These four original, hand-pulled linocut prints are on display and for sale at the Lake Bolac Community and Business Centre over the next few months. There are a total of ten framed, limited edition artworks available. I am also planning to provide a Gelatin Plate Monoprinting workshop at this venue, prior to the end of the year.
Monoprinting is a spontaneous and somewhat unpredictable process that can be easily achieved at home, without specialized equipment. The gelatin plate is a soft and malleable surface that can hold the detailed impressions that you make on it with brushes, botanical materials, stencils, masks and stamps. In my gelatin plate monoprinting workshops you will learn how to make your own gelatin plate and use it to create unique, layered artworks that can be enjoyed alone or used as backgrounds for multimedia, card creation or cut into collages.
On Sunday 3rd July, 12 participants came along to my Beginner’s Linocut Workshop at the Merri View Gallery, hosted by Warrnambool and District Artist’s Society. We had a busy day (9.00am to 3.00pm) learning about the tools and materials, the design process, carving the linoleum block and printing on paper. I was pleased that everyone had the opportunity to carve at least one small block and produce one or more printed cards.
As there were people unable to attend on that date and several on the waiting list, WADAS are pleased to host another workshop on Sunday 18th September. Jenny Adams is taking bookings, but we are limiting it to ten places this time, to give us a bit more elbow room! All linocut tools and equipment supplied, except bring your own apron, lunch and drawing materials.
These are the newest in a series of prints featuring our fabulous native cockatoos. Same linocut block in different colour ways, some with hand painted details. Which do you like best?
This linocut print in Ultramarine Blue is a limited edition of 20. I have started the market season again, with the monthly Hamilton Institute of Rural Learning market last weekend and the Port Fairy Community House market this Saturday. The Port Fairy markets are the second and fourth Saturday of each month.
“Shoulder to the Capstan” is a two-plate linocut in black and blue.
Chiaroscuro in art is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achieve a sense of volume in modelling three-dimensional objects and figures. Similar effects in cinema and photography also are called chiaroscuro.
Further specialized uses of the term include chiaroscuro woodcut for coloured woodcuts printed with different blocks, each using a different coloured ink; and chiaroscuro drawing for drawings on coloured paper in a dark medium with white highlighting. Chiaroscuro is a mainstay of black and white photography.
I was very fortunate to spend a week in Hall’s Gap at “Grampian’s Brushes”. I attended two workshops, one two-day event with Lawrence Finn (Exploring Chiaroscuro Prints) and four days with Marion Manifold practicing hard and soft ground etching on copper plates.
The image above was created in the following process:
Step 1. On a piece of thick paper (the same size as the linoblocks you are working with) create a ‘cartoon’ or quick sketch of the image using pencil and then over painting with ink. Decide the direction of light and add highlights in umber gouache.
Step 2. Leave a border around the edge to hold the ink roller away from large areas of white. Transfer the image onto the lino (remembering to reverse the image if required) and paint over using waterproof black ink. Once the ink has dried you can use a fine scraper to remove any errors or create interest.
Step 3. Once you are happy with the image, start cutting the lino, remembering to use a variety of tools and diverse marks.
Step 4. Test print and make any adjustments.
Step 5. To create the second plate, print the first block (the key block) onto acetate and then onto the second piece of lino. Talcum powder can be used sparingly to dry the ink quickly.
Step 6. Using this second block, cut out the areas you want white on the final print, leaving areas that you want printed in the second colour. For example, all the coloured highlights that you painted in gouache should remain raised on the second block.
Step 7. Using masking tape on the print bed (or another registration method) print the second block made in colour and overprint with the first block in black.
Britt Gow 