Erasmus+ for teachers - KA1 - professional developement course
Introducing Sustainable Processes in Printmaking
September 22 – 26, 2025
This Course is recommended for Art teachers and laboratory technicians of all schools
Introducing Sustainable Processes in Printmaking
Course Contents
This Course consists of a series of four 4-hour workshops on intaglio engraving techniques with sustainable approach and materials, followoed by an entire day dedicated to printing.
Participants will be introduced to the most recent and innovative research on less-toxic engraving and printing processes.
- Hard Ground Etching
- Soft Ground Etching
- Aquatint
- Coffee Lift
- Print Day!
Introducing Sustainable Processes in Printmaking
Learning Outcomes
Introducing Sustainable Processes in Printmaking
Our Teaching Methods
In our lessons, there is always a harmonious balance between theory and practice. Since the techniques we teach are the result of centuries of research and experimentation, manual activity is preceded by an introduction that allows understanding within its historical, economic, and social context.
The lessons are further supported by visits to museums, libraries, and print collections. Examples provided by our collection of prints and artists’ books also contribute to the learning experience.
Our goal is to obtain tangible results. Our participants complete their educational journey by creating a folded edition of their prints.
More Information
Scuola Internazionale di Grafica OID
E10011003
Educators, trainers, school administrators, and other personnel from educational institutions are qualified to receive an Erasmus+ grant, which caters to all costs related to participation in our training courses. This inclusive grant encompasses travel, accommodations, meals, cultural activities, and all associated fees.
Our training courses for teaching and non-teaching staff fall under Key Action 1 (KA121-SCH and KA121-SCH in the field of school education, KA121-ADU and KA122-ADU in the field of adult education, KA121-VET and KA122-VET in the field of technical and vocational education and training)
This course will be offered on the following dates:
September 8 – 18, 2025
Registration deadline: 15 days before the course begins
Program Fees amount to €650,00, to be paid as follows:
- Registration Fee: €100,00
Upon Course confirmation by the Scuola - Balance Fee: €550,00
30 days prior to the commencement of the Course
Payment Method
- Bank Transfer:
Beneficiary: Scuola Internazionale di Grafica
Banca della Marca Credito Cooperativo – San Marco 4403, 30124 Venice, Italy
IBAN – IT89A0708402005000000700651
SWIFT: ICRAITRRU40 - Online credit card:
https://shop.scuolagrafica.it/payments/
Fees include all materials needed for the hands-on workshops
Fees do not include
- Accommodation in Venice
- Meals
- Travel costs
- Local transportation costs
- Museum tickets
NB.: The Course schedule exclusively describes the training activities programmed at the Scuola. As this course takes place in Venice, we encourage all participants to take maximum advantage from the limitless resources the city offers by visiting as many art sites as possible in their free time.
Day 1
10:30 – 12:30 | Welcome to the Scuola | Presentation of the Course | Scuola’s collection of Prints and Artists’ Book
The participants are welcomed to the Scuola and guided by our staff for a tour of the premises.
After the tour, our team will showcase significant samples from the Scuola’s collection of prints and artists’ books.
The Course instructor Roberta Feoli will introduce the participants to a brief history of the ‘green movement’ in printmaking.
14:00 – 18:00 | Hard Ground Etching
4-HOUR HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
Etching is among the most famous and fascinating indirect engraving techniques, created with the use of mordants to generate engraved signs. This workshop aims to present this ancient process in a contemporary and sustainable perspective.
Our instructor will guide students to process the zinc plates, from the polishing and bevelling to the application of the BIG paint, and finally, to the completion of the hardground etch and print. Students will complete the etching with a blue salt, utilise a mordant classified as less toxic, and create a small print on Fabriano printing paper with washable soy-based inks.
Day 2
09:30 – 13:30 | Soft Ground Etching
4-HOUR HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
Soft Ground is the intaglio technique that provides us with the softness of the sign in print in pencil, and allows us to imprint textures and various materials on the surface of the metal plate.
In this Workshop we will discover BIG ground, a substitute for the traditional process of softground.
We will compare the results of different paints, analizing the limits and innovative advantages that contemporary products offer us.
The metal matrices will be etched with copper sulphate, a saline mordant that can replace the traditional acids used for these processes.
Participants will work on their own engraving, guided through the various steps. We will conclude the work by printing the matrices on the intaglio press with sustainable inks that do not require the use of solvents.
Day 3
09:30 – 13:30 | Aquatint
4-HOUR HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
Aquatint is an important intaglio technique that allows the creation of areas from different tones in the engraving. It can be achieved with various methods: in this workshop we will approach the most sustainable ones.
