Brusho is a fantastic dye to have in your creative kit. They come in little pots of watercolour crystals in a huge range of highly-pigmented colours. They can be used on lots of different surfaces but we especially like to use them on fabric. They’re not fixable on cloth so aren’t suitable for projects that will need washing but they make beautiful artworks and wall-hangings. Read on for a simple, easy project that’s great for adults and children.
Stretch a piece of thick fabric (calico works really well) onto a wipeable surface using masking tape. We’re using an old plastic sign. Taping it to a plastic table cloth is ok too.
Mask off a shape in the centre of the fabric. The masking tape will provide the edge of the design. You can choose to paint all the way to the edges of the cloth, in which case skip this step. We have masked a rough geometric shape in the centre. You can divide a larger piece of fabric into sections – try one for each member of the household!
Use oil pastels to draw a design. The oil pastel will resist the brusho dye. Wax crayons also work but you may need to go over the lines a few times to lay down enough wax from a crayon.
Fill larger areas with pattern.
Mix the Brusho dyes. Shake the Brusho bottle to mix the crystals well and then sprinkle a few crystals into a small amount of water in a jam jar. You don’t need much so start small and build up the colour with more crystals until you reach a shade you like.
Paint the Brusho dye onto the fabric. The oil pastel will resist the dye. Don’t overload the fabric with dye, spread it out with the brush.
Mix up more colours to fill in the different sections.
Blend the colours on the fabric by teasing them together with a brush.
When the dye is dry, peel off the masking tape to reveal the final design.
Will is a graphic artist, designer and printmaker
currently based in Brighton. He began freelancing full-time in 2018 and now
divides his time between commercial work and personal projects. Will’s personal
work explores improvisation and play within design through the use of modular systems and printmaking techniques.
Describe your printmaking process.
I’ve experimented with a variety of printmaking processes but for the majority of my work I use a process similar to block printing. I have a set of large rubber stamps in a variety of geometric shapes and stamp these piece by piece to create prints depicting typographic messages and graphic symbols. The idea was a follow-on from a previous project creating woodblock prints using a set of geometric tiles – by flipping the process and using the stamps, you have far less limitations and there’s a lot more opportunity for improvisation and play as the design develops.
How and where did you learn to print?
I did workshops in letterpress and silkscreen printing during my foundation and BA degrees and so I suppose I learnt the basics there but I never really engaged much with it at the time and I could have definitely have experimented more when I had access to all of those facilities. In terms of the printmaking I do now, a lot of what I’ve learnt has developed from trial and error and by messing around with print. It’s such a fun thing to experiment with and depending on the process it’s also very accessible and easy to jump into.
Why printmaking?
A lot of my personal work as a designer is focused on creative play and improvisation and I experiment a lot with modular systems and geometric shapes as a way of creating a variety of results very quickly. For me, the printmaking process is a way of capturing the results of that play experience and the unpredictable nature of print always adds an exciting twist to whatever you create.
Where do you work?
I have a studio space at New England House in Brighton and I do all of my freelance work and printmaking from there. For years I was doing the printmaking from home but when I started freelancing full-time it felt like a good point to find a bit of extra space. I share the studio with five other creatives, working in a variety of disciplines so it’s always interesting to see what everyone’s working on and it’s great being able to bounce ideas around and get some different perspectives.
Describe a typical day in your studio.
The day often depends on what freelance work I have to be getting on with. I’ve found the best way of balancing everything is to get in early and get started on the commercial work. Once the works been sent off I usually have a bit of time free to work on print ideas whilst I wait to hear back from clients. If I’m experimenting with something new I’ll either test some rough ideas out in Illustrator to get a sense of where I’m going with it or go straight for the hands on approach and start printing. As each design is printed block-by-block the process can be quite time consuming so I usually try and take a day a week where I avoid any digital work and focus completely on creating finished prints.
How long have you been printmaking?
I sort of started by accident about three or four years ago – I was using these tangram-style, geometric blocks I’d had laser-cut to create typography and simple graphic forms. It was meant as an idea generation tool and originally I was just photographing the results and messing them back up before starting again. At some point it clicked that creating relief prints from them would be a far more pleasing way to capture the designs and I just loved the new dimension it gave to the project. After that I kept finding new ways to incorporate printmaking into my work.
What inspires you?
