GianlucaMurasecchi
Born in Spoleto in 1965, he obtained a diploma in Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome in 1986. After extended periods of training in Brussels, Algiers, Geneva and Tallinn, he moved permanently to Rome, where he opened his own studio. He has been teaching Graphic Art – Engraving Techniques and Illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome since 2018.
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Three-year Course Programme
Years 1 and 2
- Historical, critical and technical overview of ancient and modern printmaking.
- Drypoint, etching, soft-ground, aquatint, sugar ink, mezzotint, rotogravure, woodcut using end-grain wood, PVC linoleum.
- Engraving drawings / Printing methods / Arrangement of tools in an intaglio workshop and use of woodcut and intaglio presses / Plate preparation / Bevelling and smoking.
- Direct engraving / Drypoint / Burin / Electric milling cutters and impact tools / Sharpening and use of burins / Use of the burnishing tool / Preparation of intaglio inks / Use of printing papers / Wetting and drying of paper / Transferring the design to the plate / Woodcut on PVC and linoleum.
- Indirect intaglio / Etching, soft-ground, aquatint techniques on zinc and copper / Preparation of acids for etching / Plan etching / Spot etching / Hand printing / Hot and cold inking / Negative, positive and half-tone printing / Aquatint with rosin, Judean bitumen, synthetic spray, and salt grain.
- Production of study drawings in the dedicated sketchbook / At least 10 enlargements (drawings in Indian ink, pen, charcoal, graphite, etc.) approved by the tutor, relating to preliminary studies, in 50 × 70 cm format for studies involving digital processing and photographic post-production with graphic interventions / 60 × 80 cm format for original works (drawings, graphic-pictorial techniques, collages, etc.) / For the first year of the course, the sizes are reduced to 35 x 50 cm.
- Production of at least 4 original intaglio prints with a minimum plate size of 35 x 50 cm / Or a series of plates covering at least this area of the work / For the first year of the course, the sizes are reduced to 25 x 17.5 cm.
Year 3
- Critical and technical overview of international contemporary printmaking, with detailed studies of renowned artists, art galleries, exhibitions and museums.
- Associated techniques / Drypoint on cardboard or plexiglass / Direct oil-based pencils or on aquatint.
- Printing with a plate / Soft-ground etching and application of materials on wax / Various types of punch / Lapis technique (direct or indirect roller) / Black technique – classic, with impure berceau and drypoint / Double-registered prints / Polychrome printing / French method (stencil printing) with prior preparation of the plate for the register / English method (poupée) – area inking on the same plate / Monotypes / Classic burin technique on copper or end grain wood / Plates for intaglio prints.
- Production of at least 6 original intaglio prints, 4 with a minimum plate size of 35 cm × 50 cm / 2 plates with a minimum size of 50 cm × 70 cm / or a series of plates suitable for printing on paper sizes of 50 cm × 70 cm or 100 cm × 70 cm, respectively.
- Drypoint printing using various materials / Endgrain woodcut or linoleum/PVC on a print size of 100 cm x 70 cm.
- Proposals for experimental and innovative techniques are permitted.
Use of a drill on plates – metal – wood – plastic / Use of various plates (cardboard, wood, plastic) / Use of a pyrograph on plates – wood – plastic / Use of a vibrating engraver on metal plates / Application of metal pastes (carborundum), various adhesives / Relief engraving / Printing on fabric in medium or large formats / Colour woodcut / Hand printing with a baren / Intaglio photoengraving / Photo reproduction on a printing plate and impression using the Art Printmaking technique / Scratched slide, etc. - Production of at least 10 enlargements (drawings approved by the tutor based on preliminary studies) in the format 100 cm x 70 cm (unless otherwise agreed with the tutor regarding the number, formats and techniques used) / Students working with digital techniques or mixed media may produce 10 works in the format 70 cm x 50 cm (unless otherwise agreed with the tutor regarding the number, formats and techniques used).
- Preparation and completion of the artistic project to be presented during the thesis defence; the artistic project may be realised in any medium, provided it is appropriate to the artistic vision to be expressed: therefore, projects created using video projections, performances, original drawings on large formats, artist’s books, photographs or photographic techniques,
techniques, photo collages, digital collages, sequences of art prints, experimental techniques, etc. are therefore permitted.
Materials
Enrolment in the course permits the use of engraving and printing tools (printing press, inks, tarlatane, acids, special varnishes, etc.) only in the presence of the lecturer and tutors.
Consumable materials (plates, printing paper, special inks, tarlatane, solvents, cloths, cleaning paper, etc.) and personal equipment are not provided by the Academy.
Materials required, mandatory or recommended for workshop work
- Zinc or copper plates for engraving, at least 13 x 18 cm in size. + One ball of etching wax and one ball of soft wax.
- A bottle of opaque engraving varnish.
- A multi-wick engraving candle.
