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What is a Linocut Print?
Original linocut prints are all individually hand printed as explained below. When there is said to be a
print run of for example twenty, they will all have been printed from the same lino plates. Only twenty will
be produced for that title. This should not be confused with commercial printing and commercial limited
editions prints, where an original artwork has been duplicated for the enjoyment of others unable to own
the original painting or drawing. A linocut print as a medium has its own character in the same way as oils
or watercolour. All are recognisable with their own style. The linocut print is the original vehicle for the
artwork.
The following processes are the main stages to creating the linocut print for "The Sleepless Series - Snow
Pink".
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Image 1
The sketch pad. If it moves draw it. Every object, animal or person has to obey the laws of gravity. By
sketching moving objects it helps to understand how something is put together.
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Image 2
The initial drawing for the linocut for the "Sleepless Series"
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Image 3
The process of creating a plate; after the initial drawing, the first linoblock is cut to size and this will
become the master plate. The parts of the image not required to be inked on this plate are cut away. Further
linoblocks are cut for any additional colours (allowing for overlapping of colours, producing stronger
colours and in some cases additional colours). Illustrated right is the first plate for "The Sleepless
Series" in the process of being cut away.
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Image 4
The first plate is ready for inking. The ink has to be prepared. The Sleepless Series was only a two plate
print. Where there are four or five colours it can take two or three days proof printing to decide on the
correct combination of ink colours.
Each plate is inked by hand giving each print a slightly different quality. Once inked the plate is ready for
the Etching Press.
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Image 5
The Etching Press.
The inked linocut plate is placed on the paper. With the protection of special printing blankets, they are
both fed through the rollers of the etching press to transfer the ink from the lino to the paper.
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Image 6
"The Sleepless Series" hangs out to dry.
Each colour is printed separately and for this print the first colour has to dry before the second is
applied.
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Image 7
The finished linocut for the "The Sleepless Series - Snow Pink"
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