I’m a big fan of bits of everyday design and I really like old signage and pictograms, there’s something pleasing about taking an existing, recognisable image or message and putting it in a new context. When it comes to the big stamp prints I do, a lot of inspiration comes from just walking around – I find there’s patterns and grids built into so many things and this can help form the basis for an idea or show how certain forms could work together. In terms of other work that inspire me I think simple, thought through ideas always work best and I really enjoy anything that has a bit of charm to it.
What is your favourite printmaking product?
Discovering the caligo safe wash inks has been really helpful – they’re so easy to clean down and they get a nice print with the stamps I use. When I first started experimenting with woodblock printing I was using cheap waterbased inks and there was so much more trial and error to get a good print. I’ve also recently bought a Woodzilla printing press – I haven’t had a lot of time to experiment yet but I’m very excited to see what I can do with it.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
I’ve just finished working on something called the Alpha-Set – it’s a modular, 16 piece, rubber-stamp typography kit. I did a short run of it last year and had a really good response to it so have just finished work on a much larger run. A lot of work has gone into both the design and the production of the sets so I’m really pleased it’s finally all come together. The sets are sold through my website and I’m in the process of posting them all out so I’m very excited to see what everyone comes up with!
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
The best way to see what I’m working on and where I’m selling work is either through my website or through Instagram. I have an online shop on my website and I’m regularly posting up new projects and work in development on my Instagram account. At some point soon I’ll be taking part in some exhibitions and print fairs – I’ll be posting information about them on my Instagram account nearer the time so you can keep up-to-date there.
What will we be seeing from you next?
I’m currently working on a design project that will mix elements of printmaking with digital/interactive design. I’ve got the idea down but it’s still got a bit of a way to go until it’s a reality so I don’t want to share too much yet – although I’m sure I’ll start sharing some bits on social media soon!
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to try everything and play as much as possible with what your working with – a lot of ideas I have don’t really work the first time, whether in concept or application, but there’s still a lot of value in going through that process. Often something that doesn’t quite work out will help me find the missing piece for some other idea or will be the start of a whole new thing that I hadn’t thought of yet.
Follow Will on Instagram or head over to his website to see more.
When printing with intaglio methods (etching, drypoint, collagraph etc.), it’s important to print onto dampened paper. Imagine you’ve just inked up your plate, your paper is soaking in a tray of water or in a stack and it’s time to print. You wash your hands but there’s still a little inky grubbiness in your fingerprints and that damp paper is going to be ruined with a smudgy fingerprint! We use paper fingers to keep our paper pristine and protected from grubby marks. Using folded scraps of paper is a great solution but they will only last for one or two uses. Using a can is a great way to make a collection of long-lasting, washable paper fingers that won’t cost you a penny. We first learned of this idea from Steve Edwards who will be teaching Multi-Block Etched Lino at our studio in November.
Carefully use a craft knife to cut a slit into the top of the can.
Finish cutting all the way around the can with a pair of scissors.
Cut down the length of the can and around the base.
You should be left with a rectangle of metal. Neaten up the edges with scissors to remove any sharp pieces of sticking up metal.
Cut this rectangle into strips 2 – 3cm wide. Cut parallel to the short edge.
Fold each strip in half.
With the strips folded, round the two unfolded corners into a D shape.
These can be made from any drinks can so start holding onto great coloured and patterned cans to build up your collection of paper fingers!
My Name is Mark Lord and I
have set up a lino print business called Lino Lord. I make limited edition hand
printed quality prints to display in peoples homes or work places.
Photo by Eva Nemeth
I’m a professional photographer with 20 years experience and generally if I’m photographing people, animals and plants in our countryside then I’m very happy. I have a passion for the handmade and traditional crafts and skills and have photographed many creatives in my time. I have been longing for a handmade craft to do at home and decided to have a go at lino printing last year. I am totally absorbed when I’m in the process of making prints and love it as a release from my photography.
Photo by Eva Nemeth
Describe your printmaking process.
I
start with an initial idea, the lightbulb moment, & then
work up my ideas using my skill as a photographer for composition.
Having initially studied film photography I am used to composing
in-camera, I try to bring these ideas across to my lino work.
Photo by Eva Nemeth
I generally use Japanese Vinyl from Handprinted and use Pfeil tools which are great to carve into it. I always use Cranfield inks and either use a baren or I’m very lucky to have an old French book press my wife bought me. I love using it and often wonder the stories it can tell and where its been in its last 100+ years.
