Monoprints tryout

The beauty of having the press set up and space to work in as that it gives time and space to experiment. I love learning new techniques but I am not a very good student so trial and error have been my two main teachers in life that I can credit with some form of 'edukacion'.

I started with an owl. I find it a wise move as I like them and I can copy my woodcut image as seen on here earlier. I like both the positive and negative image but I think I maybe over inked the glass.

Next I tried adding more colours by cleaning the glass re-inking it and then repressing.

I am still finding too much ink on the glass in places I want shade and not darkness...

Trying less ink I did this large poster sized print. My fave so far and its called 'sweaty trainers'

Next I tried inking the glass then taking a light impression just to take the top layer of ink down a bit.

I am loving this technique even though it only gives me one print I am starting to think I can do multiples by thinking about the image I am going to use the method for.

The dark lines are starting to come out dark and I am now able to shade using my finger. I am also getting a slight print/darkness/smudge from where my hand catches the paper but I really like it. The negatives aren't so great now the inking technique has evened itself out.

Now I am happy I will close the day with 'Sweaty trainers 2'. I will sleep happy tonight and dream of things I can draw and print this way tomorrow.

I also had the company of fellow Artistic Off Licensee, Johnny Morrall. Who after finishing his wonderful woodcut on the presses and then joined in the fun with a very apt little piece. 

Nice one Johnny... Oh and Andy of course.

I did it my way...

Inspired by Brian ( top printer and collector ) .

Brian has a fantastic collection of blocks as well as presses and paraphernalia. He called into the shop the other day with a couple of pointers and a lovely woodblock of a  working mill in Otley from 1962.

Anyway it inspired me to carve out a hand or two and make a few pieces to show y'all and put into my affordable art cache :)

'Who coulda ever thought that it woulda turned out this way?'

'Point to the ceiling point to the floor'

'This way'n'that'

The beauty is that now I have carved the blocks the colours are open to taste so for my final pun. This one is in green but, 'it doesn't have to be this way'.

End of Terms...

Finally finished carving the blocks for the school posters. I love the typefaces the kids have chosen and invented. I could hear their brains ticking as I carved out the blocks. Great work kids you have made it look ace :)

Let's press a rekkud!!

I was given a mangle today. Been looking for one for a while now and then by chance I was given this. For want of being in the right place at the right time when the right folk turned up.

Great stuff eh?

So as you can see. I have been eager to have a go at some dry point and acetate or plate etching but when it turned up the only thing I had to hand, happened to be an iconic piece of history that is quickly becoming forgotten.

The humble...sorry the greatest invention ever! The vinyl album, shaped my life and opened my eyes as well as ears. Cds' are too small for that good old artwork that was there to be lost in whilst the music played. Infact now as I hold the album I see that the disc is actually an amazing plate of a great work of art.

Vera Lynne was performing well. I decided to do a few styles and named them as follows;

Recuerdo?

Recuerdo Disco?

Recuerdo Numero Uno?

I took the word 'recuerdo' as meaning remember referring to the days of vinyl records, when 'disco' was king and everyone wanted to be 'Numero Uno'.

If you look close enough you can see the rings, 'the groove' and almost hear Vera singing over the white Cliffes of Dover.

Well we have settled in our new home. I thought it quite apt to do a cut to celebrate home and what better than the swallows style birds and scrolls. They aren't exactly swallows or humming birds but I hope you can see the sentiment. They also had to hurry along to see if they worked as an actual tattoo design which is something that I hope to add pictures of in the future.

Starting with some style and shaping thoughts.

Starting to try and work the heart into the shapes of the birds using circles.

A colour sketch to see if I have the colours in the right places and which work best.

Final drawing onto the block before the other colours are cut and then printed...

                                               
                                                                     
                                                                          .............like this