Handmade prints An introduction to creative printmaking without a press

Desmet and Anderson have created a book that crosses the boundary separating folk crafts from the fine arts. Tracing printmaking back to the first dinosaur footprints left in clay, they offer an introduction that encompasses everything from potato printing to multicolor linocuts, from collage to three-dimensional indented sculpture yet uses very little specialized equipment. Initial chapters on inks, tools, paper making, and paper marbling are followed by playful, sometimes wacky chapters on body prints and printing from buttons, discarded toys, stones, shoes, and sliced fruits. For example, a lovely Asian-style print is made by inking the wheels of a toy steam shovel. This highly accomplished work includes a glossary of terms, techniques, and materials and a list of suppliers (though one can find much on one's own in the toy chest and refrigerator). Recommended for public libraries. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.