Stay at Home – Stay Sharp!
A while ago I wrote a piece about my favourite Pfeil gouges - and in that I said:
“Most important of all, your tools must be sharp and kept sharp. A quality gouge will not only take a good edge, but with practice, can be quickly ‘stropped’ to retain it.”
It is possible to send your tools away and have them professionally re sharpened, but really It is best to learn to keep them in full working order at all times. Little and often is the key and a quick check and strop before each carving session should be part of your creative preparation ritual.
It may be, with heavy regular use and lots of sharpening, that they will eventually need to be re-ground. Again though, with some thought, practise and the right kit, it is possible to also do this yourself. Here though, will deal with the day to day sharpening and maintenance of your all important tools. You simply cannot control the quality of a relief cut image with blunt blades!
The other thing to remember is that a blunt gouge is actually more dangerous than a sharp one. Having to put extra pressure into your cuts is what leads to slips and the hand steadying the block against that pressure is more likely to be in the way!
So why not use some of the extra time many of us have at the moment and practise sharpening and maintaining your gouges? As always – I must stress this is my approach to the job. Others will do things differently – but will end up with the same result!
So what is a correctly sharpened gouge? First, very obviously - the edge doing the cutting should have a ‘zero radius’ – a perfect sharp angle where the two sides of the tool’s cutting edge meet. Consistency of angles are what the whole process of efficient sharpening is about.
The second objective is to have this sharp cutting edge meeting the print surface in an effective and comfortable way. If the sharpened edge has too steep an angle, the gouge will have to be held at an awkward height in the hand to work; and will either dig in too readily or skid on the surface. Too shallow an angle, and the edge will be difficult to get sharp in the first place and will also tend to slip out of the cut.
If you look at a brand new professional gouge – such as the Pfeils we have been talking about, you will see that there are actually two angles at the cutting edge: The ‘grinding’ angle – which is quite shallow – around 15 - 20°. Then if you look closer you will see that the actual cutting edge is a little steeper – 25 - 30°, on the outside edge; and – importantly - it meets a flat, smooth surface on the inside of the gouge. The meeting of the inside and outside edges is regular and even - and of course sharp, with absolutely no visible ‘radius’ catching the light on the cutting edge whatsoever.

It is that 25 - 30° edge that we want to keep sharp and even. With regular maintenance – consisting of frequent ‘stropping’ and occasional light re-sharpening with a very fine stone or similar (and before the tool actually becomes too blunt to use) there should be no need to worry for a long time about major re sharpening or even re-grinding.
Over the years I have acquired all sorts of bits of sharpening equipment, but there are really just a few key items that you will need to keep that razor sharp edge on your quality gouges

​A fine grit sharpening stone with a decent flat surface. A  brief word about sharpening stones. The abrasive grade of stone etc is measured in ‘grit’ numbers: the higher the grit number - the finer the surface. The very finest stones are naturally mined and often called ‘Arkansas’ stone. There are many man made sharpening stones where the grit size is controlled. Some stones work best with just a little oil; others – usually the synthetic ones - are called ‘water stones’ and are designed to be soaked in water before use. ​I tend to use a light oil on all my stones.
Do not get confused by the term ‘whet’ stone though. To whet (note the ‘h’) simply means to sharpen; and although water or oil as a lubricant is always a good idea, it doesn’t necessarily mean the stone has to be soaking wet.
For small tools you do not generally need a big expanse of flat surface. But with the smaller softer stones, after repeated use in the same spot, it is possible to wear a depression in the stone. This is not too much of a problem for U gouges – but of course, not so good for the flat edges of V gouges.

1. One or two ‘slip’ stones with either or both V and U edge profiles

As stated earlier, the inside face of a gouge is kept flat and not sharpened at an angle. And the sharpening of the other, angled, face of the cutting edge will raise what is known as a burr The slip stone is used to carefully remove the burr along the flat of the inside – thus giving us our ‘zero radius’ edge.

It is important that the profile of the slip – particularly for the different sizes of U gouges – fits the curve or angle of the gouge. For the very small U gouges, I tend to use some very fine grade ‘emery cloth’ (at least 300 grit), rolled to fit.
It is of course possible to combine your flat surface and slip stone in one. Jacksons supply a cleverly designed Japanese synthetic waterstone with good flat (if quite soft) surface, that also has V and U edges graduated to fit different gouge profiles. I have modified mine further by shaping the stone to even smaller V and U profiles at either end.
I do also particularly like my little Arkansas stones; one of which has a small V edge profile, but is just big enough to use on the flat side too. I also have a very hard vintage stone I inherited from a wood engraver.