How and where did you
learn to print?
At the beginning of 2019 my wife & I turned a little used spare room in our house in a studio. It’s in the eaves of our house but one side is completely glazed – ideal for a studio/workshop but not great for a bedroom. We got the space completed but I was initially unsure what to do. I then thought back to my art foundation days & the idea of lino printing came into my head. This was the last thing I did at art school on my Foundation course before I picked up a 35mm camera!
I have done two courses, one with Claire Florey Hitchcox in Oxford and one with Lou Tonkin in Cornwall which were both great and taught me the basics I needed to learn.
Photo by Eva Nemeth
Why printmaking?
As a full time
photographer so much of my life, as with many others, revolves around computers
and technology. I was looking for a pastime that was strictly
analogue – aside from photographing my work & instagram & Etsy of
course. The
great thing about printmaking is the tactile nature of carving the block &
then producing a small run of limited editions of the work without the need to
purchase any expensive kit or involving any technology apart
from my vintage French press. With the limitations of a home studio I was looking for
a medium that didn’t create too much mess & are no hazard to the
humans or felines living in the house. It’s important to me to use traditional
skills & use the best ink, print on the highest quality handmade paper and
ultimately produce work that I’m really proud of.
Where do you work?
As mentioned before I work in a home studio upstairs in the eaves. It’s a shared space & my wife and I will spend many a happy hour pottering away. Since the lockdown, when we are at home every day with little photography work, I have semi relocated to the table in the lounge. It’s placed opposite a large arch topped window (our home is in a converted stable block) opposite the village green. At a time when life can feel very isolated I am enjoying watching people stroll by on their daily exercise.
Photo by Eva Nemeth
Describe a typical day in your studio.
Due to my full time job of photography taking up a lot of my time lino printing was squeezed in after a day at work or at the weekend. Typically I like to work on new designs and carving most of the time I have then print one day a week. This cuts down the cleaning up part of the process and the cat getting inky paws!
How long have you been
printmaking?
Apart from dabbling at it
during my art foundation course I have only been printmaking since Spring
2019.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by strong,
graphic shapes & love making art from the vintage kitchenalia & plants
around our home. At the moment I am working on a linocut based on my favourite
very beaten up Converse. I love to look at the work of other printmakers
on Instagram and really enjoy the Instagram community.
What is your favourite
printmaking product?
It has to be Cranfield Inks, they have a great range of colours that also mix together really well. The print quality I get from their inks is second to none & for someone working from a home studio being to wash up in the kitchen sink is great.
What have you made that
you are most proud of?
I think my favourite piece of work is my piece called “All Tied Up’ – a print of rowing boats from the quay in Mevagissey in Cornwall. I carved this block last summer on a lovely afternoon in the garden.
Where can we see your
work? Where do you sell?
I primarily sell through Instagram @linolordpress and also have a shopfront on Etsy. I will be taking part in Oxfordshire Artweeks, I should’ve been spending a week in May in the wonderful Orange Bakery showcasing my work but due to the Coronavirus the exhibition is going online from the 2nd May.
What will we be seeing
from you next?
Well, the next print
will definitely be my faithful converse but after that who knows?!
During the lockdown I’m busy working away so hopefully more work on my
Etsy shop in the coming months.
Do you have any advice for
other printmakers and creatives?
My advice is to keep it simple and make work that interests you. Those not on Instagram I would recommend signing up as its a fabulous community and you generally get lots of good feedback and you will pick up lots of tips and tricks along the way.
Printmaking doesn’t have to be tethered to a studio or kitchen table. This project takes you outside to gather and enjoy the natural materials around you! Go for a walk around the garden, your road or even just your house and collect a few leaves with different shapes and textures.
Use a tray or inking plate to roll out a small amount of ink. Water-based ink will create quick-drying prints but be aware that it will also dry quickly when rolled out on your tray if you’re printing in the sunshine so only roll a small amount out and top up if necessary. We are using Schmincke water-based ink here but an oil-based ink like Caligo Safe Wash will work brilliantly too.
With a lightly inked roller (these wire–handled rollers are perfect for this), roll over the top of a leaf. Ink up the veined side to make the post of the texture. Use a magazine page, inking plate or sheet of acetate underneath catch the edges of the ink.
Place the leaf inked side up onto a smooth, clean surface – a cutting board is perfect.
