They can be worth large sums if they land on the market as they show an insight into the artist’s working methods.
• S/P ( State Proof) – This general term covers all working proofs. It can refer more specifically to trial proofs being reworked after an image has been editioned.
• V/E (Variable Edition) – These labels all refer to the print being unique or containing unique elements that cannot be exactly reproduced in another pulling. This label is best replaced by the simple convention 1/1 (edition of 1).
• Imp. – From the Latin “impressit” which means “has printed.” An artist who has printed their work may write this after their signature.
• H.M.P, H.P.M, or H.M.M. (Hand Modified Print, Hand Painted Print, or Hand Modified Multiple) – Sometimes artists add features to a print by hand after the edition is created. These are most commonly found in serigraph prints.

If applicable, I will generally place most of these notations on the back of the print to keep writing on the print side to a minimum. Please see the links below for a more comprehensive look at the type of notations printmakers use and other information on print editions.

Artwork Archive
https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/9-things-to-know-about-art-editions

Artsy
https://www.artsy.net/article/hang-up-gallery-a-guide-understanding-print-editions-techniques-ap-hc

Print Gonzales
https://www.printgonzalez.com/hellbox/2018/4/3/printmaking-101-series-a-guide-editioning-and-signing-fine-art-prints

“I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none” – Ben Shahn

When describing art, we tend to revert to what we learned in art history. Western categorizations are satisfactory to me. I wish to refrain from arguing about what style or category to label my work. However, we all need a baseline to begin the conversation. I like to use icons from the twentieth century to generate concepts pertinent to events of the moment. Those icons include movies, music, art, technology, toys, etc. I utilize the modern-day tools and resources that enable the work to take shape. Using traditional painting mediums like printmaking and watercolor gives me the satisfaction of creating art by hand. Digital tools are also used as a medium to complete the work when necessary. This hybrid way of creating by scanning traditional mediums into a digital format gives me true flexibility in creating concepts.

If there are labels to be had, my work is conceptual, but it isn’t conceptual art in the sense of protest of what art is. It is the art of the idea. The medium is not as important as the idea or concept. It is representational. It uses formal standards in the art of shape, line, color, and composition. Some might even classify my compositions as illustration. However, I do not create art commercially, nor is the work done on commission. I would even go as far as Social Realism, sometimes with a satirical message.

The serigraph above was derived from a photo taken by photographer and photojournalist Lee Russell, 1903-1986 (Library of Congress). It shows a street scene in the small Texas town of San Augustine. The image was black and white, but you could tell that the street scene had black and white Americans mingling at what appeared to be a feed store. So we can assume most were farmers. The image was taken in 1939. We have our icon in red to show a general connection in time and place. Being in the south during Jim Crow, we can also make assumptions about what we can’t see. Items such as colored-only restrooms and water fountains. The scene may not tell all the stories, so we move to create the narrative based on our history. That is the elephant in the room.

Creating artwork that has a message is nothing new. However, art can mean something different for all of us. If we empathize with what the artist is trying to convey, we root for them and appreciate the emotions it brings out of us. For the artist, there is always meaning and personal attributes that motivate and inspire them to keep working, rarely achieving perfection in their minds. Knowing there are other works to be created, they move on.

I am rarely in a position for lack of ideas. My subject matter is the United States of America. Seeing everything in real time now is not only a joy but a curse. It all seems overwhelming until we realize it was always part of us. We’ve always had divisions, a pandemic, wars, climate issues, corporate greed, immigration issues, nasty politics, etc. I could drum up some really awful periods in our nation’s history. And yet, our ability to endure has always been humanity’s strength. This is my so-called canvas.

It doesn’t always require the viewer to be a super sleuth to enjoy the work. The creative journey for me, which involves pencil to paper, mixing colors for printmaking, or firing up the iPad, is more fun than anyone should be allowed.

I am doing what was frowned on in grade school as of this writing. It was seen as a form of daydreaming, boredom, or just wasting time. I was doodling. Little did I know that doodling would be an important, influential exercise that would define me for the rest of my life. It has indirectly guided the career path as an artist and designer that I enjoy today. 

No, I don’t doodle as a form of income. Well, maybe. Doodling, for me, is a means to an end. It is a way of life for most of us in the creative field. It is an indispensable exercise that has led to some of the most incredible art, design, architecture, film, and photography the world has ever known. I would even go as far as to say that the exercise of doodling expands into a host of other fields and disciplines that have significantly contributed to humankind.

