Lino Print Workshop

I have done a few lino prints before on my previous course, and cut some tribal mask designs. But the workshop was useful to remind me of the basics. I decided to have a go at cutting one of my stair case roughs to see how it would translate into print. I chose this design because its not like anything I've done before and has lots of straight and parallel line work and would be fun to have a go at cutting. 

printed in the press:

• Its good to note that when cutting lines straight into the lino it will print as a negative, so everywhere that you cut will be white (paper colour), and everything that you leave will be black (printed). 
• I find it is a good way to get a sharp and angular line quality, I think it would be interesting to have a go at a more complex and less linear design that has more of the black removed.. Looking less like a negative.
• Looking at the design now I wish I had cut away the black background, it would have worked a lot better and made the image appear less flat and lifeless.
• Its interesting how the lino creates a border and contains the image within a certain space, It would be interesting to see how you can work around that, especially because we are making a matching set of prints. 
• Theres is two ways to print the lino... Putting in a press, which gives a very solid black mechanical print. Or pressing it by hand which leaves noise and distortion in the print, which can give a really unique hand crafted aesthetic to the designs.

printed by hand:

This is my favourite print, I altered the levels slightly on photoshop to enhance the image. I really like some of the uncontrollable distortion and marks that have come through, it gives the print an authentic character. This combined with the mono printing has changed the direction of my project, i'm unsure weather I want to make such neat and precise screen printed designs, and maybe look for more rough/hand crafted results..

•  I really enjoyed cutting the lino and think it works well with the way I naturally produce line. Line quality in lino prints is often solid, bold and graphic, and is difficult to produce feathery and light line work. I will consider how lino can be used to craft my future designs.