Place a sheet of paper on top of the leaf. We are using Snowdon but anything will work – experiment with what you have. Rub all over the back of the paper with the flat of your hand. Use your fingertips to work around the stem of the leaf if you can feel it through the paper.
Lift up the paper and peel the leaf away to reveal the print!
Use a variety of leaf shapes for maximum design points. Some leaves will pick up more ink than others.
You can also make these prints easily in a sketchbook. Just ink up the leaf as before, place it face down on a page…
…shut the book and press (or step) firmly on the cover.
My name is Margaret Mallows. Having loved
drawing and painting from an early age, I was encouraged by artist Dennis
Syrett to continue after leaving school at 16, and had work exhibited in The
Mall Galleries in London for 2 consecutive years when still a teenager. A very
busy work and family life put art on hold for more than four decades, and I
started again about 4 years ago, teaching myself lino printing.
Describe your printmaking process.
Prints start from drawings or photographs. I
decide how many prints I want in the edition, and first get the paper and
registration board ready, lining up the blank lino onto the registration board
by taping strips of card around the lino which will hold it in place when
printing. Once I am happy with the image, I trace it and transfer to lino – I
use the Japanese vinyl. Most of my prints are the reduction method with just
one sheet of lino used for the whole print. The first layer carved will always
be those areas of the print to remain white (or paper colour). Once the first
colour is printed, more lino is carved away to leave behind the colour just
printed, and the next colour applied. The process is repeated until the print
is finished. By the end of the print, there may be very little lino left! I use
Schmincke water based inks, they stay wet on the palette but dry quickly once
printed, so I can always add the next colour without long waits for drying
times. With most prints, I work from lightest colours first through to the
darkest.
How and where did you learn to print?
I am self-taught; I bought a starter lino kit
and book and from the very start I was hooked, I wanted to do more and learn
more. It’s been a steep learning curve of trial and error, with many mistakes
made and learnt from!
Why printmaking?
I have always liked hand-made prints, they
have a unique quality all of their own and it’s an affordable way to own
original art. I wanted to try it for myself, and since starting I’ve never
looked back – I love the whole process.
Where do you work?
My prints are made in my home as I don’t have
a studio. A study is used for drawing, carving lino and hanging prints to dry,
and my kitchen/dining room is ideal for inking and printing – worktops are used
for inking and the dining table is used to hold a removable a table top press.
Describe a typical day in your studio.
When I’m making a print it rather takes over
my life – I will often start very early and work until I’m too tired to do
more! Cups of tea sustain me throughout the day, and I like to end the day with
prints hanging to dry in my study, ready to start carving the next layer of
lino early the next day. Reduction prints require good concentration, so I try
to remain fully engaged with a print until it is finished – and then take time
to catch up with other things before starting new work.
How long have you been printmaking?
About 3 ½ years, and I now work full time at
my printmaking.
What inspires you?
My garden and life around me and objects in my
home. And sometimes other people’s photographs, used with their permission.
What is your favourite printmaking product?
That’s easy – Ternes Burton pins and tabs make registering prints simple, and with reduction printing the same print may go through the press many times – I’ve used up to 17 colours or more in one print, so any mis-registration could otherwise ruin the edition at any stage.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
My Sun, sea and shadows print. It’s not the
largest or most complex I’ve made, but was still challenging. It’s a 13 colour
reduction print, and getting the cutting and colours right was very tricky.
Currently it is shortlisted for the Royal Academy summer exhibition, so fingers
crossed the show goes ahead albeit late, and that the RA likes it! It can be
seen on my Instagram page along with some work in progress of the making of it.
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
My work can be seen in my Artfinder shop. Artfinder provides a global market place for my work and is run by a small, dedicated team of people. It is the first online art site I applied to, and having enjoyed consistently steady sales there ever since I’ve never felt the need to sell at another site – my work is now in 19 countries worldwide. I sell at local fairs as it’s nice to meet and engage with people, and also exhibit at curated exhibitions in London and locally when I am lucky enough to have work accepted.
Work in progress photos I usually post on my Instagram page @margaret.mallows
What will we be seeing from you next?
With a head full of ideas for new work, I
never have any trouble wondering what to do next – just difficulty choosing
which idea! And having just finished a print, I’m still undecided which idea to
pick next.
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
Don’t be discouraged by failures or things not
working as you’d hoped. Everything I’ve learnt has been a result of making
mistakes! If you are struggling with any of the materials you have, try
different ones – buy small amounts to try first to see if you like it. And ask
advice from other printmakers, most happily share tips and advice.
