About Printmaking
Linocut printmaking
It’s a common misconception that lino prints are digitally produced prints, designed on a computer and printed by a commercial print company. Simply put, this is not so. So let’s shed some light on what lino printing (or linocut printmaking) actually is.
While some artists do choose to convert their lino prints into digital art (by scanning or taking a photo of the lino print and then getting a digital printing business to do print runs of that image in various paper sizes and amounts), creating that artwork in the first place is a beautiful and skillful art.
The process
Linocut printmaking is a form of relief printing, where ink is kept in place because certain areas of a block are carved away, leaving other areas raised or standing in relief (where the ink is held).
My Lino blocks for “Collectables 2021” with the Maleny Printmakers
The printmaker rolls ink onto the block by means of a roller, called a brayer, that distributes the ink onto the raised or relief parts of the block. The carved away parts don’t touch the brayer, so they don’t get inked.
The artist then presses a flat material to the block, such as paper, and the ink is transferred onto it, producing a reversed image of the design that was carved onto the block. This requires a bit of focus during the design phase, as having a reverse of the image as the end product, can have a significant impact on how the artwork will turn out, particularly if words are included in the design or the image is of a known landscape with distinct features and orientation.
Pressing can be done by burnishing (or pressing) with various implements including wooden or metal spoons, specially made burnishing tools called barens, or by means of a printing press. The artist then repeats the inking process for as many prints as they want to make.
Personally I meander between using a glass Iron Frog Baren, a Woodzilla A2 printing press, and the back of a metal spoon. It all depends on the size of my print and the paper I am using.
I choose to use Silk Cut linoleum for my printmaking as it is the most eco-friendly option available (made from natural raw materials such as cork, linseed oil, limestone, resin and wood flour, making it fully biodegradable), and it is beautiful to work with.
Lino prints from my “Collectables 2021” series
Depending on the design, the level of detail and the size, one artwork can take from a few hours to a few months to carve. Then, depending on how many prints the artist decides to produce, the printing process can take from a few hours to a few days.
I use quality Sakura and Cranfield Caligo Safe Wash Relief inks, so each print takes a few days to a week to dry (depending on the humidity).
I also like to use copper metal foil in a lot of my designs, which ads to the detail and time it takes to create each piece.
So you can see the whole process from start to finish is quite a journey. And this doesn’t even include the time needed to daydream, conceptualise, design, sketch and transfer the illustration/design onto the linoleum prior to carving!
Each step of the way requires its own intention, attention and energy. There are many layers to the process and this is why I love and appreciate printmaking as an artform so much.
I hope you appreciate the world of linocut printmaking a little more now too.
Learn more about the detail and process that goes into each artwork I make in my Journal.
Relief printmaking description credit: Modified from Maleny Printmakers