Year Two Day One Hundred and Twenty Two - Lino Cut Printing

Dear all, 

Today, I am attempting the nobel art of Lino Cut Printing! I started out by finding an image that I liked... Flowers trump most things for me in art class. 

I drew out my image and chose where all the various colours would be.

I then drew this image on my lino cut board using a safety board (v important.. especially for me) and very sharp and scary looking implements. 

Here is my first cut! Please note the direction of the tool ( away from the hand). 

And here is my first cut... very slight... but good to start small and work up as you layer the colours.

In the print studio, I got ready with all the equipment necessary including a roller and tracks and mixed my ink ( pale yellow). 

I cut my paper ( this took AGES); we use a very delicate Japanese Hand Made paper for the lino cut prints that needs to be cut carefully, piece by piece, with a sharp razer. 

I rolled out my ink on the slap and rolled it onto the lino block. 

I then placed my lino block on the press and used my newly hand made registration tool ( the L shaped Block) to position the block. 

I then placed the paper onto of the block and measured it against perpendicular lines that I had drawn on the L-Shape tool. 

I took away the tool and was ready to print!

After placing some paper on top of the block, I pulled it through the press using the lever at the side. FYI - Printing is an excellent upper body workout. 

And here is the first colour!

I then placed the print on the rack and started all over again... 20 more to go...

More updates tomorrow with my second colour!