Even though I work with a digital tablet, there is no comparison to the tactile nature of pencil and paper. So, for the purpose of this article, we are talking about this subject using a pencil, pen or brush, and actual paper.

Like meditation, exercise, or diet, doodling can be more than just passing the time. Researchers have found that there are actually benefits to doodling. 

What is it?

Doodling is an art that you do without even thinking. Usually, it accompanies a wandering mind. Of course, some doodles are better than others. After all, not everyone has a talent for drawing. However, no one has to be a great artist when doodling. Doodling is for everyone to enjoy.

There are many reasons we doodle. Sometimes it’s unconscious, and at times, it’s a purposeful, intentional way of constructing something physically or mentally. It is said to be an expression of your inner self, and a peek into your subconscious mind. For an artist, doodling is not only fun; it is necessary to allow you to create visually what your mind is releasing with your hand being the physical tool as a means to an end.

Some of the benefits of doodling

The act of doodling actually has a few benefits to brag about. Some of them are as follows:

Relaxation. Coping with life, in general, can be a challenge. The problems associated with stress are no joke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stress can contribute to issues such as feelings of fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness, or frustration. Also, changes in appetite, energy, desires, and interests. Physical issues include headaches, body pains, stomach problems, skin rashes, and worsening chronic health problems. Increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and even drugs. Meanwhile, scientists, artists, and teachers agree that doodling soothes our feelings of distress. 

 

One 2016 study of 39 university students, staff, and faculty found that after making art, 75 percent of participants had lower levels of cortisol (stress hormones) in their saliva. It didn’t matter whether the art was representational or “mere” scribbling. (Karen Sosnoski, Ph.D.)

It did not matter that some participants were artists and others were not. Art-making or doodling as a stress reliever was equally effective. The researchers also concluded that “art-making could be a way to regulate mood and addictive behaviors.

Enhanced Memory. A memory test was conducted by the School of Psychology, the University of Plymouth, U.K. Participants in the case study, were asked to doodle during a phone message. Those who engaged in the doodling recalled more information than the non-doodlers. The study done by Jackie Andrade concluded that “doodling simply helps to stabilize arousal at an optimal level, keeping people awake or reducing the high levels of autonomic arousal often associated with boredom.”

Doodling could be a last-ditch attempt at staying awake and attentive. Doodling keeps you from falling asleep or staring blankly when your brain has already turned off. I, for one, can definitely vouch for this. The permission to “free-draw” keeps your brain online a little longer. Touch is a powerful sense in our ability to recall information. When our sense of touch and sight are at play, we tend to be in a zen state. It’s an excellent feeling.

Many researchers believe that doodles can reveal what is going on in the subconscious mind. Hand-eye coordination is helpful as some of us are very hands-on in mastering a physical skill. With doodling, we tend to have more of a connection. We feel more invested in the composition of whatever it is we are doodling. This is helpful in memory retention. This is the case even if we listen to a conversation or attend a meeting.

Problem-solving for visual communicators.

As creatives, we solve problems through doodling, pencil roughs, or thumbnail sketches. We are activating ideas and concepts from our visual storage place – The hippocampus portion of our brain. We not only recall good design elements but also memorize symbols, icons, events, and visual stimuli such as movies, architecture, industry, commerce, travel sites, books, art galleries, and design. 

Doodling also tends to make us a more relaxed and focused visual communicator who can generate many ideas by filling the gaps in our thinking process. In the book “Drawing is Thinking” by late Graphic Designer Milton Glaser, he notes that “commitment to the fundamental idea that drawing is not simply a way to represent reality, but a way to understand and experience the world.” How you experience the world is unique to each individual. 

This is ideal for an artist who wants everyone to experience how they view the world. For the designer who needs to capture and interpret visual meaning in how they solve visual communications problems, it’s an invaluable tool.

The advantages are clear for artists and designers engaged in doodling (or thumbnails). If you feel the pressure of tight deadlines, you may think engaging digital assets for a quick fix is easier. It may work in a pinch but does not generate an emotional connection to the problem presented before you. As a seasoned professional who has worked on thousands of projects in my career, doodling or sketching is still my go-to for problem-solving and the creation of ideas. 