’Stropping’ equipment. It is remarkable how beneficial (and in the long run - time saving) it is to have your strop to hand and to give your gouges an occasional little ‘whizz up’ as you work.
The idea of stropping is simply to maintain and refine your already efficiently sharpened edge; by polishing off the microscopic scratches and unevenness left by even the finest of stones and keeping our zero profile cutting edge super sharp. It also slightly ‘rounds off’ the difference between the grinding and sharpening angles – giving a smooth profile to the underside of the gouge.
The equipment required  consists of a piece of unpolished leather and some soft wood shaped into suitable V and U profiles; plus polishing compound or cream. You can make your own by fixing a piece of leather to a board and cutting matching grooves or profiles in a piece of close grained softish wood.
However, one of the most useful and common items for this job is the ‘Flexcut Slip Strop’; which has all you need in one neat and handy pack.

So – let’s get on and do some sharpening!
Here's a video which will hopefully make everything clear.
Keep Safe!

This is the bulk of the blog post commissioned by Jacksons Art Supplies in London - hence the links to their website.

Through an understandable reservation about spending too much on something new, or perhaps attending a group workshop, most people begin lino cutting with cheap, often poor quality tools. And one of the most common things I hear is “I love lino printing and I’d like some better tools, but they are so expensive! – and I don’t know which ones to get”
But to put it in perspective; in terms of value for money, even the very best gouges cost less than a cheap meal and a drink, but they will, with care, outlive you! Sell a few of your (much improved) prints and you’ll quickly pay for a small set of four or five beautiful tools that will soon begin to feel like old friends and will repay your investment over and over again. Not to mention the pleasure of using a tool that actually works for you!

So what do we lino carvers need from our tools?In most situations, all we need to do is leave a nice raised flat surface that will take the ink and print it cleanly on to our paper (or fabric). This means that, especially in the detail of most images and if correctly inked, the shallowest of cuts is all you need. Fine ‘positive’ printing lines and other ‘isolated’  marks will need to be carved so they do not crumble and break off. Some areas will need to be removed altogether and slightly larger gouges will speed up that work. And with experience, a small range of tools will make a wide variety of marks, simply by varying the angle and depth of cut. With practice – lino gouges will make images that have qualities unobtainable with any other media.
 
Most important of all, your tools must be sharp and kept sharp. A quality gouge will not only take a good edge, but with practice, can be quickly ‘stropped’ to retain it. Such tools can also be sent away and professionally re sharpened if required.
So what are the very best gouges? And which ones should you give up your meal and drink for? Well, of course, like everything in printmaking, everyone quite rightly has their own preferences. Also, in time, you will accumulate all sorts of extra little tools and personal methods of working. I have all sorts of gouges in my collection, but the only ones I use when working seriously on a nice newly prepped bit of real lino block are my favourite set of five Pfeil gouges (plus the occasional use of a standard small craft knife or scalpel).
 
Pfeil (German for Arrow) are a Swiss company who make a huge range of woodcarving tools. Each tool is made from easily re sharpened chrome vanadium steel, and the mushroom shaped palm-handles (for me – by far the most comfortable and manoeuvrable type) are made of hardwood. From their vast range of tools, their smaller ones have proved ideal for carving lino; but their number coding system requires a training in code breaking! Thankfully Jackson’s have selected those most popular with printmakers. However, when considering which ones to buy, do look very carefully at the various boxed set selections, which sometimes contain tools the printmaker may not actually need. I recommend buying individual tools and building your own set.

