Monoprint and Linoprint workshops

I feel like today has been really productive and I am really happy with my visual outcomes and what I have learnt from them.

Although we had an induction last year with print, I feel I have been more adventurous with my outcomes this time around. I think in the workshop last year I restricted myself to the theme of my project too much which meant I was limiting the experimentation I could do. This time, I wasn't as scared to move away from the visuals I already had and just experimented with the actual process.

I really liked some of the work that other people were doing with crazy colour combinations and really expressive use of colour, texture and mark-making but I think I captured this in a more controlled and subtle way - I felt this related to my general way of working.

I started overlaying colours and textures, rolling ink onto textured papers and printing directly from these. I thought this might link well to my project because I could use the embossed wallpaper patterns to get across the patterns and colours you might find in wealthy households. If something like this was used for a background it might set the tone of the surroundings. Other pieces from this workshop are in my sketchbook. 

I had a go at using a paper cut stencil to print from. I think some of my shapes I cut away were too fine so the ink didn't transfer properly through them. The basic shape of the image was still transferred though. The print on the right is an example of things not going to plan - This was a secondary print but there was not enough ink left on the plane for it to transfer well, my paper choice was not appropriate either but this is all just part of the experimental process and I am learning from it. 

I have used linocut briefly in this project but not with the proper printing press. I had also never heard of reduction lino printing so this was something I wanted to try out today. These were the two lino pieces I was working with today.

The chess piece image was cut from the hessian backed hard lino and this was really challenging to cut into neatly because it was such a tough material. I learned today that it is best to heat it with a hairdryer or on a radiator to soften it a bit. I think the printed outcomes have turned out well considering I found the cutting out process quite hard. 

The hand image was cut from the softer lino which was so much easier to work with. The prints had much cleaner lines and I could be more intricate with the detail because the tools were much easier to use with this. On the left is an example of a print from my original lino but on the right I experimented with reduction lino printing. After printing a few copies of the red, I cleaned my lino and cut away the fingernails and some stripes in the background. Printing over the original prints in black created this very striking image. I particularly love how bright the pearls look now everything else is so dark. I think I managed to line the two prints up well, I couldn't get on with the registration sheets on the printing press so I ended up placing the inked up plate directly onto the previous print so I knew that it was almost exactly in the right place and this seemed to work for me.

Throughout the session I played around with scraping ink away from the inked up lino. The first one here I used a cotton but to make some dots which appeared in the print. The second one I used a small stick to make some dashes and int he third one I used a paper towel to add this texture to the hand. I am quite intrigued by this process because I feel it makes each print more individual and personal. Although each lino print will have its own imperfections they are usually minor but this process could make each of them different. 

I felt today was successful, I learned an extension of a process I was already enjoying. Today has made me feel more confident about using printing as a method of making imagery. I think I need to do more research and experimentation to see how I can push the printing process to work in my favour and maybe make something more unique by putting a twist on it. I'm looking forward to screen printing next week.