Benefits for everyone. Doodling is not just for individuals in the creative field. U.S. Presidents have been known to engage in the fun exercise. If you want to relax more, enhance memory, improve focus, or stay awake when bored, doodling can be part of your whole health regimen. There are even more benefits to doodling than I have written here, such as benefits for our aging population. For more advanced reading on this subject of doodling, check out some of my sources below. They are very informative.

Some of the resources and suggested reading for this article are as follows:

The “thinking” benefits of doodling, by Srini Pillay, MD, Contributor, Harvard Health.

The Mental Health Benefits of Doodling, by Karen Sosnoski, Ph.D. on November 13, 2020

The Surprisingly Powerful Influence of Drawing on Memory, Myra A. Fernandes, Jeffrey D. Wammes, Melissa E. Meade

Sunni Brown, author of “The Doodle Revolution: Unlock the Power to Think Differently.

Drawing is Thinking”, by Graphic Designer, Milton Glaser.

What Does Doodling Do?, Jackie Andrade, School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, UK

 

Ethereum.

Art as a Non-fungible token (NFT)

The art on the blockchain scene seems to be taking shape. For digital art collectors who want to buy and trade these works, read further.

Now to explain a little about the Crypto Art market. It is a very complex undertaking that can reap many rewards or leave some to figure out if it is worth it right now. That goes for collectors as well as artist. As of this writing a work on this platform sold for 69 million in U.S. dollars. That was the value of the Ethereum use to purchase it at the time.

Art in this space is very subjective. The phrase, “I don’t know art but I know what I like”, appears to be name of the game. First of all, the amount of items people classify as an NFT is overwhelming. Anything from Tweets, music and 8-bit gifs to short highlights of an NBA star can be minted as an NFT. These are collectibles making hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions. If you are looking to get in that game, there is stuff aplenty. If you are interested in the arts, there is plenty of that too.

Some sites are curated which means the artist has been vetted and you are assured that the work was originated by that artist. These are sites such as SuperRare, NiftyGateway, Makersplace and others. Since deception and fraud are always present when there is money to be made, these sites can insure that there is some security in knowing that the art you purchase is genuine. However, it is definitely not foolproof. Digital art, is art that is constructed on a digital platform or created in the traditional sense, then scanned to be in a digital format. Right now, no matter what format an artist uses, it is eventually formatted to be digital. It’s the way artist can be seen outside of the traditional gallery space. This leaves the door open for any number of ways to cheat.

To understand the true value for some art collectors on the blockchain, provenance (the history of ownership of a valued object or work) is an important part of purchasing art. Knowing that the image can be copied is not as important as knowing that you own it  on the blockchain. Value in how they view and enjoy the work and value in its ability to appreciate over time. Art is bought and sold as an NFT on this notion alone. 

For artists, the value is not only in its provenance, but in the continual residual value as it is bought and sold. Like actors who continue to receive money every time there is a rerun, artist can finally realize this gift. This is forever on the blockchain.

NFT’s offers us a new model for digital art ownership. With the blockchain, digital artwork can be registered as a token on a secure, fixed public ledger. By turning an artwork into a token, artists can preserve scarcity and ownership for each work. As the data remains inscribed on the blockchain regardless of copying or piracy, these tokens become tamper-proof certificates of ownership. Again, we are talking about the digital space.

Now we have proof of ownership on the blockchain. For artist who are trying to keep their work from being downloaded and massed produce might have some recourse in proving that the work is theirs besides watermarking it. But like everything in the digital space, there is no guarantee that someone in the world with lax copyright laws will be deterred from pirating your work. It’s happening and there is really not that much you unless you find out about it. Most sites will handle your complaint, but the rush to millions is overwhelming. The NFT sites are doing the best they can.

If you are an artist or collector, give it some time. I believe the only fad is time. NFT’s are not going away because some of the largest players are in this big. These players are young and they are winners in the space. This is part of the process to get to the potential that it is destined to become. If you are not wealthy, getting in early is only to figure out how to navigate this space. Know the key words like non-fungible, minting, tokens, blockchain, etc. and wait for the opportunities this new thing will present. Be creative in how you present your work and use this technology in ways that no one has yet thought of. Some have already begun to do this. I believe NFT’s are here to stay.