The fine V 12/1cuts an accurate visible line using one side or the other of the V. It also cuts a sloping ‘shoulder’ to the lino which helps prevent crumbling.
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1. Small V – 12/1 
First is the workhorse; the small V – coded 12/1. I use this one more than all the others put together. In fact I have two. One is sharpened at the original angle as supplied. The other I have ground and sharpened to a slightly steeper angle, which enables me to use a personal technique on textures for fur and feather etc.
The pictures illustrating this post show the use of ordinary grey ‘artists’ lino rather than my preferred’ slightly firmer’ ‘Marmoleum’ flooring lino. I thought it better to show what most people would be dealing with. I personally cannot stand any of the plastic ‘alternative’ lino products and many of the points I make here about the subtleties of different tools become irrelevant when using plastics – which do not allow the accurate ‘break and flick’ technique of traditional (bio-degradable!) lino.
The 12/1 is not only used to make a wide variety of fine marks, textures and detail, it is used to outline basic forms and areas that will print clear of the background; from large solid flat shapes, to those requiring accuracy – like text. The fine V first cuts an accurate visible line; using one side or the other of the V to accurately follow the guideline. It also cuts a sloping ‘shoulder’ to the lino; which helps prevent crumbling of things like thin fine ‘positive’ lines.
People are often tempted by the slightly bigger V tools available. Don’t be. You are not carving a wood sculpture, so the depth of cut is irrelevant once the surface is removed, and the angle of the V on the bigger ones is pretty much the same as the 12/1  – so there is no real advantage. I have a couple that sit unused in my tool box.

The 11/3 medium U removes plenty of lino to speed the work, but is small enough to follow up the accurate outlining of the 12/1
2. Medium U – 11/3
The next favourite tool I use tends to be the 11/3; a medium U gouge. It removes plenty of lino to speed the work, but is small enough to follow up the accurate outlining of the 12/1: again using one edge or the other of the U. Do beware though. With a sharp 11/3 it is all too easy to get carried away and find you have whizzed through an area that was meant to remain!

​

The 5/8 flat U is a useful tool for cleaning up all those non printing areas that run the risk of catching ink and printing background ‘chatter’.

4. Small U – 11/1
The 11/1 – a small U I find invaluable for those small ‘interior’ curves; where I spin the block slightly at the same time as pushing the tool itself. It gives a nice clean detail curve without the risk of a broken, crumbled edge you can get when using a V tool on a tight bend. Again, it also opens up a few more textural options of circular dots and various ‘flick’ marks.
And lastly...
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5. ‘Flat’ U -5/8
Finally a 5/8 flat U is a useful tool for cleaning up all those non printing areas that run the risk of catching ink and printing the irritating background ‘chatter’. These gouge marks can be used to good effect in certain prints, but generally I like to both cleanly flatten the area with the 5/8 and also use a paper mask.
So there we are. A simple set of five Pfeil gouges; currently available for just over £90. Not all that much when with care they will last for many years. And once you begin to realise that your gouges are as much a drawing implement as a pen or pencil; and you find yourself reaching instinctively for the right one for which ever part of your image you are working , you will know that any limitations are yours – not theirs!

​It all began with a tidy up of the ‘ten a penny’ drawer: the place I stick bits of ideas and reference and half plans. It was a very productive session. From the depths came a set of film positives I’d made some five years ago –  four tonal separations from a digitally created image of a raven; a time when I was working in a slightly different style.

I’ve recently improved my facility for making photo screen stencils. So I thought, rather than waste these, I’ll make a couple of screens and have a play. Absolutely no plan other than a vague notion of making a print of a ‘black’ bird without using ‘black’ ink; simply by overprinting layers of colour (basic trichromatics)
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The other little exploration I’ve been working on lately was trying out some amazing 650 gsm Somerset paper I was offered by Lawrences – actually at the same price as my usual 300gsm, which I love. I tried some deep embossing with lino of it on a wee print (‘Early April’) which was very successful; and I will (one day!) get round to trying it with very deep etched intaglio.

However, there is one thing that  the lighter 300gsm doesn’t do too well; and that is taking several layers of large flat areas of water based screen ink. It does tend to ‘cockle’. Just a little, and with some prints, especially those I like to ‘float mount’ that is fine. But, I thought, this 650 is the stuff to try!

​So away I went …. First with some early blended layers of transparent primary colour. (Permaprint Premium in my own cocktail of clear base; 140T mesh)


Usually with my work, I at least have a clear ambition, if not an exact plan, as to where to go. This time (although I am no painter) it felt like just laying down some underpainting on a basic composition and allowing the image to build.


Fairly quickly, two thoughts occurred. One: The image needs strengthening. Two: Iridescence!

​The iridescence was largely a matter of the straightforward control of the many colours and directions of the blends.



I knew if I kept adding layers of colour, eventually I might get a ‘black’ bird that wasn’t black. ​

But how was I to bring some more definition and strength to the image?
One option was to create some more hand drawn photo positives and keep the whole thing as a screen print. I decided though that a lino block was the answer.