- Common bristle brushes with a round and flat profile, in various sizes.
- Sheets of Hahnemühle light-weight printing paper, 50 x 70 cm.
- Sheets of Fabriano paper, 100 x 70 cm.
- A roll of packaging tape.
- Sheets of abrasive paper for metals (800, 1,000, 1,200).
- Steel engraving pencils in various shapes.
- A scraper-burnisher.
- A notebook for preliminary studies and designs.
- Plenty of rags.
- A craft knife.
- At least one litre of white spirit.
- At least one litre of denatured alcohol.
- Spanish or Paris whitespirit to degrease the metal matrices for each metal engraving session.
A rigid cardboard folder, 50 x 70 cm.
Accident Prevention Regulations:
Personal equipment:
- Acid- and solvent-resistant mask,
- dust mask,
- Acid-resistant neoprene gloves.
Students with proven and documented allergies to substances used in the workshops (in particular solvents, alcohol, bitumen and rosin, ferric perchloride, nitric acid) are required to inform the lecturer, the workshop technician and their tutor.
Recommended core reading list:
G. Maffei, Il libro d’artista, ed. Sylvestre Bonnard, Milan, 2003 Various authors,, Le tecniche artistiche, ed. Mursia, Milan, 1981
Various authors, La xilografia, ed. De Luca, Rome, 2001
Various authors, Bulino, puntasecca, maniera nera. Le tecniche calcografiche d’incisione diretta, Ed. De Luca, Rome, 2003
Vv.Aa., Acquaforte, acquatinta, lavis, vernice molle. Le tecniche d’incisione calcografica indiretta, Ed. De Luca, 2005;
Guido Strazza, Il Segno e il Senso, ed. De Luca, Rome 2023.
Examination methods:
The examinations will consist of a public presentation, either in the classroom or online, of the student’s expressive, conceptual and technical research.
In view of the ongoing COVID-19 health emergency, this programme may be subject to changes.
At the end of the presentations, the grades will be confirmed in private.
Programme
Topics
In the Illustration course, students will be required to experiment with creative writing by producing a text; for the 2023/2024 academic year, this text will focus on the themes of ‘Memory’ and ‘The Infinite’. The lecturer will edit the submitted texts.
The story will be illustrated by the students in an art edition containing at least 5 original plates. Projects will be assessed primarily on the basis of artists’ books, graphic novels or extended sets of illustrations (beyond the minimum requirement of 5 plates).
For those who do not wish to undertake a creative writing exercise (the creative writing exercise is only intended for Graphic Art students who wish to try their hand at this activity), it is suggested that they illustrate one of the short stories by Dino Buzzati attached to the digital course materials on the TEAMS platform.
The edition containing the original works will subsequently be scanned, and at least 3 digital copies of it will be printed in a smaller format than the copy containing the originals, one of which will be kept in the Illustration course archive. Should any students be unable to produce a copy containing the originals, the illustrations created on loose sheets will be scanned, and the edition will be laid out for printing in three hard copies.
Students are also required to produce 5 works measuring 35 × 50 cm using the same technique and visual aesthetic chosen for the plates included in the printed edition, although these works may depict themes other than those related to the edition.
Attendance
Compulsory attendance is 4/5 of the duration of the course, i.e. 80% of the lectures.
Aims
The Illustration course aims to train young artists to present their work effectively in the context of art galleries that also promote artists’ books, art publishers and professional commercial publishers, by developing and enhancing each student’s unique characteristics in an original and distinctive way. During the first semester, a series of sessions will be scheduled to review the works produced in the past by each student and to identify a way of synthesising the techniques that can best be interpreted by the various artists in training. There will be no restrictions on the techniques to be used; these will be selected and discussed with the lecturer on a case-by-case basis. The course is primarily focused on designing editions aimed at users aged 14 and over, although projects targeting a younger age group will also be accepted with the utmost consideration. As part of the course, students will be informed of competitions in which they may participate on the side. At the end of the course, each student must therefore have completed a project that is suitable for presentation to professionals in the sector in various capacities.
Lesson topics
Review of work in progress and illustration workshop.
Lectures will be held at the start of each Thursday’s class. The lectures will focus on the History of International Illustration, Experimental Editions by International Artists, the Study of Characters, Drawing with Lecturer Guidance, the Language of Storytelling and Fairy Tales,
contemporary illustration, works of art in publishing contexts, a study of the techniques used by renowned illustrators, texture, light and shading, visual communication, copyright, creative thinking, marketing, photography, etc.
The techniques used will be decided on an individual basis and will encompass all validly usable techniques, such as: graphite, coloured pencils, India ink, pen, watercolour, tempera, acrylic, oil, oil-based wax pastels, crete, Pantone, etc., and digital techniques; in other words, the choice of techniques used will be determined by the student’s style, target audience and personal artistic vision.
