Ashlee Marie Photography: Relief Printing and Linocuts

As I mentioned before, I started my Printmaking class at the KIA! Our first project is working with linoleum, creating print matrices. Relief print is the earliest form of printmaking and I was pumped to get started last week to learn how to do it. I have been having a ton of fun working on some sketches and etching some of my matrices at home. You can do relief printing with linoleum (linocut) or wood (woodcut). Linoleum is more fluid and smoother than wood, which is grainy.

Tools:

Matrix:

Print matrix (for us, we are using linoleum)
Linocut tools (can be purchased at Hobby Lobby for $10 to get started)
Sketchbook/source material
Drawing materials (pencils, pens, Sharpie, drawing pens)

Printing:

Ink (water or oil based)
Paper (Rives BFK highly recommended)
Brayer
Spatula
Wooden spoon/press (hand printing vs machine)
Newsprint
Simply Green (for cleaning matrix)

Making Your Matrix

I went to Hobby Lobby to purchase linoleum and linocut tools. The linoleum was $6.99 and the tools were $9.99, but if you know anything about Hobby Lobby, you know to look up their 40% off coupon before you checkout!

Later, at home, I cut my piece of linoleum in half so that I can make two designs. I would highly recommend this if you are 1) just learning how to do this or 2) have a lot of ideas for designs. If you are just learning how to do this, this gives you the freedom to play around with the different tools and get a feel for it. Plus, if you mess up or don't like what you are making, you have that extra half!

Here is my sketchbook with paper and a pen, lino cutters, and my linoleum. On the bottom left is linoleum with an ink coating and the other two, to the right, are untouched. Also the linoleum has been cut in half.

In my class, our teacher recommended rolling a layer of ink over our linoleum. That way we could see what we were cutting away. Remember, what you cut away will be white and the surface that remains will be black, so this is a nice visual representation of what your print will look like. For me, it is like thinking my tool is a pen and I am drawing my image. I did find that if I am not using my tool as a pen, so to speak, I like to just draw my image and then cut away the 'blank space'. I'm probably making this more confusing, so these pictures may clarify my rambling of words...

Black ink rolled onto linoleum. This is what the print will look like, like a negative.

Drawing my design onto the ink.

No ink on the linoleum.


This is what the ink will pick up on my matrix.

So I have done both forms and I feel that each works for me but in different situations.

ADVICE

1) Play around with the different tools. They all work great for different things but you won't know unless you starting playing around.

2) Cross-hatch for shading or shadows.

3) Cut up and away from you. Have a station or table set up to work at and always keep your free hand below your tool so that you don't cut yourself.

4) Have fun and free style! I only sketched ideas and then I altered them with my tools as I went along.

Printing

First, if you want to have your image centered on your paper, you must register it. You are basically make a template on some cheap paper. Put your matrix on the register paper and trace it. Then measure your printing paper and figure out how much room you need for margins. Then take the ruler to your register paper and draw the lines for your printing paper. Set your register paper and printing paper aside once you are finished.

For printing on linoleum, you can use water- or oil-based ink. Water-based is a little easier to clean up, however. I have been working on a glass table, but you might have a different set up. First you squeeze out some ink onto the glass. Then you use a flat spatula to warm it up (needed for oil-based but optional for water-based, though it does help to make sure there are no chunks). Then take your flat spatula and in a different spot, spread out a line of ink. Use your brayer to roll out the ink into a square or rectangle. Keep rolling until it looks nice and velvety. Once it looks velvety, do slow rolls onto your matrix (super fast rolls will pick up ink, while slower rolls lay it down). I spin my matrix to keep my rolls even and to cover the entire surface. You want to keep doing this until your matrix has the same velvety look.

For hand-printing, you will lay down your register paper on a clean surface. Then place your matrix on your template, face up, and then place your paper on the template. It is helpful to take a wax piece of paper and lay it across the top. This way your paper won't move and smudge while you are rubbing. Then take your wooden spoon and start rubbing your spoon around and around. It takes awhile and requires some arm muscle (it's a great workout!) but it works well for working at home without a $500+ printing press machine. You can peel up a corner to check on your progress. If it is still spotty, then keep working! Either it needs more pressing or there wasn't enough ink. A good way to test that, is to work in one area for awhile and see if it fills in.

For using a printing press, you will use the same process for the most part. You will lay down your template, your matrix, and then your printing paper. You will lay down the two large pieces of felt and then crank it through once you check the pressure (we set ours at 3 and 9). Once you start cranking, keep an even pace and don't stop halfway through! Once it comes through, the first thing you will check for is the embossment. Then, if it is there, you can lift up your print!

Hopefully you will have the lines from where you carved come through too! That is exciting because that screams relief print and really makes it authentic. You can see mine on my crazy guy below =)

Now play around and have some fun!!!

Oh and PS, clean your matrices when you are finished. Dab off some ink with newsprint and then clean the rest with Simply Green. Also, you can do rubbings with your newsprint and a crayon to see how your design looks before you print!