Wistman's Wood print finished
Publication date: 2 July 2019
This is a relief print made from a drawing I've produced of Wistman's Wood - a particularly magical location on Dartmoor.
Relief printing can be done using various mediums - in this case, it's lino. The ink sits on the raised surface. You print a set of prints, one colour at a time - usually starting with the lightest colour... then you cut away the lino were you want to retain that first colour, before printing the next colour onto the set.
This is a relief print made from a drawing I've produced of Wistman's Wood - a particularly magical location on Dartmoor.
Relief printing can be done using various mediums - in this case, it's lino. The ink sits on the raised surface. You print a set of prints, one colour at a time - usually starting with the lightest colour... then you cut away the lino were you want to retain that first colour, before printing the next colour onto the set.
This method is called 'reduction printing' - which means that, which each colour, I'll reduce the amount of lino until all that's left is the patch that will print the final colour (in this case, it'll be the tree trunks, branches and roots).
One of the serious things about reduction printing is that you can never produce more prints than your first set... there's no going back, because the lino is slowly destroyed during the process.
I'm planning to produce about 10 to 20 prints of this image.
One of the serious things about reduction printing is that you can never produce more prints than your first set... there's no going back, because the lino is slowly destroyed during the process.
I'm planning to produce about 10 to 20 prints of this image.
This is a close-up of the background that I've cut away from the lino.
You remove the lino surface because you don't intend to print from it, but if you allow ink onto an area like this, it's very likely that the paper wil come into contact with it and some ink will make it's way onto the print.
These 'cut-away' textures can add a special quality to relief prints. In this case, I've deliberately cut the lino away using patterns that might work on the print - I'm looking forward to seeing how this Van Gogh-style sky will work... if it doesn't, I can easily avoid touching this background with the ink roller so it doesn't appear on subsequent prints.
No two relief prints are ever the same - it's a hand-made process.
You remove the lino surface because you don't intend to print from it, but if you allow ink onto an area like this, it's very likely that the paper wil come into contact with it and some ink will make it's way onto the print.
These 'cut-away' textures can add a special quality to relief prints. In this case, I've deliberately cut the lino away using patterns that might work on the print - I'm looking forward to seeing how this Van Gogh-style sky will work... if it doesn't, I can easily avoid touching this background with the ink roller so it doesn't appear on subsequent prints.
No two relief prints are ever the same - it's a hand-made process.
With one more colour to go.
I'm not sure if this is working... some of these may need a little hand-colouring - I'm most bothered by that large chunk of bright green at the top of some of the prints...
I'm not sure if this is working... some of these may need a little hand-colouring - I'm most bothered by that large chunk of bright green at the top of some of the prints...
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