Topkapi Print and Movember

This month is #portraitnovember on Twitter. I don’t really do much in the way of portraits as such, but this morning Chris also told me it’s “ Movember “ this month when men and maybe women will endeavour to grow moustaches to raise money for men’s health. It’s both worthy and fun.

So in order to get some more lino cutting practise, do a portrait for #portraitnovember and give a hat tip to Movember, I decided  to rework an illustration from years ago.

The original was a small scraperboard I made for the poem “ Topkapi”  by John Fuller in a poetry anthology and seemed worth trying it in a different medium. It also saves me a bit of time.

Scraperboard is not a million miles away from lino. It was a medium I loved working in but sadly, the excellent profession grade white Essdee scraperboard is not available any more. You can work in a very fine detail on scraperboard ..so completely different from lino…or I should say from my rather chunky and inexperienced cutting.

I made a rough sketch based on my illustration and when I was transferring it to the block it occurred to me to make him a moustache vendor.
I cut a quick lino block and made an initial proof . It needs work and a bit of reorganisation but hopefully it will look something like this .

First proof image 6 x6.5 inches

It will be interesting to see how/if it works. The flying moustaches are like little birds or perhaps escaping worms,  I like that. I shall call it The Moustache Seller :).

Revisiting Fly Bee Night

Today I wanted to have another look at my one and only woodcut which I made a couple of years ago in a one day “off campus” workshop with the very excellent Leicester Print Workshop.

In just one day it was quite a challenge to get the block cut once, printed, cut again for the second colour then printed again. As with all group workshops there were the usual waits to use the equipment which, combined with my uncertainty of how to go about it all,  slowed me up a good deal. If I had known what I was doing I would have concentrated on making more prints of the first colour, but I did want to see if and how a reduction print worked so galloped on. I ended up with only two reasonable 2 colour prints and three with just one colour.

 
My only two finished prints, one was too pale.

 
The one good print “Fly Bee Night” approx A3  14” x17 “

Being a workshop away from their print studio, it had to be an unfussy process, which was great, using basic materials, B&Q cheap plywood and the back of a spoon to burnish. I have to admit I was rather surprised with the result. It was my first introduction to Japanese Kozo paper too and that was a revelation.

So today, as I still have the final plate of the black image, I made a quick impression  to see what exactly it looks like alone and what I can do with it.

 
The new impression on the left, a print of the old, first colour to the right and the plywood plate underneath.

If I can get the registration right I can complete the other three single colour prints or I can cut another plate for a background.
I think its worth persevering and experimenting with.

There will be cards …soon…

Roller Print for Header

Today’s print is a quick lino cut of a roller. I wanted an image for the header of this blog and a roller may seem a bit obvious but it does describe what I am doing and there is no time for procrastinating.

I actually quite like it and tried a bit of dual colour printing which is tricky. The black ink too over the red but it worked to a certain extent. I used rather gloopy water based ink and I think the first hand printed image on Kozo paper was better.

The lino block, the print on Kozo and on ordinary paper.

This is one I like and I am finding the relative softness of the kozo paper is very pleasing.I like the character of the slightly patchy inking. I am sure that is frowned upon by print perfectionists but I hope I never become one of them. There is nothing like perfection to knock all the character out of something..or someone come to that,

Roller image size 3 x 6”  on Kozo Paper hand printed
I have some plans to use it on my yet-to-be-designed website with some other graphic elements.

I then took a section of it and made the header in Photoshop,  as you see it above. It will do for now but may get a bit more tweaking.

First Typecutting Attempt

I want to make a couple more prints roughly based around the style of Rook. I had printed Rook at St Brides in London and the lettering was printed from nice old wooden type. As I don’t have any and  its now terribly expensive to buy, I will have to try to cut it myself.

I sketched it out based on the Rook type which was a nice old slab serif ..the R was expanded and had a nice curl at the bottom. I thought the word “Pig” should be not be too difficult but it is the first time I have tried anything so  disciplined, my cutting is a bit free form so far. I found the curves very difficult. The edges of the lino crumbled here and there and there were quite a few inevitable slips but it was good discipline and I can only improve with more practice and knowledge of my materials.

I only had time to take a couple of proofs on computer paper which show all the problem areas only too well. I am going to try a single letter on the rubbery Easicut stuff to see if that is easier….It should really be an S just to try to improve my cutting of curves. But I think I will try the G again.

Sketching out the type based on Rook

 

The lino cut

First proofs

A Better Pig

A slightly better print today using oil based inks for the black, on top of two layers of waterbased for quick drying.

Prints and Things

From the beginning of November  I am hoping to print something most days and to post the result here. It's good for me to have the blog as both prompt and task master.

Although I have done a little printmaking I really know nothing! I have to consider myself as a beginner printmaker..
Here are a few recent prints:

Pigs: a side line for Chris' blog. Salute the Pig




Some first pig lino cuts

Some Bees: these were done for the Easton show

On the Press

Big Blue Bee



 

And in more colours,,
 



and  a few more,


 

A Sideways Step into Print and a Big Blue Bee

I have regarded this year as one of experimentation, I have researched, studied, thought and made many, many sketches and notes, more than I could ever put on the blog. It’s been a year to meet other artists and share ideas and to explore some new directions.  It has been illuminating.

Letterpress, Print and Books
Number one on my list will be my delayed side step into printmaking. I now have my lovely small Rollaco Press, my big old Cropper Charlton nipping press and a little old Adana housed in the garage and we are ready to go. 

 
Rollaco Press with bee


The big old nipping press with my much prized Boxcar Press apron.

  
Adana poised and ready….

I had been exploring letterpress again when I was in Orlando with the very excellent guys at Mamas Sauce whose enthusiasm and dedication to all things printy was so inspiring.



 
Mamas Sauce Printshop in Orlando

Although we are not there anymore I still keep up with what they are doing. See their site for some wonderful printmaking, links and videos.
There will be planned returns to St Brides in London where I printed “Rook” …


St Brides Foundation London Print Museum and Courses.

And a hopeful trip to the USA to the fabulous Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum next year.
There will be making small books, inspirational prints and maybe a ranting broadside or two.

So adventures with lino and the press started just this week with a very simple bee! (what else). The huge new queen Bombus terrestris are out and about. They were my inspiration and  I may call her the “Easton Bee” in tribute!


 Many bees


And in other colours too!


Big Blue Bee for Easton


Image 6x4”reduction print on Hosho paper.

I will be starting the printmaking in earnest soon!