Unit 4: Printmaking Variant
Pre A Level Art & Design · Semester 1 Plan · Unit 4
Which version of Unit 4 you take
Unit 4’s default assessment (A4) is the Graphic Design poster. This printmaking variant is an alternative that can run in the same slot — the same Wednesdays (W16–19), with linocut in place of the poster. Which route runs is decided by student demand and will be confirmed in class. The dates are the same either way: CS4 on Wed 2026-12-16, A4 on Wed 2026-12-23, and the documentation session on Wed 2027-01-06. These dates may shift when the school publishes the calendar for that period.
This variant runs across three Wednesdays (W16, W17, W19); there is no W18 session because of the winter break. Each session is a 90-minute double. A4 is marked inside the BNDS framework (Attainment 50 / Course Skills 20 / Learning Behaviour 10 / End of Term 20).
Because carving takes longer than it looks, two things are built into the plan:
- Your designs are homework, done before the unit. You are set three A5 drawings at W15 (Wed 2026-12-09), so you arrive at W16 with designs ready. Without a design you cannot start, and there is no spare session.
- Carving starts in W16. Carving cannot be done at home — the tools are sharp and the safety briefing is a supervised, in-room step.
Session sequence
W16 · Wed 2026-12-16 · S15 — Context, transfer, carve · CS4
| Time | Content |
|---|---|
| 0–30 | Printmaking as an image culture: Ukiyo-e, the floating world, prints as cheap multiples “designed to travel.” Anchor question — why print instead of paint once? Then matrix / ink / paper, relief vs intaglio, Dürer to Warhol |
| 30–40 | Safety briefing — carve away from your body and hands. Required before tools are issued |
| 40–55 | Transfer of your design to the block, both routes demonstrated. The mirror rule |
| 55–90 | Carving begins. CS4 logged at the end: one annotated design sheet showing which areas print and which are cut away |
Homework, set at W15 (Wed 2026-12-09): the three A5 drawings. Bring these to W16.
W17 · Wed 2026-12-23 · S16 — A4: carve, ink, print
| Time | Content |
|---|---|
| 0–30 | Finish carving. Hard stop at 30 minutes — blocks go to ink as they are |
| 30–45 | Inking demonstration and one test proof each on scrap |
| 45–80 | A4 sitting. Ink and pull a final edition on good paper; submit at least one resolved print. Pull multiple impressions, both for quality and as insurance against a spoiled pull |
| 80–90 | Lay prints flat to dry and label them; clean blocks and tools |
This session carries both the end of carving and all of the printing, so make sure your block is substantially carved by the end of W16, and keep your design simple and bold.
W19 · Wed 2027-01-06 · S17 — Editioning, reflection, documentation
| Time | Content |
|---|---|
| 0–25 | Further impressions; second colour and layering if you are ready. Optional, not required to pass |
| 25–45 | Gallery walk. All prints displayed, with reflection prompts |
| 45–90 | Semester portfolio documentation and EoT portfolio due — same as the poster route |
Assessment
If this variant runs, A4 is marked within the BNDS scheme (see bnds-assessment-framework). A4 will be announced one week before the sitting. The detailed marking criteria for the print will be confirmed in class.
Extensions
- Linocut series — 3–4 prints from one block exploring colour, layering or added elements. Fits W19 naturally.
- Artist research — a short presentation on a printmaker, for example Dürer, Rembrandt, Daumier, Toulouse-Lautrec, Warhol, Hiroshige or Hokusai.