Viscosity printing is a process that uses different viscosities (stickiness) of ink to enable you to ink up a plate with more than one colour – the different viscosities of ink will not mix. The foundations of this method can be used to create monotypes where a greasy medium can be used to resist ink.
For this method, we are using a lip balm! This is an old petroleum-based lip balm. Its greasiness will resist an oil-based ink. Vaseline can also be used and applied using a brush or your fingers.
Draw with the greasy medium onto an Inking Plate, sheet of acetate or toughened glass. Remember that the final print will be a mirror image of what you draw! This lip balm is slightly tinted which makes it easier to see where the lines have been made. It is likely that tints will show up slightly in the print so lipsticks are not advised!
The drawn marks will repeal the ink. When printed onto white paper, these marks will remain white.
Roll out a thin layer of oil-based ink. We are using Caligo Safewash Relief Ink. Results from other inks may vary – have fun and experiment! Try to roll the roller down the plate only once – too many times will cover up the marks. The roller will also pick up some of the grease and set it down in unwanted areas if the roller is overused.
Lay a sheet of thin paper over the top of the print. Use the heel of your hand or a barn to rub all over the back of the print, covering every area firmly. Peel off the paper to reveal the print!
Remove the excess ink from the plate with a drop of oil and a rag. Wipe the plate clean with soap and water and dry before using it for the next print.
Experiment with mark-making, drawing images and text (backwards of course). Apply the balm to your fingers and fingerprint onto the plate before inking up. The Curious Printmaker has even tried this using faces!
I begin with a few sketches and then I draw directly on
to the block to work out the final details, I like the work to evolve and I
enjoy the serendipity of this process. I use pins and tabs to ensure a safe
registration so that the prints are consistent quality. I don’t decide how many
layers there will be, this evolves with the print.
How and where did you learn to print?
I first dabbled with printmaking at Art school, my first
degree was in fashion design in the days pre internet, which is hard to
imagine these days and work was hard to come by. So I retrained as a nurse
and have proudly worked for the NHS for the last 15 years, however a series of
challenging and sad life events made reevaluate my life, I was working
very long hours in a highly stressful role as a Matron. Although I feel
honoured to work as a nurse, I felt that something was missing and I
wanted to discover what that was. So I quit my job and demoted myself to enable
me more time to explore, I enrolled at University of Cumbria on to the MA
Creative Practice and found my way in to the print room and I never looked
back.
Why printmaking?
I love
drawing and painting but there is something in the process of printmaking that
captivates me. It involves planning and implementing but also learning to think
critically as things do not always go to plan, I love problem solving.
Where do you work?
Full-time as a nurse and weekends and evenings as a
printmaker
Describe a typical day in your studio.
I do most of my printmaking on the weekends as I
still work full time in the NHS, so I relish making an early start and go to
the studio which I am lucky enough to have in my garden. It is a converted
garage and is basic but my haven, almost everything in there had been
re-purposed I have a huge old farmhouse table with a really
big piece of glass salvaged from my greenhouse that fell during a
winter storm, it’s excellent for rolling ink out on and cleans really
well. I have an old double drying rack which I was lucky enough to buy from the
university, but I did invest in a printing press which massively increased
productivity. My cocker spaniel always comes with me and sits on her bed
watching me work, I listen to radio 4 and drink gallons of herbal tea as the
day progresses.
How long have you been printmaking?
I have only been seriously printmaking for
around 3 years or so, I am still very much a learner, but this is also one of
the attractions of printmaking.
What inspires you?
It sounds corny but nature is the most inspiring thing ever, I love wildlife, hedgerows, woods, big Cumbrian skies, but I especially love birds. I will sit for hours in the garden and will always take my binoculars with me when walking in the Lake District which is on my doorstep. Other printmakers who inspire me are Robert Gilmor, Robert Greenhalf, Babs Pease and many others. I love the subject, execution and colour palettes.
What is your favourite printmaking product?
Pfeil tools are amazing and really brought joy to my carving, they are comfortable to hold and precise in their cutting, so long as you look after them that is.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
I am always
most proud of the thing that I have just finished, but I am enormously proud of
the work I produced for my final exhibition. It is a series of 8 linocut
reductions which represent the 8 seasons as portrayed through the pagan wheel
of the year. The work was my inquiry in to
humanity’s disconnection from nature, I wondered when we became so
disconnected. Our ancestors knew what time of year it was based upon what they
saw growing, wildlife behaviours, they knew to forage for food and medicine. I
placed this disconnection at the time that the Gregorian calendar was
created and this is why I used the ‘Wheel of the Year’ as a protest to this
modern interference.