During the workshop we will explore the options that will allow us to refrain from the use of rosin, a highly toxic and volatile powder.
We will engrave zinc matrices with copper suplhate, a saline mordant, protecting the areas not to be engraved with acrylic paint and other products whose performance and sustainability we will analyze.
Partecipants will work on their own matrix followed step by step by the instructor. We will conclude by printing the matrices on the intaglio press with sustainable inks that do not rely on the use of solvents.
Day 4
09:30 – 13:30 | Coffee Lift
4-HOUR HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
Coffee Lift is an printmaking technique that consists in the application of soluble coffee on the metal plate, creating a free and spontaneous design with dropper and brush.
The coffee-lift engraving process takes place with the use of the Big protective ink and acid, in our case copper sulphate. The printed result gives an effect similar to ink sketch with tonal effects.
This is a fascinating and fun technique. During the course we will discover step by step the process of creating the matrix and the printing, analyzing the advantages and limitations of different approaches and materials.
Day 5
10:30 – 13:30 | 14:30 – 17:30 | Print Day!
6-HOUR HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
The final day of the Workshops series on sustainable printmaking will be dedicated to printing, to the creation of an edition folder and, to a final critique.
In this workshop we will demonstrate different printing techniques to enrich the knowledge of our students, in the creation of the matrices as well as in the many possibilities of printing the plates.
There will be demonstrations of poupée printing, chine-collée printing, printing with two or more plates (double stroke) and a specific study on Akua sustainable inks.
Roberta Feoli De Lucia
Engraver, printer, teacher, Feoli specialized in Printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino. She experimented with managing a print shop during her Erasmus at the Faculty of Fine Arts Alonso Cano in Granada and continued her studies at the IScuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, where she later became the print shop manager for about ten years. In 2018, she was a Guest Artist in the USA for Mixit Print Studio and Boston Printmakers, who invited her to give lectures to American universities and print shops. She also became the first Italian printmaker to obtain a specialization in less toxic printmaking techniques at Zea Mays Printmaking in Florence (Northampton), Massachusetts. She currently collaborates and serves as an external consultant for the Shepherd & Maudsleigh Studio in West Newton, Massachusetts.
In 2023, she partnered with Silvana Gaspari on the project “Charta picta – Opificio d’arte 2023,” an artist residency, traveling exhibition, and workshops related to the Vas Paper Mill. A member of the “People of Print” community, she is an active supporter of respectful and sustainable printing, organizing courses and conferences on the subject for years.
Franco Vecchiet
Born in Trieste, Vecchiet studied in Urbino, at the Academy of Ljubljana, and with H. Goetz in Venice. Until the 1980s, he primarily dedicated himself to printmaking, later adding painting to his repertoire and experimenting with artist books and installations.
He directed the School of Etching “Carlo Sbisà” in Trieste, and in 1999, he was invited to teach at the Higher Academy of Art in Paris. Subsequently, in 2009, he taught at Indiana University in the United States. He has curated over seventy solo exhibitions in various cities in Italy and abroad, participating in international exhibitions and biennials. In 1989, he was awarded the national Preseren Fund Prize in Ljubljana, and in 2004, he won the international competition for the mosaic on Transalpina Square in Gorizia. In 2006, he received the special jury prize at the Ex Tempore in Piran (Slovenia). In 2008, he was honored with the “Homage to Spacal” award for painting organized by the Kons association, and in 2012, he received the SKGZ recognition in Trieste for his artistic activity. In 2009, he was awarded the Grand Prix at the International Print Biennial in Sarcelles, Paris. In 2014, he was the protagonist of a personal retrospective exhibition at the Revoltella Museum of Modern Art in Trieste.
Matilde Dolcetti
A Venetian artist, the soul, and curator of art programs at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica. Since 1980, Dolcetti has worked alongside international artists at the school’s print shop and has taught for international institutions and universities.
She has conducted seminars at the Pontifical Catholic University (P.U.C.) in Rio de Janeiro, the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) in São Paulo, and later in Bremen for the Gerhard Marcks Haus Museum. Additionally, she has held seminars in Belgrade for the National Museum, in Boston at Boston University, and at Connecticut College in New London, CT, United States. She was part of the international jury for the IV Biennial of Art Graphics in Belgrade and was an Artist in Residence at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA, United States. She has had the opportunity to collaborate with masters such as Stanley William Hayter, Riccardo Licata, Jean M. Granier, Bruno Munari, Maria Lai, and Michael Mazur.
She has also participated in prestigious group exhibitions at the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris, the IX International Print Biennial in New London, CT (United States), and in 2022, she has been part of “Acqua è il mio colore / Water is my colour,” an exhibition celebrating the works of six artists who have been central to the world of watercolor at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice.
