Friday, March 06, 2009

The linocut adventure begins............


These found their way into a carrier bag on Wednesday after a visit to Cornelissen's (of which more tomorrow). I had a go at using the linocutting tools and my right hand (the one with the bad case of tenosynovitis) didn't instantly protest...and so....
  • next I need to work out what I'm going to use for the ink (it's Schminke water-based ink)
  • then I must finish reading my book about linocutting (OK - three books!)
  • plus find a suitable image to try for the 'beta test'
  • practise drawing as if for a linocut
  • after which I'm hoping I'll be able to get the hairdryer out to warm up the lino very soon.........
For those who know about these things did I leave anything out? I've got (from the right moving clockwise)

20 comments:

  1. Hi Katherine I’ve been reading your blog for a few weeks now always very informative thanks for all the info. To go with your Slip Stone (sharpening block) you will need some household oil (three-in-one) cut with paraffin 50/50. This thinned oil will lubricate the stone and prevent it from getting blocked up with sharpening debris.
    Dave

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  2. Thanks Dave, I'd heard about thinned oil but wasn't sure what it was.

    Now - not being the sort of person who has paraffin to hand I'm just wondering what other sort of recipe might achieve the same result. However having just cinsulted wikipedia looks like medicinal paraffin might be the answer!

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  3. He He, where's the printing press then!! YOu will get hooked on this, lino printing is great!!

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  4. I don't need one for linocuts - that's what the baren is for. However I have a very large pile of art books ready to do service if need be!

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  5. Ditch the water based ink, it's worse than useless. You don't need to heat up lino anymore unless you are unrolling a metre long roll of the stuff. grey lino is specially formulated to be ready to carve by increasing the linseed oil content which makes it prone to crumbling.
    So get some oil based ink and have fun.

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  6. If it's the soft lino with no hessian backing it's really easy to cut at room temperature - even with my arthritic fingers.

    Don't forget notan - linoprints that are only incised lines aren't as interesting as those with a balance of tone that's dramatic.

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  7. Even Schminke? I find their products are always very pigment rich.

    What are the advantages of oil based?

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  8. I've just been out to dinner and come home to discover you have the most fantastic set of linocuttng tools! You are off to a great start. YES, get the oil based ink. Trust me, the clean-up is easy and the results are so much better.

    Okay, play with the water-based ones but know you will get the other ink eventually.

    What about the paper?! And which books do you have? Goodness, I'm more excited than you about this adventure.

    I might have to Skype you! :)

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  9. And I still say, use the hairdryer at least until Spring really kicks in, it so much easier. :)

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  10. I use a hairdryer too, I admit. Even with the softer lino I find it helps.

    Other comments... CUTE brayer! So cute! aaaaw!!!! :) I definitely prefer handprinting lino, but a book/wind-down press can be good too.

    I third (or fourth?) oil based inks. I've never had good results with water-based, but also haven't used Schminke so give it a go.

    You might want:
    ---Rubber gloves, so your paper stays clean when you print (dirty inky hands within the gloves)
    ---Japanese rice paper, really nice for simple printing because it's so thin
    ---Light sandpaper, I sand my lino to get a more solid ink print

    Tips for drawing:
    Stops dithering! ;) Just get some charcoal or watercolour pencil and draw on the darn lino. Then cut. Just go for it. Charcoal is good for putting on the lino to check how it would print. Have a looksie at my blogs this week!

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  11. Chris Pig is right. Ditch the water based ink. If you're concerned about clean up, just use vegetable oil. It works really well, isn't toxic, and you probably have some in your kitchen.

    When you get tired of the baren, start hunting for an old book press in the junk stores. They make really nice, small printing presses.

    Have fun!

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  12. Its very addictive, be warned! :)

    You have the supplies to get you going and that's all that counts right now. I haven't used oil based inks yet but will order some to try. I think that when you start out to get a feel for it, waterbased are fine.

    I'll look forward to seeing what you produce.

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  13. Oh I forgot to say that the hessian backed lino didn't need warming particularly. But I did find it was slightly easier to cut if I warmed it a little, usually body heat does it. I have a lino block instead of the cat in my lap...

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  14. Go, Katherine!

    I'm afraid I'm also going to come down soundly on the side of oil-based inks, but not from extensive experience with water-based ones. Just bias. ;-) Lino does cut easier when warm, but mostly just don't try to carve it cold. I can't wait to see how it goes!

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  15. You can clean up oil based ink by using vegetable oil from the kitchen or mineral oil--you don't need to use solvents. I had some success monoprinting with Akua Inks which are water-based. I didn't try them for lino though. I did find the oil based inks to be very satisfying to work with and you don't have to worry about toxic clean up with the vege oil.

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  16. I will be following this with great interest. I have just been dipping my toe in the waters myself but I have found the waterbased inks rather unsatisfactory. I was wondering whether oils would be better. My biggest challenge has been finding the right notan based composition, and not choosing subjects with a lot of fiddly detail.

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  17. Oil-based definitely. Veggie oil for clean up if using the older style oil-based. BUT there are new, water-washable oil-based that are a dream. Caligo are made in the UK; and Daniel Smith in the USA makes one too. I prefer the Caligo as the Smith have a strong odor. See my Quadratics and/or As Above So Below series on vickicowan.com. All done with water-washable inks.

    Akua Intaglio are soy-based and also water washable though can be a little 'wimpy' (technical term ;-) in the large flat areas. Needs lots of layers of thin ink. More than the other inks. Beautiful colours.

    You need a surface to roll out the ink. I use a piece of plexi (perspex in the UK?)

    Brayer should be soft rubber. In North America the black ones are usually too hard. If you're using the old lino, get hold of a bench hook that allows pushing without your hand in front of the blade. Blood & ink=not good.

    It's definitely addictive. Keep us all posted. Printmakers just love talking shop.

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  18. tuned in to see some results from using these supplies

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  19. Hi, I stumbled across your site as I was searching inks on the web. I love your site. Oil based inks look better its true and for detail they are much better, but for proofing I use water based as all I have to do is hose down my gear in the backyard and it takes about 3 minutes tops to clean up. Your roller in the picture looks like a hard one, I have a softer one that I bought from a shop called Melbourne Etching Supplies, you could google them to see what I have and I am certain you could get something even better in the UK. Your tools are wonderful, I for years just made do with speedball number one liner! I got some better tools now to do woodcuts and they do perform brilliantly on the lino. I just love lino and really it is the best for all round convenience, cost and versatility.

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  20. "Ditch the water based ink, it's worse than useless"

    Sorry, but that's b&ll*cks. Have a look at Ian Phillips's superb work of the welsh scenery, or Robert Gillmors fantastic wildlife linocuts - all done with water-based colours (Ian uses Graphical Chemical, and Robert Schmincke, I believe. I defy anyone to do better with oil-based colours.

    ;)

    C

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