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,