The surface textures of tacky ink on this slightly rough paper and the versatility of inking with several rollers over a three stage reduction would surely give me a bonus of colours as well as graphic definition. I’ll be honest though. It also sounded like good fun!

Because 15+ sheets were already printed with six or more layers, I did have to re-register the paper to match the lino image and make sure that the Ternes Burton pin and tab system matched the already used conventional ‘lay edge’ corner used to screen print.

​On a print this size, through the etching press, the pins and tabs on the leading edge not only accurately register each sheet, but help to prevent paper shift under pressure.

As long as my tracing down on to the block had put the basics all pretty much in the right place, I wasn’t too worried if the digital screenprint textures of the feathers matched my hand carved lino ones. In fact I knew they wouldn’t, and hoped that would add further textural/colour layers to the image.

So, again much like building up a painting, I began to put down thin blended layers of Caligo Safewash; reduced 50 to 80% , and carefully applied to the required areas as consistently as possible using small rollers.
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This took three stage reductions of the block; and although it sounds long winded and laborious, by now I was ‘in the zone’ and working almost instinctively. I also carefully ‘touch dried’ each layer with a dusting and wiping with cornflour; so by the time I’d carved the next stage – usually the same day – I could get on and print. The layers of ink were very thin and the pressure was kept low, because the slightly textured paper was giving me some really fascinating ‘iridescence’ textures.
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Also whilst printing the lino stages, I put some thought to how I might include some words that had formed in my head whilst reading again many of the mythologies and references to Ravens. Having also recently replaced my way out of date bits of gold size materials and bought some new transfer 23ct gold leaf, it was clear that this strong image would carry the application of gold to add the words and frame the composition. It would also add another experiment to this most experimental of prints. So a simple film positive was made in preparation; using photoshop elements and a slightly altered, but appropriately named ‘Beowulf’ typeface.

​Although very pleased with the results so far I decided to add another two or three layers of transparent screen inks to the image; this time just hand painting stencils as I normally do.


The idea being to just tint some areas and ‘bring up the contrast’ of the whole thing.




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And eventually I was pleased that had more than met a target that I didn’t even know was going to be the target when I started!

​I mixed Handover’s acrylic gold size, which is too runny in consistency to screenprint, with about 10% by volume of Lascaux screenprinting paste; plus a touch of yellow ink to colour the mix.
The chemical/molecular reaction of the three was quite extraordinary. A paint/ink scientist could probably tell me what was going on, but very quickly it first split; and then like a mayonnaise rescued by beating, gradually thickened to a gelatinous texture.
I thought this was actually too thick, so added some more size. This just seemed to set the jelly even more!
I suspected though, that as it loosened up with stirring, this thixotropic property might be just right for screen printing: Under the pressure of the squeegee through the mesh it would be fluid, but stay nicely ‘plump’ on the absorbent paper to receive the gold leaf.

Printing as normal through a 120 mesh I tried a quick test on scrap pieces of the Somerset paper. I tried single, double and treble pulls, just to see if a slightly thicker deposit made a difference to the required ‘tack’. It didn’t really. The gold leaf sticks to anything! Including any areas of printing ink on the image itself that are not completely dry! But I thought a double pull would just make sure there was no patchiness.

​By now I was down to about a dozen perfect and consistent prints on the best paper, plus proof sheets and slight colour discrepancy ones.


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So, feeling confident, I printed the full poem on four perfect prints, let the size/ink dry for about two hours and set to with the task of applying the expensive leaf.



A firm press with a finger and a firm but careful removal of the excess with a soft large watercolour brush, followed by a burnish with a soft cloth is all that is needed.

I have discussed before the business of the so called ‘happy accident’ in printmaking.
I dislike the phrase because it implies that the artist had no control whatsoever.

For me, the only really interesting original prints are those with qualities not obtainable by other media.
​But I’m sure that virtually every creative original printmaker, even those with supreme control of their techniques, gets huge pleasure from those moments when you rely on the block, plate or screen and its ink to give what IT decides it will.

So although unplanned at the start, this image was certainly not a happy accident - but a series of controlled surprises!

