Author, Author!

As regular visitors to this blog may already know, I am not afraid to show whom I admire, whether in music, graphics. print, art, literature or voluptuousness. If you make a visit to The Department of Something Else will find Linoprints of the cellist Pau Casals, and the actress Christina Hendricks. There are a number of other projects that have been inspired by what I have read or heard, with Tom Waits featuring fairly high on the list!

 
I needed to step away from skulls for a while (I’m not through yet though) and as I’ve not long finished re-reading Franz Kafka’s The Castle, I thought that I would take a closer look at some of my favourite authors. My original list was quite long, and I needed to refine my choice to a more manageable number, so I sorted them into various categories and whittled them down to five contenders in each category. I won’t tell you what the categories are just yet as I may expand the set if this goes well.

As Kafka was a motivating force for this project, he formed the theme for the first category of my favourite iconic non-english authors, which also included Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, André Gide and Jean Cocteau.

I began with some sketches and decided that Camus and Sartre fit well with Kafka. I still may add Cocteau though but I couldn’t get Gide to the same level and have abandoned him. I also simplified the design, which began with decorative borders and the like, and opted for a simple border framing a coloured block, out of which would sit each author. Once happy with the composition, each was transferred to lino on separate blocks:

After Kafka I cut Camus, and as you can see from the image above, decided to use a marker to give me a clearer view, but chose not to do it on the next one as I didn’t think it helped me all that much.

These close-ups of the lino blocks remind me very much of Alberto Giacometti’s bronze sculptures, especially the Head of Diego:

Of course, the cutting is only the first part of the process, so after all the preparation it was nice to get down to some printing, and especially good to ink up a new block – this is the first time that the cutting of the block can be really seen…

I first did a test print of each of the faces, so that I could make any adjustments before going into production. These can also be used to aid the registration of each colour.

I decided to use a variety of paper stock for these, and began printing on watercolour paper, card and handmade paper – a few of each.

Time to get the second colour on; a good, strong straight black.

Me likee.

ADDENDUM
This post was originally written in June and July, but a number of events has prevented me from continuing this project. My garage print studio is slightly out of action (needs properly organising and some serious sorting out!) but I will finish this one soon!

Literary Skullduggery

Continuing along the skull theme, but this time considering the literary references of skulls, and what better way to open this post with a portrait of Edgar Allen Poe, who appears to have been blessed with a cranium of admirable proportions.

Working from a number of references, I sketched out a few skulls, trying to create a common style , before transferring onto the lino. I also put a bit of red marker down to help with some of the details.

Each skull went through a few test prints, with a couple requiring a little modification before printing on the finished paper.

 

  

These were then printed in black on A5(ish) sheets of handmade grey (which was made from a pinboard rescued from the college skip – it’s classed as a fire hazard these days – and I have a fair bit more to recycle too!)

Most of the sheets are quite thick, which has given me a deep bite to the print, but this stuff needs a little more sizing (diluted cornstarch) in the mix to retard its absorbancy.

Whilst these were drying, I set to work on the next part – some text. At first I was going to letterpress the type, but decided that it would look a little too clean and sharp against the linocut, so opted for the same technique. I used a sample of the old Fell Types as my model for this, and allowed the imperfections to come through. On the smaller text though, I needed to revisit a section to get a better feel:

And with some deep maroon mixed up, it was back to the press…

I think I will sell these as a set of four in dark grey mattes.

They will join the other skullduggery in the Department of Something Else.

I Heart Printing

I really can’t say much more than these images show. The handmade paper is really working out well on these.

But I think this also needs another colour – I would like to print onto the darker brown paper that I made from the recycled cardboard packaging, so would need to pull out the body of the heart, so I set about creating a block , just for solid colour:

I also ran off a few cards on Kraft card – these may make a nice addition to the greetings cards already for sale at The Department Of Something Else.

But it was on the brown paper I really began to enjoy this; laying down a solid block of colour onto rough, soft paper allows for a really visible impression. Then I picked up a damaged sheet of the whiter paper which is much thicker than the brown:

I know this will sound pretty lame, but I did get a bit Homer Simpson over this…

Now if you are one of the few people who do not understand this, go to Youtube and look for Homer Simpson drooling, or just listen here.

I made a very similar noise. I’m going for a shower now.

Ok then, back to work.

I’m using Caligo waterbased inks as usual, magenta and black, mixed a little darker this time as I am expecting the colour to be visibly lighter on the overprinted parts:

My registration jig worked perfectly on these – everyone a winner!

I then went onto the recycled packaging paper…

The results are great – and the white one I drooled over earlier?

I really ‘heart’ printing…

It’s All In The Head

I have an itch that I need to scratch. My skull fixation needs to be further indulged and so I sketched out some more realistic drawings and decided upon another two colour print. I first drew out my skull on layout paper, carefully positioning it in a block measuring 135 x 110mm. On another layout paper overlay, I traced the block size, and the main areas of the skull. I used a grey marker to indicate the general colour areas – these details will be determined by the cutting process.

