Lino Cutting Art - First Print

Finding My Way With Lino Cutting

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Actually Printing Something!

In my earlier post I concentrated on my learning how to cut the Lino artwork, and believe me the whole cutting process is an art unto itself (I have only scraped the surface - which seems like a very apt way to put it).

The second part of Lino cut printing is - of course - the printing itself and that’s exactly what I did at this week’s workshop session at the North Yorks Arts School.

What I concluded after finishing the cutting of my first practise work was that I was sorta still in a the dark a bit about just how my piece would turn out. Just looking at the raw lino cut you produce makes for more questions than answers - how good was my use of the tools, are my cuts deep enough to print well, how thin a cut is too thin and will it just disappear once the ink is applied?

It’s all rather - frustratingly - a bit of a mystery (for the beginner at least) until the moment you reveal you print.

Even working with the ink - the intermediate stage of this process - is something of a black art as for someone like myself who comes from a drawing and painting background there feels like there is something like a break with the direct tactile control you get as an artist with a pencil, pen or brush with ‘inking’…

I felt that I really did not know how (or even if) my artwork would work at this point, though once I applied the ink to the Lino with the roller it did give me my first hint at what my piece might look like (which was something of a relief).

Indeed, I actually felt like I was holding my breath at this point and was very nervous about what would come out after I committed my inked Lino to the press!!!

The Big Reveal

The person that I was working alongside side - another student at the class - caught the tense moment when she said - as the print bed rolled out - ‘and now the moment of truth’.

I lifted up the blanket which covers you Lino print and paper and even at this point the suspense is palpable as your paper rest face down so you still cannot see the results of you work… And then you lift up the paper, turn it around to reveal your print.

It worked! 😄

Above: My first test print...I was pleasantly surprised! The initial test is done using water based ink onto scrap paper, it's a chance for you to identify any flaws in either your lino cut itself or in your inking (in this case I had been a little frugal in my application of the ink as you cans see by the mottled areas). But otherwise I did not feel that any changes were required to the cutting itself.

I maybe making too much of this, and there should be no surprise that this whole process works (of course it does), but until you see that print you are full of doubt - or at least I was.

At this point you are just relieved and not so worried about the actual quality of the print. That would come later… And bear in mind that this first print is actually just the test print. It’s just a chance - using water based inks - to see if there is anything about your cutting work that isn’t working so that you can rectify your cut before committing to your final preying (called ‘the edition’).

As my first print, however, I was just happy to see that there was any print at all and wasn’t too worried about the quality of my Lino cutting or clarity of the details. In fact, there was something very satisfying about the clumsiness of my cutting and by amateurish inking that produced something very aesthetically satisfying.

Even the slight imperfections where there were slight imprints that were not intended were very pleasing…

Above: My first 'print edition' (the actual final print). This is done with oil based inks - which give a deeper and richer colour rendition - and quality paper.

What Next Then?

Well, that was my first practise print and I now have several decisions to make before starting my next Lino cut. 

For a start, this piece was not my own work. Because I had no idea what would work as a print I downloaded an image that would most likely work. I knew my scribble style of line drawing would not translate well into a Lino cut piece and I just wanted the practise of actual cutting with the tools so originality was not my top priority. I just chose an image which I liked, so now I have to start designing something of my own.

Next, there is the subject. I had thought that I might try and convert my architectural sketches of Scarborough into Lino prints, but now I am not so sure.

Above: detail from my test print showing the rather rough nature of my carving! However, I rather like this slightly flawed detail, it's rough edges, imperfections and mottled printing. It's all part of the beauty of the lino print aesthetic, in my opinion.

I liked the ‘folksy’ simplicity of my crow image, graphically I found it very pleasing. So I might do a bit of research into more ‘primitive’ folk styles of Lino printing and also see if I can find more subjects from nature that interest me.

(My wife is obsessed with Puffins - she is a member of the RSPB and is a frequent visitor to the local sanctuary at Bempton Cliffs where the Puffins nest - so it might be nice to do a print for her.)

Finally, now that I have my first print I can really study it and the effects of the cuts that I made. Decide on what worked and what didn’t and how I might improve my cutting technique for the next attempt.