Tuesday 23 February 2010

Working with Lino


5 am working with lino at the moment and these are a few prints made by an artist who I think is using the medium of lino really well - her name is Alison Pilkington.  I believe she is an Irish artist.    I have 2 lino prints on the go at the moment.

One is a three plate lino which is to be printed in stages.  I dont think its going to be easy to print these as thery will probably need to be done on an etching press - although I will also try to print them, on a relief press.  Just printing the blue backgrounds singly has been a job (although that was on an etching press.

Anyway heres the "plan".
I need to make the birds with the infants inside of them  smaller as they look better that way.  The thing is though, that it will be tricky to carve them out of the lino so small - I suppose I will just have to see first on a little test plate if I can manage them so small.  The three squares of lino are 12 by 12 inches or 30 x 30 cm each.  So to print them onto one piece of paper - it will need to be about 100 to 110 cm long. Not too sure what kind of paper to use either ??
 - the truth is,  I am not very experienced with lino print.  So any suggestions are welcome.


I don't know that there's much scope for lino etch with my blue tree girl image other than where I have already done some on her top.    I love how Alison has used it here in these three prints.  Also the colour choices are excellent.  These pieces by her are quite big too.

  The other print  that I am working on which I will need to have finished sooner is again large but with that one I will be using lino cuts that I already have as well as adding 2 new elements that I  cut today.  This one will be printed intaglio - which is also quite tricky.  I am wondering if using the lino press runners will make things easier, as regards putting it through the press??


to see more of the excellent PRINTMAKING thats going on in Ireland   http://www.originalprint.ie/



4 comments:

  1. These prints are lovely. I use lino for most of my work often with multiple plates. I usually print by hand so I need strong but thin paper so I use Kozo - the expensive stuff:-) It is worth it to me because it handles so well. If using an etching press I've found runners to be essential to prevent bumping. Also, much of my work is quite small and for detail work I use a magnifying lamp.
    Best of luck with your prints!
    Sylvia

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  2. Thanks for checking in with me! I like your blue girl-idea very much, the way you've divided the image into three with the outside plates becoming almost abstract and the girl perfectly poised in-between. Alison Pilkington's work is really interesting too, not what I imagine lino-cuts to look like, glad I found her here. Just scanning your images (I'm very tired) I found a lot to like and come back to. Reading in Ovid's Metamorphosis at the moment, I'm esp. interested in the transition from the human to animal or plant form, and your juxtaposition of female figure and animal, or closeness between, is right up my street.

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  3. Lino etching is interesting. I remember trying it once using a solution of drain cleaner and wax resist.

    The paper I use mostly is Goyu.

    Looks like you're on the right track!

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  4. I'm not a big expert on linocuts either, but I think if the panels are 12"x12" each, those babies seem manageable. With sharp, good carving tools + care in inking & printing. It's a wonderful image, I hope you post up the finished print!

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