more scribblings...

Have been adding some detail into the design tonight, trying to balance the textures that'll make it into the final print. Still needs a bit more work, but it's nearly there. Need to see how many colours I can reduce the printing down to...that should be a challenge.

As I've been doing this, I've been toying with the idea of approaching an oil in this way...drawing/designing everything first and then collecting the reference material to do the final image...I tend to sketch the ideas for the oils, then take reference photos and then piece the final design together from those before doing the painting...Perhaps by finalising the design first, I'd get a more flowing final image...sacrificing a bit of realism, for a more flowing line and a more interesting composition is probably something worth exploring...certainly something worth trying :)

Quiet class…

As promised here’s a quick run down on all the things you’ll need should you want to do some lino cuts of your own :)

1. palette knife for mixing inks

2. ink – I’m using a water-based printers ink called Nerchau. You can get both water and oil based inks, the water-based ones have the advantage of not smelling and being easy to clean…very important if you’re doing this in the living room.

3. rollers – one for rolling the ink onto the lino, one for rolling the paper onto the inked lino…don’t mix them up while you’re working…;)

4. a piece of Perspex to mix the inks on…as you’re rollering the ink around you’ll need something at least A4 in size and flat…that said you could mix it on a sheet of paper if you needed to.

5. lino - MUCH easier to carve than wood…

6. pencils for marking up design

7. cutters – the red handled cutter comes with interchangeable blades, which come in many shapes and sizes. I’m also using a scalpel…in fact I mainly use the scalpel…

8. Cutting board – you can buy these, or make one like this. The piece of wood at the top is to push the lino up against and there’s another piece of wood under the base that pushes against the edge of the table…so it’s all nice and solid…just remember to keep your fingers behind the blade and everything will be fine…

£25 would easily buy some of all the above and allow you to have a go with lino, so what are you waiting for…Class dismissed ;) Have fun...

something new...

Well here’s something a little different for you. A non card lino design.

I went to an exhibition of Picasso prints a couple of years ago, most of which were etchings (which I didn’t particularly like…) but there were a few lino designs which I really enjoyed…that was when I thought I should take another look at lino…hence the recent lino/card/flower work…

Anyway, I’ve been doing the flower designs partly as a possible “commercial” avenue but also as a learning exercise, so I could move onto something a bit more….expressive, in lino…Well, this sketch is the first design for something along those lines…

I had a rough idea of what I wanted to get into the image, but basically it just developed as I sat down and started scribbling…as with the watercolours I find I’m really enjoying this freer, “less accurate” way of working…it’s something I’ve been making progress with in the watercolours and definitely something I need to try and work into the oils…

So, here it is, see what you think…still lots more to do, I think I’m aiming for a sort of Picasso, meets Klimt, meets Manga, meets Graham type of image…fingers crossed.

lino

Finished this one tonight, again decided not to add a final black outline as I liked the effect of the green on its own.

Down by the River...

Escaped down to the river this afternoon to do a little painting...and here it is. Still playing with the swirling lines, masking fluid and splattering the paint on...All quite enjoyable to do and I think a reasonably pleasing end result...anyway, it was very relaxing and I seem to be getting somewhere...

I need more space...

Made the 2nd cut and did the 2nd print tonight...so unusually productive for me...probably helped that I was smashed at the time...

I think I'll have to limit the print runs to 100...as you can see, I've taken over the living room with wet prints...which has the knock on effect of me having to lock the neighbours cats out of the house...which doesn't please the cat lovers around here too much...

Now avaliable in Pink...

Did the first print on the next card tonight, just the lower right corner, where the flower is...I'm doing a run of 100 of these, so I'm now sat here surrounded by flowers...which is nice...

I also masked up the Jack portrait, ready to try splattering some paint onto the bubbles...will post a pic of that once it's done.

Am also working on a new still life, in a similar vein to the pears one ( I didn't get into the RA summer exhibition by the way...still, there's always next year...), this still life involves flowers in bondage!!!...no, really...will post a scribble soon, so you can see what I mean...

And, I'm thinking of doing another large multiple self portrait...the ideas for that are coming together, I need to collect together a few props and then take some photos and do some sketches...again, will post something once it's fleshed out a bit...