Song of the Raven
​
I am not black
But light stolen and broken

I am not lost
But outside the ark

I am not alone
But a twin to memory

I am not old
But life taken in battle

I am not ghost
But a connector of spirits

I am not bird
But  man’s fear of power

​This is really just a quick description of the printing process of my latest effort: ‘Habitat’. It is of a small bird called the Aquatic Warbler and is for a book about the 67 species of UK birds that currently make up the ‘Red Data’ list of conservation concern. There is a background story to its commission. But more on this and the book later.
As you see it is a linocut and screenprint combination; edition of 20 plus one Artist's Proof on 300 gsm Somerset paper; 30 x 40 cm.

​Although I sometimes do a complete finished compositional drawing in preparation for a new piece, the initial drawing for this was the simplest of sketched lines. I had looked at, photographed and also researched lots of pictures of reed and sedge beds – particularly those online references which showed the specific bird in its natural habitat. I don’t like to simply trace a photo, even if it is my own. In this case, the stems are entirely made up. And for the bird I used different bits of heads, backs and legs and just put them together using photoshop until the shape and size looked right, then a simple line guide was all I needed.
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​A key tracing of the sketch was the reversed and transferred to a prepared lino block using carbon paper.

​And the carving begins; removing all the areas of the planned image that will either be white paper or receive screen printed colour later. It is now that the drawing starts; with pencil on the red stained surface and then with the gouges themselves.

​The first tone/colour – a transparent yellow/beige applied to all 20 plus 5 or 6 spares of 300 gsm Somerset paper. I’m using Ternes Burton pins and tabs on the etching press.

​Successive reductions of the printing surface are then printed - in exact registration - top of each other, on every sheet in turn. The ink (Caligo Safewash) is gradually darkening tones of transparent (i.e. not using white pigment) reedy/birdy colours.

​Until the final dark brown gives me the key construction and format image of the print; all in register, all identical, on all the sheets plus spares.

And so to the second stage - using a different printing method - screen print.
​​A spare proof is placed under the screen, in register, using the same TB tabs and the first of several hand painted stencils is traced on to and then painted directly on to the mesh with blocking fluid.

​The first background colour stencil is printed - a blend of blue (sky) and green (reed bed).

​These screen stencils are also used in a reduction method.

And a separate one is traced and painted for each element.

Including a set of separate smaller stencils for the bird and a sponged stencil in a transparent blue to add the all important shadow detail.

All the prints are then carefully check for consistency and the edition signed and stamped.
​Number one has now gone to the publisher and will appear in the planned book and be sold in a fundraising 'blind' auction. I wonder who'll end up with it?

A few pictures of the process of making my latest print: 'Winter Visitors' A Linocut with Screenprint, 38 x 50 cm.

​Preparation and composition; using lots of bits of various tracings from enlarged/reduced/flipped/distorted/collaged images of the birds (Redwings and Fieldfares) and apples. A full day’s work just to get the composition and sizing right.
Meanwhile 300gsm Somerset (beautiful versatile paper) is laid out in the studio drying rack for at least 48 hours to stabilise size changes due to temperature and humidity combinations. The plan is for around 20 in the edition, so 25 or so sheets are prepared to allow for proofing and losses.

​Prepared Marmoleum block (see previous posts on this) is cut to size and the final key drawing reversed and transferred with carbon paper. Then ‘drawing with the gouges’ i.e. carving, of the planned first tonal/colour layer.

​A tight fitting surrounding ‘forme’ - which holds the block precisely in place - is made and fixed to the press bed. The three Ternes Burton pins are fixed to the forme (I like to use two ‘lay edges’ of the paper and the 3rd pin also helps prevent any sideways twist). Each sheet of paper is positioned and TB tabs attached.

​Reduction lino prints require faith in the first choice of tone and colour! Transparent inks (Caligo Safewash) are used to retain the luminosity of the paper and allow controlled ‘spot’ inking of blends etc. which are consistent through the whole edition pile.

​Masks, made with strong cartridge paper, are carefully cut. These both prevent unwanted background carving marks and, in this case also allow two printings from the one carving stage: all sheets printed once in grey for the birds; the prints left overnight to dry to just tacky; and then printed again with spot blends for the apples.

​And so the normal reduction process continues, using more masks and spot inking: Four tone/colours (eight printings in all) using some basic tonal separations of some of the original sources but worked out ‘by eye’ and by drawing with a soft pencil, then directly with the gouge i.e. not traced.