Carbon paper was used to transfer the image onto the lino. Note how loose the linework is inside the skull. The next stage is the cutting, beginning with the edges and then the open spaces:

The rest is carved away – I won’t see how well I have done this until I go to print, but I have erred upon the safe side and probably left a little too much on. This will probably need some more work.

I decided to print this block before carving the next one – there is always time between printing each colour for more carving. The image above shows the inked-up block – a cool mid grey – on a card jig. This was made at the same time I cut the blocks as I wanted to get a good registration on this. The image below is just a close up of the inked block, but I guess you’re used to seeing this kind of thing here.

The first print is always a test on plain paper. The patchy inking always gets better on subsequent prints, but it is in the linework I am really interested in here. I’m actually quite happy with this as the quality is fairly consistent and so I will do a small run as it is. I may ‘thin it out’ for another print run at a later date though.

First print onto my handmade stock was immensely pleasing. Although I have run a few tests on the handmade paper before, this is the first ‘proper’ print. The paper was ‘trimmed’ to A5 size but without cutting as I wanted to retain the deckle edge. For this I run a water filled pipette down a ruler to wet the paper in a line, left it a few moments and then gently teased the two halves apart creating a fake deckle!

Here are some of the prints drying – there are some prints in the background that will be featured in another post!

As the paper is very soft, it has a visible ‘bite’. Very nice. I also run a couple off on some of my mixed stock paper:

Ready for the next colour. Better get on with it then.

This block needed a slightly different approach. This time, I wanted to control the inner detail and allow the outside parts some freedom to develop. I used a red marker again as this helps to define smaller details. 

The outer edges were simply carved away in a circular motion all the way round. Plenty of peaks and incidental marks left to create a texture that will overprint the solid grey of the last block.

Second block carved. This is my submission for things organised neatly. Enough of this OCD tomfoolery – time to print.

The first print is always a test to check the cutting and to get the block ‘started’ – I find it takes a couple of prints to bring the block up to print ready; getting a few coats of ink on and off the block until there is a uniform result. It’s always good to see ink the block for the first time too!

Using some A5 card for set ups (I printed a couple of extras just for this stage) I checked the registration and the two colour effect – I mixed a little black to some prussian blue for this, and away I went:

The only problem is, that when you start scratching…

You can get one of these lovely prints on my handmade paper from The Department of Something Else

Barefaced Lino #2

These handsome fellows are printed on my first batch of handmade paper and what a delightful pairing it has made! The softness of the paper has allowed a really visible impression on these small additions to my “Barefaced Linos” collection. They are not uniform in size and range from just 20 to 35mm high!

  

  
These are the ones I printed originally in white ink on Kraft card and look excellent in Prussian Blue on the digestive biscut paper!

Barefaced Lino

I have long been fascinated by the facial reconstructions that often appear in the news, showing how a Neanderthal might look, or how closely Tutankhamun resembled his iconic sarcophagus, as well as those ‘cold-case’ revivals where the unidentified severed head that was found in 1903 finally gains a (possible) identity. Technology, craftsmanship, creative licence and a suitcase full of conjecture; my kind of stuff.

I have also visited a number of ossuaries - vaults for the bones of the dead – a very odd idea if ever there was one. You get buried, you become food for worms, then you’re dug up, cleaned off, and your bones are then stacked up on top of everyone else’s. Often anonymously. Probably the most famous ossuary is the Paris Catacombs, where the old quarries beneath the city were used to store the bones from an overfull (and infectious) cemetery, and has been a source of revulsion and fascination since the 18th century.

These images have been lurking around my consciousness (not a savoury place to go after dark!) for a while now, and recently surfaced after watching news reports about racism (the Muamba/Twitter case)  and hearing the presenters inane ‘analysis’ following the report, which ended with the obtuse cliché: “Well, we’re all the same under the skin aren’t we?” (cue Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney singing Eboneeee and Ivoreee…)

Ok, ok, time to get back on track with this post. Whatever you think, we are clearly not all the same under the skin. There is character held within our bone structures, and although technically we consist of all the same elements in pretty much the same composition, our individuality goes right down to the bone. Please consider how your reconstruction might look 2,000 years down the road…

Regular vistors to this blog will be aware that I carry a sketchbook and will draw, doodle, write (and waste time – Mrs. Lestaret!) and skulls have been a regular feature of late. It’s time to do something about that.

After many weeks of almost habitual skull drawings, even when I was intending to draw other things, I made a decision to make a block to see where this may lead. I carbon paper traced the sheet on the right onto an old offcut of lino - complete with drawings from a long abandoned project – and set to work: 

First getting the shapes and eyes generally sorted…

And then adding the nose, teeth and detailing…

And then removing the negative space. It got quite late by this time and I was getting a little tired and distracted, so stopped., but awoke the next morning and run a test print of the block as it was, just make sure I was going in the right direction. This is probably the first time I have printed a block before it was finished!

Printed with white ink on Lavender Colourplan by GFSmith shows that my block is shaping up exactly as I had planned.