Exam format
Examinations will take the form of a public presentation, either in the classroom or online, of the student’s expressive, conceptual and technical explorations. The preliminary drawings leading up to the final project will also be assessed.
Grades will be confirmed at the end of the presentations.
Passing the examination entitles the student to 6 CFA credits for the three-year course.
Recommended core reading list
– How to Create a Portfolio and Get Work, by Fig Taylor, 2014, Logos, paperback, 160 pages.
– Illustrazione – L’immaginario per professione, by Alessandro Bonaccorsi, 2013, Alkemia Books.
– How to Be an Illustrator, by Darrel Rees, 2008, Laurence King Publishing. – New Edition, 2014, Paperback, 160 pages.
– ART Inc., by Lisa Congdon, 2014, Chronicle Books, Paperback, 184 pages – Available as an e-book.
– The Education of an Illustrator, by Steven Heller and Marshall Arisman, 2000, Allworth Press, Paperback, 294 pages.
– The Uses of Enchantment by Bruno Bettelheim, Feltrinelli.
Syllabus
Topics
As part of the Illustration course, students will be required to experiment with creative writing by producing a text; for the 2023/2024 academic year, this text will focus on the themes: ‘Sacrifice’ or ‘The Afterlife’. The lecturer will edit the submitted texts.
Students will illustrate the story in an art edition containing at least 5 original plates. Projects will be assessed primarily on the basis of artists’ books, graphic novels, or extended sets of illustrations (beyond the minimum requirement of 5 plates).
For those who do not wish to undertake a creative writing exercise (the creative writing exercise is only intended for Art and Graphics students who wish to try their hand at this activity), it is proposed that they illustrate one of the short stories by Jorge Luis Borges from his 1949 collection ‘The Aleph’ or, for students participating in the Erasmus programme, one of the Grimm brothers’ ‘Fairy Tales’; these stories are included in the digital course materials on the TEAMS platform.
The edition containing the original works will subsequently be scanned, and at least 3 digital copies of it will be printed in a smaller format than the copy containing the originals, one of which will be kept in the Illustration course archive. Should any students be unable to produce a copy containing the originals, the illustrations created on loose sheets will be scanned, and the edition will be laid out for printing in three hard copies.
Students are also required to produce 5 works measuring 100 × 70 cm or no less than 70 × 50 cm, executed using the same technique and visual poetics chosen for the plates included in the printed edition, but which may depict themes unrelated to the edition.
Attendance
Compulsory attendance is 4/5 of the duration of the course, i.e., 80% of the lectures.
Purpose
The Illustration course aims to train young artists to present their work effectively to art galleries that also promote artists’ books, art publishers and professional commercial publishers, by developing and enhancing the distinctive characteristics of each student in an original and recognisable way. There will be no restrictions on the techniques to be used; these will be selected and discussed with the lecturer on a case-by-case basis. The course is primarily focused on designing publications aimed at users aged 14 and over, although projects targeting a younger age group will also be accepted with the utmost consideration. As part of the course, students will be informed of competitions in which they may participate on the side. By the end of the course, each student must therefore have completed a project that is suitable for presentation to professionals in the sector in various capacities.
Lesson topics
Review of work in progress and illustration workshop.
Lectures will be held at the start of each Thursday’s class. The lectures will cover the history of international illustration, experimental editions produced by international artists, the study of characters, drawing with the lecturer’s guidance, the language of storytelling and fairy tales, contemporary illustration, works of art in publishing contexts, the study of techniques used by renowned illustrators, textures, light and shading, visual communication, copyright, creative thinking, marketing, photography, etc.
The techniques used will be decided on an individual basis and will encompass all validly usable techniques, such as: graphite, coloured pencils, India ink, pen, watercolour, tempera, acrylic, oil, oil-based wax pastels, crete, Pantone, etc., and digital techniques; in other words, the choice of techniques used will be determined by the style, the target audience and the individual artistic vision.
Exam format
Examinations will consist of a public presentation, either in the classroom or online, of the student’s expressive, conceptual and technical research. Preliminary drawings leading up to the definition of the project will also be assessed.
Grades will be confirmed at the end of the presentations.
Recommended core reading list
– How to Build a Portfolio and Get a Job, by Fig Taylor, 2014, Logos Paperback, 160 pages.
– Illustrazione – L’immaginario per professione, by Alessandro Bonaccorsi, 2013, Alkemia Books.
– How to Be an Illustrator, by Darrel Rees, 2008, Laurence King Publishing. – New Edition, 2014, Paperback, 160 pages.
– ART Inc., by Lisa Congdon, 2014, Chronicle Books, Paperback, 184 pages – Available as an e-book.
– The Education of an Illustrator, by Steven Heller and Marshall Arisman, 2000, Allworth Press, Paperback, 294 pages.
– The Uses of Enchantment by Bruno Bettelheim, Feltrinelli.