​The layers are printed almost ‘wet on wet’. By the time the next colour stage is carved the reduced ink is dry enough to print on. There is some ‘set off’ on the masks of the previous colour, but this does not affect the colour or sharpness of the previous layers.
And so the lino stage of this dual media print is complete; somewhat weak as an image, but that is deliberate as the planned screen print layers should bring it together.

​The screen stencils are traced and hand painted in my normal way (again see previous posts on this) and around six more transparent reduction layers are overprinted on the birds and apples.

​The original intention was to use conventional screen print stop tabs to do this but the position of the TB pins and tabs meant there was no danger to the screen mesh (and there was probably too much variation in my cutting to size of the paper anyway) I decided to use them to register the screen stencils. They are super accurate!

​A final three stage reduction stencil is then made to suggest blue snow shadows using a sponge to give a soft edge …. And the print is complete!

Contact me here if you are interested in purchasing one of these prints. Thank you!

One of the many things I love about printmaking is the challenge and adaptions involved in making and following a plan. I have spoken before about the delicate balance that must be struck in creative printmaking between dull ‘mechanical’ reproduction of an image and the uncontrolled ‘happy accident’. With the way I tend to work - with layers and reductions, and all sheets of paper in the planned edition being worked on at once; there is usually no going back once the process has begun. So nearly all my prints need to have some sort of a plan. However, most printmakers will agree that the end result is not always quite what was expected.
Some prints do pretty much as they are asked to do and help me to a result which I’m either pleased with or not. Probably because my initial plan for this latest one was a little vague, it resisted success right to the end! So I thought I’d just put some detail to the stages of making it.
The idea came from my ongoing interest in a mix of images and symbols from mythology and folk/ancient religion: Hares (and especially their eyes) and witches; the so called Greenman or ‘Jack in the Green’; the changing seasons and significant times such as the Celtic Samhain autumn festival; ‘sacred’ trees such as oak and rowan etc.
I couldn’t recall seeing the sprouting face image of the Greenman being applied to an animal, but the spiritual brown hare seemed a good choice to try it with. And having previously made a connection in another print between the coming of spring green in the woods and a witch; and as it was the end of October and the woods full of colour ….things began to come together.

Although in the initial stages I nearly always use computer graphics to enlarge, copy, distort and compose basic shapes, there is no substitute for drawing and eventually I had a key outline worked out.
The initial plan was really quite straightforward: I would cut a ‘key’ lino block design which would print in one dark colour (not just black - it can be so deadening) and ‘colour it in’ using simple screen-print stencils. Indeed I was thinking at first of an almost ‘stained glass window’ quality.
Even with a proposed simple image like this (at least in terms of texture and line, if not content) I prefer to use a fairly sketchy tracing; then allow the process of carbon paper transfer, plus use of a soft pencil and then the actual ‘drawing’ with the gouges to dictate the final line and shapes. This, rather than mechanically traced and carved dead line, gives some life to the image.

At this stage – although clearly the image was a bit strange and not really quite what I usually do (we all must move on!) I thought it was going to be straightforward. So having completed the carving - and during the time it took to do so, acclimatised the paper (temperature  and humidity can seriously affect register) I took four proofs in a dark brown/black; in register to one corner, using standard stop tabs rather than TB pins; because the main layers of this print were to be screen printed.

​I then used one of these proofs to trace and paint out, with Lascaux screen filler, the first few screen stencils. These were overprinted on top of the lino proofs, as well as on to the 25 + sheets of my usual 300 gsm Somerset paper.

​It was then I realised that the original plan was not going to work! The very strong lino image, if printed like this on top of the final screened colours was going to kill any colour and subtlety in the print. Not only that, but I was also beginning to enjoy the subtle autumn colour effects of the blends and transparencies achievable with screen inks.
So by now I was a bit lost. What to do? The pile of expensive paper was already printed with several screen printed layers. I had spent a long time finalising the composition and even longer carefully carving the lino block, the register of which image only just fitted the the colours already printed on all of the paper.
My wife is a painter (and a brilliant and successful one at that). We share our big studio and of course often consult each other. She often says “this one’s fighting me” about her paintings. So she was sympathetic to my battle and brought a painter’s eye to the job. “Just emphasise the hare” she said. “leave the bits on either side they’re OK as they are”

​She was right of course. So I first of all attacked the lino block and thinned all the printing lines down as far as even the Marmoleum lino could take. I had to then accept that they would not necessarily match exactly with the screened colour. Didn’t matter! I went to town on the remaining screen colours; using very thin filler, and free brush marks plus blended inks to create autumnal richness and light.

