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Croton, first cut of the lino block, 12 x 9" |
This is one of several small projects I have going on at the moment, some of them involving printmaking. It's a reduction linocut with five colours planned -- too ambitious, maybe, but I can't see a way of doing it with less. It could go horribly wrong at any time, a slip of the cutting tool and so on, but right now I'm hopeful, and keen to see it taking shape. I've used markers to indicate where some of the colours are, it's too easy to cut the wrong bits. I'll be printing it by hand unless I can find somewhere in Port of Spain with a relief press or etching press.
There was a lot of preliminary work to get to this point. I didn't like the first drawing (which took hours) so I ditched it and started over, and a gouache study didn't look promising for making a painting. The strongly variegated foliage suggested that a linocut would be worth a try, so here goes. But of course I won't know until the end.
I will update this as it goes along. I may have to stock up on paper or ink before printing the first colour. With a reduction linocut you get only one chance.
7 comments:
Looking good , Mary. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Haven't done reduction linocut - idea scares me, as you say - one wrong move..... Anyway, you seen to have it all under control so far and like the design you've done.
Best wishes, Lynn
The colours look lovely Mary.
Thanks Lynn and CB. Hoping to pull the first colour in the next few days, will post the stages.
hello Mary, at long last I've organised myself to visit your blog - I'm such a slowcoach! Seems I've chosen a good moment, though, as you have just embarked on a linocut. It is impressively clear, and I see from your notes that you are burnishing by hand so I take my hat off to you, I know from hard experience that achieving a good result like this is no easy feat.
Hi Roberta, thanks for visiting. I'm hoping to print the first colour this week.
I really like the simplicity of the lines and the gorgeous tropical feel to your design. It looks great.
I don't enjoy reduction lino techniques because it destroys the block.
Hi Carol and thanks. you're so right about destroying the block with the reduction method. On the plus side it costs so much less, one block vs five. Not sure yet which way I'll go next time. I've heard of a new form of lino which can be repaired if mishaps occur during cutting which sounds worth chasing up.
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