My latest lino project – mistakes and all!

I'm having lino-printing withdrawal right now. Wednesdays are usually my lino-class days, but it's half-term, so I'm waiting patiently for next week.

I thought I’d take the opportunity to share my latest project with you. As I’ve mentioned before, I recently tried something new: a reduction print.

It's where a single block is gradually carved away with each new layer of colour, building a multi-coloured image print by print. My instructor, Kerry, has been trying to get me to try a proper reduction for ages, so I took the plunge with a monster for Halloween.

This was my original sketch, made on the iPad with Procreate...

The idea with reduction is that you go from lightest colour to darkest, so in this case, I would print yellow, green, brown and black.

So, after transferring the image to the lino, it was time to print the first layer.

Those tabs keep the paper in the same place for all four prints. You line 'em up on the pins and – snap – everything should be cushty as long as the inked lino always rests in the same position, with the bottom left-hand corner pointing towards the X!

I was pretty pleased with the result, but there's very little that can go wrong with the first print!

Week one done... and then came week two and... well, things didn't go so well.

I don't know what was wrong with me. I started by making up faaaar too much green... and then proceeded to drown the roller in the stuff.

And that was before I dropped the first print onto the inked-up plate!

But mistakes happen... and part of the reason I'm doing this is to be less concerned about everything being perfect. So, with print number one safely deposited in the bin, I tried again.

Better, although it was a little splodgier than I wanted. Non disperare: next week would be a fresh layer and a chance to do better.

Time for the brown!

The green splodges were still making me wince (embrace imperfections, Scott!) but the brown went on well – even though it looks jet black on those photos.

All that was left was to carve the last layer and ink him up!

And, hey presto, HE'S ALIVE... ALIVE!!

Again, the brown looks black in the pics, so you can't really see the detailing on the jacket, but I'm happy with how my little monster came out. Not the cleanest of prints, but not bad for a first attempt, I think?

So, is that it? Have I been put off reductions for good?

Nope. I'm diving straight back in when class starts again!

Wish me luck!

Oh, and what about all that leftover green ink, I hear you ask? Well, the ever-resourceful Kerry came to the rescue, wrapping the excess in an envelope of greaseproof paper and sealing it away in an airtight jar. It lasted for weeks.

Waste not, want not... especially when it's monster-coloured!