​After that it was a fairly simple job – by making the overprinting of the lino block on top of the colour into a three stage reduction process - to turn what had been a big lumpen lino image into something more like the lighter over-drawing and tracing I had begun with.
​The final dark details and the gold ink outer circle were printed in one pass ….and the battle was won! 

Perhaps it’s the shortening days, but well – here I am after several months away from writing blog posts. I will try harder!

I have written before about my preference for using Marmoleum commercial flooring lino for my linocuts. It is a little thinner but much firmer than anything else available; crisper and more durable, but still carves like butter when warm. It does require some preparation before use, but like many similar tasks in printmaking, I have to say I quite enjoy the process of turning a sheet of flooring into a lovely firm prepared printing block.
I like a light coloured lino (white would be good, but they don’t make it); the surface of which I can stain (usually red). This is in order to be able to both draw on the surface with pen and pencil and then be able to clearly see the cut marks I make in positive -  i.e. how they will print.

Two years ago I bought, via my local carpet shop, a 2m wide roll of the then palest cream colour Marmoleum I could find. I chopped it into large pieces and stored it flat. I have now used nearly all of this and the remaining pieces seem to have begun to harden; which of course will happen if stored where the linseed oil used to make it can dry out.
An initial search showed that in the meantime, Forbo the international company that manufactures Marmoleum, had not surprisingly, updated their range. Forbo and their suppliers are very good at providing samples, so after a little research I ended up with four pieces of the palest colours I could find. They were: Real ‘Edelweiss’; Concrete ‘Moon’; Walton ‘Titanium’; Fresco ‘Moonstone’.

First let me say that what follows is far from an exhaustive test. Indeed, I certainly didn’t  test everything that is available. Nor is it a statement of comparative merit for everyone. Simply a brief record of my own little bit of research for a specific purpose and a comparison with my own preferences.
I am in the (rather long winded!) process of preparing to run some workshop courses here at Craigshaw Barns Studio. And in the interest of the fingers of any potential novice lino cutters, I thought I ought to investigate gentler alternatives to my usual commercial flooring lino.
A year or so ago had a little test cut of the pale coloured ‘Soft Cut’ in someone else’s studio, and immediately judged it just awful; sort of greasy, springy and stretchy. But I had heard of others happily using other vinyls etc, especially for beginners and thought I should at least try some more of them.
As I have described elsewhere on here, I do like my Marmoleum. Yes, it requires some preparation: the surface has to be sanded and, being quite thin, it is best glued to a backing board. But I like its smooth carving character (when its warm enough), plus its non-crumbling firmness and ability to carry print fine detail when at normal (for Scotland!) temperatures. I can also buy large pieces on a roll relatively cheaply. I can accurately draw on the sanded surface with pencil, pen and carbon paper etc; and when using the palest colour – a pale, almost white, cream – with a stained surface, I can work accurately  ‘in positive’ i.e. what I cut away shows as a paler colour than the stained surface.
Proper lino also has what to me is an almost essential quality when it comes to carving accurate detail: And that is its ability to break off in a predictable way - with a ‘flick’ of the gouge. With practice, this technique enables accurate cutting into narrow angles and shapes and the creation of a wider variety of textural marks. Of course, this quality is because ‘real’ lino (made of cork and linseed oil) also crumbles if treated too roughly.
Most of these ‘alt-linos’ seem to me to be just industrial sheet materials (with all their associated non-eco production) that enterprising companies buy, cut up and re sell. At least real lino is – I believe - made from natural bio degradable materials. I should also add that although I use Caligo Safe Wash inks at the moment, I do always clean up very quickly and easily with just a few drops of white spirit rather than water and detergent/cooking oils or whatever. (Discussion for another time!) and I like to work with a solid glued together block, rather than a flimsy plate. So the problem of wetting and warping of hessian backed lino does not occur.
Although I was not particularly concerned to spend too much time and effort on some of them, I did actually make some sort of finished print (see below) from all of the alternatives - usually by the additional use of some simple screenprint over printing.