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
I was lucky enough to exhibit at Printfest 2019 and
I am a member of Cumbria Printmakers. You can currently find my work at The
Robinson Gaye Gallery Hexham, The Cookhouse Crafts and Cookhouse Gallery in
Windermere, Arteria with 23 Lancaster, The Bumble Bee Gallery Kirby Stephen and
the Makers Mill Keswick. I also supply limited edition prints and greetings
card at the National Trust shop in Grasmere.
What will we be seeing from you next?
I have just purchased equipment that will enable me to
produce etchings from my studio, so hopefully you will see these. I’m also
going to expand on my final exhibition work and continue to explore the pagan
theme.
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
I would say don’t take yourself too seriously, enjoy the process and continue to learn. Instagram has a great and supportive community of printmakers and I have learned a lot from asking questions from printmakers that I follow.
Intaglio printmaking is a printmaking method using marks incised into a plate. Ink is worked into the recesses of the plate and is usually printed onto dampened paper through an etching press. Intaglio printmaking can create strong positive marks, interesting texture and tone – these results shouldn’t be missed out on if you don’t have access to a press! Read on for an at-home method for printing a tetra pak collagraph plate without a press.
You’ll need to save a tetra pak from your recycling bin – UHT and plant milk cartons, juice cartons and passata packets are all examples of what can be used. Give them a good rinse and cut them to unfold into a flat plate.
The fold lines in the plate will usually affect the print so either avoid them or embrace them as part of the design for a quirk of the medium.
Use an etching needle to scratch into the plate. Any other tool sharp enough to score a mark without cutting the cardboard will do the trick – try a nail.
These scratched lines will hold ink and print as a positive mark. We can also create areas of dark tone by peeling away the wipe-clean plasticized surface to reveal the fluffy cardboard layer. Score the edges of a shape…
… and carefully peel the top layer from the card.
The intaglio printmaking method usually requires dampened paper. The damp paper helps to draw the ink from the plate. Damp paper is also softer and so can flex into the texture of the plate to reach the ink and create debossed plate marks. A thicker paper will handle being soaked without warping or falling apart. We’re using Snowdon which is a 300gsm cartridge printmaking paper.
Before beginning inking, soak the paper in a tray of cold water. The time it takes to ink a plate is usually around the right time to soak the paper but you can experiment with different lengths of time.
Apply ink to the plate using a piece of mountboard or old store card. Scrape it onto the plate and into the lines. Intaglio ink is best for this process – this is Akua Intaglio Ink in Carbon Black.
Next, we need to work the ink into the lines and texture of the plate whilst removing excess ink from the surface. Scrim or tarlatan is best for this. If you don’t have that, any gauze or netting can work – here we are using the mesh bag from a pack of onions!
Polish the excess ink from the surface using tissue paper. This piece came from some packaging. Absorbent tissue will not work as well as it can remove too much ink. We want most of the ink to be cleaned from the smooth surface of the plate. Any remaining ink will give the image some tone. Take care not to clean too much or the ink could be removed from the lines.
Remove the paper from the water bath and blot off the excess. We want the paper to be damp but not dripping wet. Blotting paper is best for this but a clean tea towel works well.
Finally, we are ready to take the print. An etching press would squeeze the paper against the plate. When taking a print without a press we need to try to keep the paper and plate from slipping. We don’t have this problem with relief printing as there is more ink on the surface to stick the two together. Placing the plate down onto a clean tea towel (although not your favourite one as the back f the plate is likely to be dirty), helps to reduce the slippage.
Place the damp paper on top of the plate. Cover with a scrap of baking parchment. This will stop the damp paper from pilling or slipping. Use a spoon to press all over the print. Press firmly but be very careful not to move the pieces around. Use your other hand to hold them still.
Peel apart the paper and plate to reveal the print!
I’m a linocut artist based in a small village on the Norfolk/Suffolk borders. Art was the only subject I enjoyed at school and actually felt I was good at. However, it took nearly 40 years plus voluntary redundancy and children leaving home for me to find the time to rekindle that love.
