Print-Making Workshop

Yesterday I attended a print-making workshop.  This was my first time attempting any sort of printing and I had such a fun day.  We learned lino-cutting and our first excercise was about getting our heads around positive and negative space.  I came up with the above swallows.  We had to do the same design on two small tiles, but on one we cut out the shape and on the other we cut the space around the shape.

There is something I find very therapeutic about the whole process.  You cut your design into the lino using different sizes of cutting tools, use a palette knife to spread ink onto a piece of plastic laid out on your work surface, then use a roller to transfer the ink to your tile.  After that you go to the press which is two big slabs of metal with a turning handle on top.  You lay paper onto your inked tiles, slide everything in between the metal plates and then use all your strength to turn the handle as tightly as you can to press the top slab to the bottom.  Turn the handle back all the way to release the press, slide the paper out, and see what you have made!  All done with your hands, with something in your hands by the end of it.  Our tutor had summery South American guitar music playing lightly in the background which added to the chilled out atmosphere!

I soon decided that the design I had brought with me to create in the second half of the class was of rather lofty ambitions.  I shaded in the areas of the tile I was to keep, leaving the white areas to show where I would cut, but I decided to scrap the moon.  And as time passed by too quickly I scrapped the flowers on the cup too.  But with more time and lots more practice, I think it might be doable!  I'll try to get some tools of my own soon, so I can start learning more.