videos
A series from The Museum of Modern Art
Renaissance Watercolours: materials and techniques
Find out what qualities of watercolor made it the medium of choice for many Renaissance illuminated manuscripts, portrait miniatures and colored drawings
Science and Paper: Conserving a Drypoint by Michael Heizer
Before conducting a treatment on these large prints, conservators weighed the long-term risks and rewards.
Henri Matisse: Conserving The Swimming Pool
Matisse lived with his cut-out pool until his death. See how its conservators are preserving it for future viewers.
Conserving Old Master Drawings
Old master drawings are particularly vulnerable since they are on paper and hundreds of years old.
Drawing with Charcoal: Historical Techniques of 19th-Century France
These charred wood pieces produce a range of tones. Easily reworked, they’re also easily lost without a fixative.
Making manuscripts
From scraping skin and cutting quills to painting and bookbinding, making a manuscript is a long, complex process.
Introduction to intaglio
In this printmaking technique, the image is incised into the flat surface of a plate.
Relief process
No press required! Watch as a woodblock and a linoleum sheet are cut, prepared, inked, and printed.
Introduction to relief printmaking
Using a raised image covered in ink, this is the earliest and most accessible form of printmaking.
