Linocut Printmaking Process
Materials:
• Artwork on paper
• A linoleum sheet.
• Linocutting tool with an assortment of blades.
• A piece of glass or acetate sheet
• Oil based printing ink
• A brayer
• A3 paper poster
• Scotch tape
The design:
For your first print, a drawing that does not have a ton of detail and without any shading will be easier to carve. Try to keep your thinnest positive points (where linoleum is not carved away) about a half centimeter thick. As this was a group project, we were told to make a pattern out of one element of nature, in this case, leaves.
Step 1: Trace your design on your linoleum sheet. Remember this is a print, and anything you put on your linocut will be backwards when printed. Transfer the sketch onto the linoleum with tracing paper o just copy it with a marker.
Step 2: Hold gouge in the palm of your hand and hold the linoleum in place with your other hand. Remember to always carve away from you. Practice first on a sheet.
Step 3: Carve out the linoleum using the V o U gouge tips. Remove the clear parts of the image if it’s a positive print, or the dark areas if it’s negative.
Step 4: Once the linocut is finished, do a test printing, and fine tune the carving. Once done, cut out all the excess as close to the shape as possible.
Step 5: Glue a bottle cap on the back to help grab it when printing. Repeat the linocut process with all five leaves designs.
Step 6: Pour some ink on the acetate sheet and with the brayer spread it until completely and evenly covered.
Step 7: Place the linocut stamp onto the paper and put a little pressure. Don’t forget the edges and the corners.
Step 8: Remove the stamp. This print is a first proof: the test proof. Don’t hesitate to make any corrections or improvements you think are necessary. It’s unlikely you’ll get a perfect print your first go. Keep trying, as well as experimenting with different methods as to what works best for you.
Step 9: Use all stamps to create a simple pattern on the A3 poster. Make sure the pattern has enough spacing between stamps to print.
Step 10: Let it dry. The length of time necessary to dry the print will depend on the type of ink used.
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