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CREATE YOUR OWN TWO COLOUR MULTI-BLOCK PRINT

A lady called Hayley, from Buff and Blue Prints, holding a lino black and gold lino print

Hi, I am Andrew Campe, or Andy, I’m a linocut printmaker specialising in multi-block and reduction colour linos.

I have been printing for around 5 years now, having received an Essdee block printing kit from my partner for Christmas. I always thought you needed studio space and expensive equipment for printmaking, but discovering lino artists on Instagram made me realise you didn’t need all that.

This blog is a step-by-step guide on how to create your own two-colour multi-block linocut print.

 – Andy

www.andrewcampeartwork.co.uk

STEP 1 

Create a simple design using a main black linear drawing (this is called the ‘Key Block’), and one other colour. It can be anything you like. Create something that interests you and that you’ll enjoy working on. Keep it simple. Its best to have relatively thick lines for the key block design… this will allow you a certain amount of ‘play’ in the registration process.

I have used an iPad to create my design. You don’t need fancy equipment though, a pen and paper is just fine!

Drawing of a ladybird

STEP 2

Cut two blocks of lino, at the same size, as accurately as possible. I tend to buy the battleship grey lino from Essdee.  It’s always good to lightly sand down the blocks. This helps remove any small lumps of lino which might be on the block and helps the ink to take to the block. You can draw the image straight onto first piece of lino or trace the image on. I tend to print out a couple of copies of my design, one to use as a reference image and one to use to trace the image onto the block.

 

STEP 3

Once you have drawn out your key block image onto the first block, carve it out. Take your time doing this and enjoy the process! I use professional grade carving tools which are quite expensive, but beautiful to work with and very well made. If you’re starting out, I would suggest using a starter kit from Essdee which include basic, but good, cutting tools.

 

Carved outline of ladybird

Note

The next few stages illustrate exactly how to transfer your key block image onto your colour block in preparation for carving. The most important aspect of this process is that your blank colour block ends up in the same position as your key block. To do this, you can check out the blog oon my website about  ‘Making a Homemade Registration Device.’ Alternatively, you could use two pieces of lino to act as a buffer to hold both blocks in place and in the same position.

STEP 4

Ink up your key block using water based black ink. The reason for using water-based ink for this part is so it dries quickly. Place the inked block into your registration jig. Before doing this, have a piece of cheap photocopy paper taped down on, or next to, the jig. Carefully place the paper onto the inked key block. Its good to bend the paper as you do this. Using a baren, or spoon, hand burnish to create a print onto the paper.

 

monstera leaf carved onto SoftCut, ink tray with green block printing ink

STEP 5

Peel back the paper to reveal the print of the key block. Remove the key block and replace this with the prepared colour block. Be sure that the this goes in the same position as the previous block. If it doesn’t, this will affect the registration and your print may not align properly. As I mentioned at the start of the blog, having slightly thicker black lines will help in hiding any slight lapses in registration.

 

roller being used to apply green block printing ink to carved monstera leaf

STEP 6

Carefully, using the same technique, bend/push the paper onto the colour block. Hand burnish using a baren or spoon. Peel black the paper to reveal a ghost print of your key block design, which is now on your colour block. It doesn’t matter if the image is faint… if anything this is better. You just need to see enough of the image to work from.

baren being used to transfer printed monstera leaf onto paper
green printed monstera leaf

Note

At this stage its good to leave the colour block to completely dry. I usually leave it overnight, or if I’m in a rush I’ll bung it in the airing cupboard for a few hours!

STEP 7

Once your colour block is dry, it’s time to prep for carving. You need to carve away all the areas that won’t have colour and leave the areas that will. Before you begin carving, it’s helpful to draw an outline, using a fine liner or pencil, of the areas you need to leave. Remember, everything you cut away will be white (or the colour of the paper) and whatever you leave will be colour. Take your time doing this stage, as it can be a little confusing on the first few attempts!

Note

When you’ve finished carving your colour block you can wipe away any excess ink left on the block from the ghost print.

STEP 8

You are now ready to print the first layer! I would strongly recommend, again, referring to my blog on ‘How To Make A Homemade Registration Jig’. This will help with how to align your block and paper perfectly.

Ink your colour block. When inking, I find it helpful to build up the layers of ink gradually and in different directions. I like flat, bold colours in my work. Try not to over ink, as this can lead to a ‘bobberly’ effect and may affect how the next layer of ink prints over on top.