The block, fully cut, mounted on thick board to aid consistency of print and positioning…

White ink is not the most solid of colours – I use it more often as a mixer – but gives a sort of transluclent effect on darker stock, this time some recycled kraft card that I had cut down to 6 x 12″ and folded to make a greeting card format.

This has been a very encouraging process. I am pleased with these results and have been sketching and thinking about other approaches, different styles and alternate styles and can see this growing into something a little bigger.

Watch this space…

Postcards #2

I have a very inviting pile of nicely printed postcards that are demanding to be overprinted. Again, I am experimenting with some new colours (for me) and aiming for a grungy/retro feel on each of the cards. I had printed a number of additional cards to use as set-ups as there is nothing definite when it comes to printing, and every stage has an opportunity for something to go awry.

Take this first print. this slimy effect is the result of a combination of things: a lot of transparent extender, too much ink mixed and rolled out on my inkslab and subsequently too much on the roller. The block is then over-inked which squishes out the excess under pressure and leaves this ‘beading’ effect. I also find that it takes two or three prints for the block to ‘come up to’ readiness – where the repetition of  re-inking saturates the lino surface and rids it of any greasy residue, either from the carving (a very hands-on process) or more likely in this case, of any soap left over from cleaning (I use a little liquid soap and water for Caligo water based relief inks, and baby wipes to keep my fingers clean during printing.)

But after a few prints, the block settles down and I start to get the results I’m after. This is quite a rich orange, but because of the transparent extender, it looks metallic, almost gold on the block!

This image has been my wallpaper ever since!

This was about 98% extender and 2% black! I couldn’t get the transparency I wanted so I under inked the block instead.

And then it was on to some shitty brown over the baby blue…

If anyone else would like to enjoy some printy wallpaper, you can down load it here.

Print Postcards #1

The unseasonally warm start to spring (although it has been followed by some fairly sharp ‘brass monkey’ weather) seems to have got my dander up in the printshop!

I run out a decent number of postcards using my trusty Belmont coppertop block and added a blog link in 10pt Gill Sans Italic. I ended up using the full stops from another font as the Gill was ‘sans punctuation.’ This has resulted in an unsightly drop on the baseline, but I decided to go with it as I thought it did not detract too much. (I can hear the sharp intake of breath from the purists and am girding my loins in anticipation of the responses this may draw!)

 
My aim on this project was to experiment with some new colours, combinations and effects, and began by mixing up some Opaque White with a dab of Prussian Plue and a tiny smidgen of Process Yellow:

I added just a little more yellow to push this towards a pale turquoise.

I am very pleased with this colour – it has covered well and laid down a rich base for the next stage. Oh, I had cut these blocks to try to develop my cutting skills. Sorry, no images of that part.

The next coulour was a soft pink, again using a base of the white with a dab of magenta.

Again, this has covered well and dressed up this blackletter a little…

I did want these prints to be clean – free from the lino ‘peaks’  – but thought these added something to the effect. I kept making small adjustments to the block to keep these to a minimum though.

The next block was printed in a baby peach colour, made from white, yellow and magenta.

This one has printed very clean and sharp as I intended.

There is also a fourth block, but I’ll save something for the end! With 40 cards all printed and stacked in my drying rack, I’ll let you know what is to come next; transparent colours.

Joan of Art

I forgot to upload the image I used for reference in my last post! This is one of the standard press release shots – there are a number of others quite similar in composition to this, but I liked the reactions of the men behind her.

Again, having coloured the lino with red marker, I traced out the lines of the second block and began cutting:

It’s in the small details where the benefit of the red surface really comes in, but you also get a good idea of what you are going to get too.

But, in my haste to get this done for the UK start of season five (just listen to me harping on – as if it matters to anybody when I do this!) I only printed a couple of tests, so I needed to get some proper prints done from the first block.

I decided to break with my usual “best on white” approach and use some bright yellow Colourplan by GFSmith for this one…

A few days later and the test print off the new block in a rich, dark brown shows no apparent issues, so it’s back to the press, and with a little trepidation, onto the second colour…

I was hoping that my jig was going to be enough to register the two colours…

Not bad!

The print measures 175x140mm on a 300x250mm sheet.

Joannie! Hold my calls and fix me a scotch. I’ll be in front of the TV tonight.

Mad Men Returns!

The long wait for season five of Mad Men is almost over! During the last few days, to get me in the mood or just to drive me a bit crazy, I decided to break with my usual themes and create a lino print featuring one of the main reasons why I watch!

Having selected an appropriate image I did a little tracing and because the image was quite complex, I grabbed a red marker and flooded the lino with colour – this would help to show the smaller cuts clearer and give me a good representation of how well I’d cut.

This is to be a two colour print – this time with two separate blocks – this will be too difficult to do as a reduction print!

Almost one hour later and I’m getting a pretty good idea of how this one is going! But it is in the printing that the proof is found. The following day I went to print some tests from a few blocks I am working on…

If I could wolf-whistle on the web, I would do it now! I’d best get started on that second block then!