Describe your printmaking process.
I work with grey lino, mainly using the reduction technique, to produce multi-coloured prints from a single piece of lino. My print runs are very small, usually with a maximum edition of around 12. I love the many processes involved in creating a linocut, starting with an initial sketch and photographs, transferring the image to the lino and gradually carving and then inking up and printing the image in its various layers. Sometimes, only a very small printable area remains for the final, darkest tone. As the block is essentially destroyed during the process, a reduction print can never be reprinted.
How and where did you learn to print?
After a lot of trial and error on my own, I stumbled upon the workshops at Handprinted. In 2016 I attended a two-day reduction workshop with Ian Philips and what a difference it made. Suddenly all the things I’d been trying to do came together. Since then I have attended three more of Ian’s workshops at Handprinted, the last one being multi-block printing which opened my eyes to even more possibilities. I also did a two-day workshop (again at Handprinted) with Nick Morley, another two days elsewhere with Laura Boswell and one day with Alexandra Buckle. Every time I’ve attended a workshop, I’ve learnt something new, but I guess Ian’s style suits mine the most.
My first reduction print at Handprinted July 2016
Latest finished print March 2020
Why printmaking?
Completely unexpectedly, my daughter’s boyfriend (now my son-in-law) gave me a basic lino-cut kit for Christmas 2013. I had fun over the holidays playing around with it and gradually became hooked. Until then I’d been doing a lot of botanical art and it surprised me to discover that the precision needed for that easily transferred to lino cutting. My only experience of printing up to then was a bit of linocut at school and things like potato printing with children.
What I love about reduction printing is the unpredictability of it, and how until the final layer is revealed, you never know quite how a print is going to turn out.
Where do you work?
In my studio, converted from the back half of a single garage attached to our house. Good job nobody nowadays seems to use a garage for their car. Until we moved here in 2018, my studio space consisted of a large barn attached to our house in France, which meant whenever we went to France, I spent most of my time in the barn! Trouble is now when we go to France, I miss my studio in England and there’s only so much printmaking equipment I can take back and forth. Although I’m lucky to have a small press there too.
Describe a typical day in your studio.
Well, other commitments allowing, I get out in my studio as soon
as I can. If I’m working on a print, I’m afraid time just disappears and apart
from regular cups of tea I might be out there all day. I sometimes have to
force myself to take a break or go for a walk, often so I can just think
through the next stage. I love going out into the countryside, especially
nearby nature reserves, to sketch and take photographs. I started using
Instagram last summer and have found myself a bit hooked, mainly because I’ve
always photographed my printmaking process as I go along and it’s nice to be
able to share that and feel part of a community. Admin, including updating my
website, is one of my least favourite jobs.
I also open my studio to visitors whenever I can, but at the moment with being under lockdown due to the coronavirus, sadly that’s not possible. I find the opinion of visitors really valuable when I’m printing and it’s nice to have someone to discuss ideas with instead of having to rely upon my long-suffering partner.
How long have you been printmaking?
I received a basic kit for Christmas in 2013, but printing in earnest
since 2016.
What inspires you?
My inspiration comes from nature, the countryside around me and other places I have visited. Lately I have been fascinated with the reeds and birdlife on the nearby fens. I also love capturing reflections in water.
Another tricky one. I feel proud when I find that people like my prints enough to want to buy one. The print I think I am most proud of it this one, which I wasn’t sure about at first, as it wasn’t quite what I intended, but now I’m really pleased it. What annoys me though, is that it was an even smaller print run than normal and I didn’t keep one for myself.
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
My favourite place to show my work is in my own studio, but my work is also available to buy via my website www.gill-thornton.co.uk . I usually take part in local exhibitions and some art fairs and display my work in various local galleries and venues. I take part in Norfolk Open Studios and also give demonstrations to local groups. Currently, to the coronavirus restrictions, this is all a bit limited so I’m looking into the likes of Artfinder and Big Cartel. You can also find me on Instagram Gill.Thornton.Art and Facebook.
What will we be seeing from you next?
There’s still a lot of techniques I want to explore, including jigsaw linocut and fabric printing. I particularly want to try mud-resist printing on fabric as this is something I tried during a recent trip to India. The print I’m currently working on is a seascape based on a sketch from a holiday in Shetland.
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
Go for it! Do what you enjoy and if something doesn’t quite work
out the way you expected, learn from it, and use Handprinted!!