Place your block into the registration jig and either run through your press or hand burnish with a baren or spoon.

STEP 9

You have now printed your first layer! Print off as many as you so wish. If you’re aiming for an edition of, say 10, it’s a good idea to print a few more. There are always mistakes and mishaps in printmaking… as frustrating as these can be, they’re always good to learn from!

I tend to use high quality oil-based inks which can be cleaned up with soap and water, although water based inks can also be used and may be easier to use if you are relatively new to lino printing. Oil based inks can take a few days to dry, especially when building up layers on top of each other. To speed up the drying process, I use a colbolt dryer, which dries the inks overnight. There are different drying agents on the market, so do your research if you wish to use one.

 

STEP 10

Once you have your first layer printed and dried, it’s now time to print the final ‘Key-Block’. Ink up the block, place in the registration jig and repeat the printing process. Remember, the registration (the alignment of your blocks and paper) is the key part to a successful multi-block or reduction print. There are many ways to get a good registration, not just my method, so it’s a good to look thoroughly online for advice on this subject.

STEP 11

Boom! There you have it! Your first multi-block linocut print. If you fancy doing something more adventurous next time, why not try a three-colour print? You’ll just need to do a ghost print of your key block design onto two colour blocks, which means you can implement another colour into your work. You can do as many colours as you like!

I hope this blog is useful to those wanting to try multi-block printing for the first time. The ladybird linocut is available for sale on my website.   Thanks for reading this. If you have any questions you can get in touch with my via my website.  You can also see my work on my social media pages

www.andrewcampeartwork.co.uk

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

 

Thanks, Andy

Image credits: Andrew Campe 

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Educational Art and Craft Supplies Ltd Privacy Policy  Introduction Educational Art and Craft Supplies Ltd (also known by our brand name Essdee) are a manufacturer of art and craft material, and offer a range of Scraperboard, etching tools, block printing tools and materials.  We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Everyone has rights with regard to the way in which their personal information is handled.  During the course of our activities we will collect, store and process personal information about our customers, suppliers and other third parties, and we recognise that the correct and lawful treatment of this data will maintain confidence in the organisation and will provide for successful business operation. This policy sets out the basis on which any personal information we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us.  Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it. Becoming a customer or your provision of any information to us constitutes your acknowledgement of the terms of this privacy policy.  Please do not send us any of your information if you do not want it to be used in the ways described in this privacy notice. It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current.  Please keep us informed if your personal data changes during your relationship with us. You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues.  We would however appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO, so please contact us in the first instance. For the purpose of UK data protection laws, the data controller is Educational Art and Craft Supplies Ltd of Frederick Road, Hoo Farm Industrial Estate, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 7RA. We can be contacted on 01562 60787 and info@essdee.co.uk. The data we collect about you ‘Personal Data’ is any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include anonymised data where identifying characteristics have been removed. We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together follows:
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To determine the appropriate retention period for personal information, we consider the amount, nature and sensitive personal information, the potential of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of your personal information, the purposes for which we process your personal information and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements. In some circumstances you can ask us to delete your data.  This is explained in the section about your legal rights below. In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes.  In this case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you. Your Legal Rights Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data.  If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out below you should contact us. You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances. We may need to request specific information from you to help us to confirm your identity and to ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response. We will endeavour to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated. You have a right to:
  • Request access to your personal data (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.
  • Request correction of the personal data that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you corrected, though we may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to us.
  • Request erasure of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal data where you have successfully exercised your right to object to processing (see below), where we may have processed your information unlawfully or where we are required to erase your personal data to comply with local law. Note, however, that we may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.
  • Object to processing of your personal data where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes. In some cases, we may demonstrate that we have compelling legitimate grounds to process your information which override your rights and freedoms.
  • Request restriction of processing of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios: (a) if you want us to establish the data’s accuracy; (b) where our use of the data is unlawful but you do not want us to erase it; (c) where you need us to hold the data even if we no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims; or (d) you have objected to our use of your data but we need to verify whether we have overriding legitimate grounds to use it.
  • Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party. We will provide to you, or a third party you have chosen, your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. Note that this right only applies to automated information which you initially provided consent for us to use or where we used the information to perform a contract with you.
  • Withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your personal data. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide certain products to you. We will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent. 
Updated March 2021
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