Alessia De Bortoli
Engraver, printer, and book artist, De Bortoli graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Printmaking. She continued her studies at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, following the teachings of the Scuola’s Masters: Matilde Dolcetti, Roberta Feoli, Franco Vecchiet, Loretta Cappanera, and international artists periodically present at the institution. Since 2019, she has been working in the print shop of the Scuola, initially as an assistant, then as the print shop manager and teacher of courses.
From 2018, she has participated in group exhibitions in Italy and abroad. Since 2019, she has particiipated in artist residencies in Germany at the Kloster Bentlage center in collaboration with the Münsterland Festival. Subsequently, in 2022, she completed a residency in the USA at the Zea Mays Printmaking studio, where she earned the “Green Printmaking certificate” for sustainable intaglio engraving methods.
She has taken part in various group exhibitions, including the VI Biennial of Engraving and Contemporary Graphics at the Civic Museums of Bassano del Grappa, the exhibition “Water – Works on Paper” at the Artery Cooperative in Northcote, Australia, and “Changing Landscapes – Paesaggi che cambiano,” organized by DARS for GrabGroup space in Pordenone.
Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of attendance. Upon request, they may also receive the Europass Mobility Certificate. These certificates adhere to Erasmus Quality Standards and provide a brief description of the course, its learning outcomes, dates, venues, the course provider’s name, and the course teachers.
Terms of Participation in the Erasmus+ Professional Developement Courses at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica
- The maximum number of admitted participants is 14 per Course. Enrollments are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
- To enroll in the Professional Developement Courses offered by the Scuola, participants are required to fill out the registration form available on the Scuola’s website →
- Participants are requested to ensure that the provided information is correct. Any changes to the registration information must be promptly emailed to the Scuola at info@scuolagrafica.it.
- Invoice: Upon acceptance into the Course, the Scuola will issue an electronic invoice to the institution funding the participant or directly to the participant if not funded by any institution.
- Registration: To confirm participation in the course and secure an available spot, participants are requested to pay a €100,00 registration fee upon acceptance by the Scuola. This fee is non-refundable. Balance fees are due no later than 15 calendar days from the start of the course.
- Payments: Fees can be paid through bank transfer or securely via credit card payment on the Scuola’s online shop→
- Cancellation & Refund Policies: The Scuola reserves the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen circumstances. In such instances, participants will receive a full refund. The Scuola bears no responsibility for any inability or delay in fulfilling obligations arising from circumstances beyond its control, which may include, but are not limited to, acts of nature, war, terrorism, or government regulations.
- Cancellation by the Participant: Cancellations before 60 days from the beginning of the Course are granted a full refund of the balance fees. Cancellations before 30 days from the beginning of the Course are granted a 50% refund of the balance fees. Cancellation within 30 days from the beginning of the Course will not be refunded. If the participant does not show up on the course’s starting day, no refund will be provided. In the event that, without having communicated their delay in writing, the participants appear on the following days after the course has started, they will not be admitted to participate, and no refund will be issued. Refunds, if due, will be issued within 10 days after receiving a formal cancellation email at info@scuolagrafica.it. At its discretion, the Scuola may consider exceptions to the cancellation policy in instances of documented emergencies or unforeseen circumstances..
- Participants may request to transfer their enrollment to a future course, subject to availability and approval from the Scuo
- For organizational reasons, the dates, instructors, and the curriculum of the course may undergo changes. In such a case, participants will be promptly informed and, upon their request, reimbursed the entire amount of the course.
- The Scuola Internazionale di Grafica functions as both a school and studio for artists. All participants are expected to adhere to the rules provided at the beginning of each course.
- The use of presses and working tools is strictly prohibited without the supervision of our qualified staff. The Scuola is not liable for any injuries resulting from non-compliance with our rules.
- Insurance: We recommend that participants purchase travel insurance for medical expenses, lost property, or any kind of accident occurring while travelling and during the course.
- Meals are not included in the course cost.
- Materials and Tools: The Scuola Internazionale di Grafica provides all necessary materials and tools for the course.
- Privacy: Participants acknowledge and accept that images of their work created at the Scuola, as well as their personal images, may be published on the Scuola’s website or social media profiles for promotional purposes.
- Accreditation Erasmus+: Participants must fulfill all course requirements to receive a certificate of accreditation Erasmus+.
- Competent Jurisdiction: For any dispute related to these Terms of Participation, the competent jurisdiction is that of Venice.
- The Scuola reserves the right to update or modify these Terms of Participation. Changes will be communicated to enrolled participants via email.
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