The Anatomy of a Batik Sarong
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Javanese terms name the various parts of batik sarongs:
- Sarong: a waistcloth that is decorated in batik and wrapped around the waist.
- Badan: body of the sarong and the main field of the batik. [For example, see this sarong and its description: 1989.41.]
Cameras Used by Irving Penn
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In 1938, Irving Penn purchased his first camera: a Rolleiflex. A relatively simple camera, the Rolleiflex is a medium-format, twin-lens reflex camera with a rigid metal body that typically uses 120 roll film—film rolled on a spool that produces a six by six centimeter square image. Penn would have viewed the subject through the upper lens via the glass screen on top, while the lens on the bottom captures the image.
Platinum and palladium prints
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Platinum and palladium prints are created by placing a negative in direct contact with paper coated in a solution of light-sensitive platinum and palladium salts. Following exposure, development, and drying, the process can be repeated.
Japanese paper
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Japanese paper (which itself contains hundreds of variations) is a handmade paper that has long been favored by printmakers for its durability.
Inkjet prints
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Inkjet printing re-creates a digital image by releasing minute droplets of ink from a multi-nozzled print head to define an image. Today, commercial and professional inkjet printers are available to consumers and photographers alike, making it the most commonly used type of printing today.
Chromogenic prints (printmaking)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Chromogenic color prints (or C-prints) are full-color photographic prints that became the standard for photographic reproduction, heralding in the introduction of vibrant colors to the medium. The process involves exposing a light-sensitive paper from a negative and processing the exposed paper through a number of developing baths. Each bath increases the saturation in proportion to the color's dye density layer.
Stipple engraving (printmaking)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Stipple engraving is an etching process using small dots made with an etching needle or roulette in varying densities to create tone.
Wood engraving (printmaking)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Wood engraving, a type of relief printmaking, uses an end-grain piece of wood, which is more durable and can be carved with precision using engraving tools. In the 19th century, this technique and the wood's strength led to a boom in published illustrations because the designs could withstand mechanical printings presses.
Line engraving (printmaking)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Line engraving is the most common form of engraving in which the carved design is made from a series of lines.
Soft-ground
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Soft ground is a tallow- or grease-based etching ground that never hardens and is sensitive to the pressure of a drawing instrument. This method can create more subtle effects; a heavier mark results in a darker printed line.