Completed print

The Botanist

At last, the linocut is finished and editioned, so that i am happy with 10 of the 18 or so prints made. The print is 20cm square and is a reduction print made from 2 blocks and will be on display at the Cynon Valley Museum from 20th January till 24th February 2018.

The Botanist Linocut

This linocut is developing slowly. It is made from 2 blocks, one for the blues and greys, the other for the yellows. This is so I can keep the colours cleaner and to avoid muddying which can occur with linocuts with 8 or more colours such as this one. This causes its own headaches with registering the 2 blocks and deciding which colour to print next. There are only 3 or so colours to go so should be ready by January!

Hedge laying Linocut

The hedgelayer

Following on from 'The Botanist' post this linocut will be called 'The Hedgelayer' In the foreground are the tools of the trade laid out on a table. The topmost is a Staffordshire or Warwickshire billhook, below this an English pattern axe and then a generic Southern Counties billhook. In the background can be seen a hedge laid in the Midland style where the cut stems or pleachers are offset from the upright stakes and finished off with woven hazel known as hethering.

I intend to make the print from 2 blocks, one for the blues and greys and one for the yellows and browns.

New linocut ideas

I have decided to make a new series of prints that are about pastimes and craft skills. This is the first attempt to trial the process and is called 'The Botanist'. On the table are some of the tools of the trade, starting top right with the stereo microscope, then clockwise are forceps, identification book, hand lens, voucher specimen page and dissecting knife.

The print is made using the reduction technique where one piece of lino is used and is cut away for each colour. This technique needs accurate registration, and at the moment I am using the Kento method of registration developed by Japanese printmakers.

Because I want some of the colours to be quite clear I have decided to go for separate plates for each of the main colour groups, so in this case one for the yellows and one for the blues. Hopefully this will have the advantages of using separate blocks and single reduction method.

Testing Relief Inks

I am in the process of finding more about the inks I use for lino prints. I have started by testing black inks
Speedball, water washable
Daler Rowney water washable
IKUA Ink and tack thickener
Caligo Safe Wash relief ink
Lawrence oil based ink
As well as
Windsor and Newton Water colour
Windsor and Newton Drawing Ink(Indian)

Used pinch press and 160g paper throughout for consistency with 2" durathene roller. Two designs used, one of cherry tree leaves for detail and one just blank to give an idea of density(coverage). Each ink was printed up to 3 times, 1st run, 2nd run(block not cleaned), 3rd run(block cleaned)

Best Results for detailed image(cherry) numbers refer to test samples
1 Speedball(1st run)
12 Daler Rowner (3rd run)
15 W&N watercolour (3rd run)
22 IKUA (2nd run)
Worst results
18 W&N watercolour, no image
19 W&N drawing ink, v pale image
11 Daler Rowney (2nd run)
20 Caligo (2nd run) too thick

Best results for plain blocks
30 Caligo (2nd run)
Speedball (3rd run)
Worst results
17 W&N watercolour, destroyed paper
4 Speedball (1st run)
23 IKUA (1st run)

Overall results
Speedball, good crisp image for finer work, difficult to get dense cover over large areas
Daler Rowney Thick ink, better when block cleaned between prints. Not dense coverage on larger areas
Watercolour Surprisingly good detail however dries almost instantly so no good for larger areas
Drawing Ink Useless
IKUA Good for detailed work with correct amount of thickener, very slow drying. Poor coverage
Caligo Dense and good coverage but too thick for finer work, needs to be thinned
Lawrence Similar to Caligo

Edgar Holloway and Llanthony

This woodcut is from 1948 and shows the  West towers with some degree of accuracy. There seems to be a fence where the present wall is in the foreground. 

Mountain Ash linocut stage 3

Final image of reduction linocut.

Mountain Ash Reduction linocut Stage 2

Starting to emerge from the paper now. I was going to add another 2 colours but I think one more will do the job.

Buildings linocut

Linocut on A3 paper mainly finished with blue and red.

New linocut of buildings

Details of various buildings in and around Aberdare and Mountain Ash. This is a proof of the main colour, black. Hope to finish tomorrow with 2 blocks for blue and pink.

Two Linocuts

The two linocuts in their finished form. Colour versions will have to wait till I have more time.

Mountain Ash Linocut

This linocut print is almost finished, at least this plate is. This and the previous Aberdare linocut will have hopefully have colour too.

Mountain Ash Linocut

On the same lines as the previous print of Aberdare this is another large montage of some of the buildings in Mountain Ash. Took a good day to draw the design and just starting the cutting out, probably another 10 to 12 hours of carving to finish this plate!

Latest linocut

A quarter way through this linocut of Aberdare, a montage of some of the more noticeable buildings. End result will be slightly smaller than A3 and in a number of colour combinations.

Printers Stint

This is the poster for the exhibition at Rhondda Heritage Park. The quality of the work is very high (I am not including myself!) with a wide range of work from South Wales artists. A significant number are members of Swansea Print workshop, that is Sheila Clark, Jackie Ford, Michael Goode, Lesley Lilywhite and Alison Porter. Valerie Ganz is a well established Swansea born artist and the late William Brown lived in Bridgend. Nigel Bowles and Georgina Brownlow are Cardiff based while Alan Atkins is based in nearby Mountain Ash.

Valley Houses 2010

This is a considerably cleaned up version of the same print I did in May. A 3 colour lino print, the orange is overprinted onto the blue on the roofs to give another hue. This is the view minus wheelie bins and cars of the mid nineteenth centurt houses that line one side of Wind St, Aberdare. Town Church School is on the other side of the road. 4" x 4".

Chapel II (Gadlys Chapel) 2010

I was instantly attracted to this ex chapel when I saw a photo of it in a publication about the town characterisation survey of Aberdare by Cadw. So I went to see it for myself and yes it does have a red door! Now the building has been sensitively converted for use as flats. This is a 3 colour linocut, including the black. The black block was cut first and then offset onto the other 2 blocks to help with registration. Size of image is 4" x 4".

Terraced Houses 2010

I cleaned up the original so that there are as few distracting marks from the lino as possible. Now rolls and prints quite well. Sky is handpainted with acrylic. Image size 4" x 4" on plain quality cartridge paper.

Cuckoo linocut above The Skirrid

Have done the 3 plates for this print but I think it is too fussy for lino and I much prefer the simple black and white of the previous post.

Terrace houses linocut

A small linocut, 4 inch square, consisting of a composite of details of different terraced houses from the south wales valleys.