A printmaking named Landscape with Cats [Photo/Baotou Daily]

Printmaking, an art form that can be traced back thousands of years, is the art of creating pictures by carving or etching images onto materials such as wood, stone, and copper, using a knife or chisel.

Through the process of inheritance and development, the use of artistic imagination, modern artists' creativity and the artistic characteristics of printmaking itself, people are now taking this ancient art form to a new level. 

Baotou artisans have added elements of the open-minded and poetic grassland culture to printmaking.

According to Wang Haiyan, president of Baotou Printmaking Association, the "Mezzotint" technique, which is the most difficult to master in printmaking, can show different levels of shadow and light, achieving these effects through very delicate gradation.

"With the development of science and technology, there will be more materials and techniques in printmaking, so we can achieve richer expressions," Wang added. 

A piece of printmaking titled Dreamers [Photo/Baotou Daily]

A new set of desk calendars for 2021 featuring colorful printmaking pictures was launched in early December.

The calendar sets are part of efforts being made by the Baotou Printmaking Association to raise the profile of the art of printmaking.

This year marks the fifth consecutive year that Baotou Printmaking Association has launched an original printmaking desk calendar set, since the association first introduced the calendar under the theme of "Prairie Memories" in 2017.

Wang intends to make the printmaking desk calendar every year for 12 years - the Chinese Zodiac runs on a 12-year cycle - to fully portray grassland culture and other regional characteristic cultural elements, and to tell stories of Inner Mongolia.

Wang Haiyan engaged in creating printmaking artwork [Photo/Baotou Daily]