Liz: almost got one finished...

...nearly.

Michael: More multiple linoblocks

Another, more abstract, image based on Ashdown Forest, realised as a three-block linocut.



The first block is the paler pink (it's actually burnt sienna with lots of white); the second block is the darker pink; and the third block is the black. The "black" it actually black with quite a lot burnt sienna added: pure black is too cold and hard on its own.

Then I tried printing the blocks on coloured paper. The yellow makes the image much warmer.


I liked this, so I experimented a bit more. This time, I used another square of uncut lino to print a plain black background, and then printed the blocks in a different colours:



And then in completely different colours...

Michael: Multiple blocks, multiple colours

The good things about making linocuts with multiple blocks is that you can try multiple colours...


Pink...


and purple...


and green...


and brown...


and yellow.

Then all you have to do is decide which one you like best.

Michael: Multiple block linocut

I've been trying multiple block linocuts; never got them to work satisfactorily before, but that's no reason for not trying again.

This one is printed from three blocks. I cut this block first:



I transferred this block onto the other two blocks, and then cut those. The first block has just the moon cut out.



The second block has some distant hills and a track between the trees.



Then I printed all three blocks together.


Forest moon. Linocut, 10 x 7 cm.

Michael: Happy sheep

Happy sheep!
I've got those hap-hap-happy sheep!
Give them a low-down bleat
And they begin dancing!


Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 15 cm.

Well, somebody had to do it.

Michael: Another collagraph landscape

Another collagraphed landscape, and I'm at last getting somewhere that I want to be.


Approx A4.

Except it isn't really collagraph: there wasn't any sticking. It's printed from strips of foamboard, which has two useful features: the smooth surface makes it easier to print flat even colours; and when you bend it, it creases, breaking up the surface and creating unpredictable textures.

Michael: More collagraph landscape

This is another landscape, made from string and card and tape and paper, printed in white and black inks onto brown kraft paper, and then the sun stencilled on.


Approx A4.

Perhaps collagraph is starting make sense now.

Michael: Collagraph landscape

Still fighting to get collagraph to "work". I managed to stick enough paper and string and card and foil and even leaves to a couple of backing boards to make a landscape.

I experimented with printing the first board in white ink onto coloured paper, the second board in black, and then stencilling a circle for the sun.



It's difficult to get enough ink onto the uneven surface of the collagraph plate; you can see how the density increases with successive prints, but it's possible to have some control over this with careful burnishing.







All: Collagraph on paper, A5.

Michael: Tractor collagraph

Still struggling with collagraph. At last, I managed to make this image by printing individual textures separately.


Tractor, A3

For example, the furrows of the ploughed field are printed from corrugated card; the clouds with a kitchen sponge; and the trees with, appropriately, leaves.

Michael: Owl collagraph

I tried collagraph: printing from found textures. You stick stuff onto a board, and then print from it. It's a lot more difficult than it sounds.

I printed an owl.



Paper owl. Collagraph, A3.

The printing plate is made from paper, kitchen towel, tin foil, corrugated card, kraft paper... anything I could find. The interesting thing about collagraph is that makes you see things differently: anything with a texture you pick up and think, "I could ink that".

But I'm yet to be convinced that all the work involved is worth it.

Michael: Cello and collé

Looking for easier ways of applying colours to black-and-white linocuts, I tried the chine collé method which is more commonly used in etching.

I cut the tissue paper to shape, glued the back of it with PVA, put it on the inked linoblock, and then printed it.

It didn't work. Glue everywhere, except on the tissue paper, which floated and moved around.



Then I tried sticking the tissue paper to the printing paper. When it was dry, I printed the block on top. The extra thickness of the tissue paper made it more difficult to burnish, so I tried thinner printing paper. This was more successful. For this example, I used kraft paper instead of tissue paper.



Fiddling with tiny bits of tissue paper gets frustrating quickly. So I cut larger pieces, aligning them only roughly with the image.



This is starting to work.

Even better when I didn't trim the paper to the shape of the block.

Michael: Bella and the cello

I made this black and white linocut, inspired by a recent session at our life drawing group.


Bella and the cello. Linocut, 10 x 15 cm.

As a quick way of adding some colour, I printed the block onto yellow paper...



... and then onto brown kraft paper...



... and then in ultramarine ink on white paper.

Michael: Hummingbird again

More colour experiments with the styrofoam print.

I printed the background in different shades of green, cut away the leave outlines, and then printed it again in a different shade. Then I printed the bird shape on top.





I think this last one is the most successful:



Finally, I printed the bird on its own.

Michael: Hummingbird print

More experimenting with sytrofoam prints: this time, trying to work out how to get more colour into the print. First, I checked that the drawing was adequate by printing it in black.



I applied coloured ink using card tabs and paper.



Then I cut out the hummingbird from the background, and inked the parts separately.



I carved more of the background, and then printed the plates again.



More experiments to follow...

Michael: Printmaking with styrofoam

In preparation for the printmaking course that I am teaching at the South East School of Art, I've been experimenting with styrofoam printmaking. Styrofoam is the soft plastic that you find under pizzas sometimes. It's very easy and quick to work with.

I started with a drawing of a street in Trastevere in Rome. I indented the drawing onto an A4 sheet of styrofoam, inked it, and then printed it by hand. I first printed the block in black; the lines that I indented onto the block appear as white.



Then I printed the block in white ink onto black paper, so this time the lines that I indented show as positive marks.



The ink is a bit blotchy in places where I applied too much.

A quick way of adding colour is to print onto coloured paper. Here's the block again, printed on red paper.



Finally, I cut away some of the block where I wanted bigger light areas, and printed it in warm brown sienna onto light brown pastel paper.