So what did I try?
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Marmoleum. Made by Forbo and available through local flooring suppliers.
Normal Grey ‘Artist’s Lino; widely available and often, erroneously, called ‘Battleship’ - presumably because of its colour.
‘Japanese’ vinyl; Blue on one side and green on the other, with a black centre layer, from  www.Handprinted.co.uk.
Blue ‘Easy Cut’ available from www.homecrafts.co.uk
Black ‘Easy Carve’
 Brief thoughts on each of these and the little test prints done with them as follows:

​Japanese’ Vinyl

Good firm feel but actually quite tough to carve for novices. The black middle is actually quite confusing and not all that clear anyway.
The surface is impossible to draw on.
​Prints well and very easy to clean.

'March Dawn' One colour lino with screen printed background colour​

Blue ‘Easy Cut’
So soft and quick to cut that mistakes are easily made. Although – like all these alternatives the all important ‘cut and flick/break’ technique is not possible, one can at least rub the surface of this to remove fine detailed textural cuts.
OK for total beginners.

'Thunder' Two colour lino reduction with screenprint

Black ‘Easy Carve’

Pretty dreadful stuff to be honest. Carves easily enough and – as long as you don’t get one of the slightly textured surface areas that occur in a vital bit – prints OK.

But I gave up with this Beltie Bull as soon as i had something basic to print.

Conclusion
I will experiment a little more with the grey artists lino, as it does not require so much preparation; plus, not all images require the sort of textural detail that I can only get with Marmoleum. Certainly this is what I will provide for any beginners workshops I offer.
If I ever have kids in the studio to try lino, (the grandchildren are nearly old enough) my choice will be the blue Easy Cut. 

​This print of a diving Gannet was originally planned to fit on a full-length half sheet of my favourite 300gsm Somerset paper. However, at the same time I had an option to make the idea suit an application brief for a possible international exchange exhibition with printmakers in Iceland. This meant a maximum paper size of 50 x 40 cms. Would it still work?


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As usual I had begun to play with possible composition layouts by using outline sketches on tracing paper. Knowing that the principal objective was to have a sense of movement – diving from the air to vigorous pursuit underwater; and having already decided that the key image for the print would be made by overlapping five or six separate lino blocks, I began work on those straightaway.

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​Exactly how to create some additional marks to help impart the sense of different movements and emphasise the flowing composition I wanted  was, of course, all part the pleasure and the passion I feel when printmaking.

​​When all were at the proofing stage, I used the little XCut and did quick clean prints in black on to more tracing paper. This served three purposes: One, it obviously gave me an idea of what the block would print like and show where extra cutting might be needed. Two, any additional carving required is so much easier when you can flip the proof over so it’s the same way around as the block. And three, it produced six semi-transparent sheets I could use to compose the final layout.

​At this stage, I realised that I could in fact make all six overlapping images fit and work successfully on the shorter paper size of the exhibition brief. I thought I would keep this first version simple with no second reduction on the blocks as I originally planned; thinking I would still like to do the full-length version at some point.

So, a final ‘map’ of the positions of all the images was made on one of the sheets of paper of the right size and a ‘chase’ to attach the Ternes Burton pins to made up on the bed of my old roller press.  All 15 sheets of paper, plus another half a dozen proof sheets, were tabbed for registration. 

This was important because although no second colours were going to be printed with lino, it was my intention to make this a combination lino and screenprint, so these same registration tabs would be used to register the overprinted screen colours later.

A separate ‘forme’ within the ‘chase’ (grand terms for bits of MDF masking taped down!)  then had to be made for each block in turn; to hold the block in exact position for every sheet. And my usual flip over mask made and attached to the forme to keep the background areas clean.

​Each sheet of paper in the pack was in fact printed twelve times rather than six. I printed each block once with a very reduced colour (around 90%+ extender). An additional shaped piece of masking paper was then added where the next image would overlap; and the same block printed a second time in a stronger – although still transparent – colour. A lot of extra work in a way, but crucial to prevent the images being too confused with each other when overlapped. The colours also changed slightly from the top one (in clear air) to the bottom one (deep in the water).

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I also printed pretty much ‘wet on wet’ i.e. I did not wait for each layer to dry. Caligo Safewash ink – particularly extended like this and printed thinly on to Somerset paper does not ‘set off’ on to the next print. I often do this, but I will sometimes dust very lightly with ordinary cornflour to allow me to handle and stack the prints.

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​Once all the birds were complete, I had to think about the shoal of fish. To assist my composition of this I made some small stamps by carving the end of bits of old pencil erasers in a few different fishy shapes; then dabbed them in ink and played around with tracing paper overlays till I got it something like I needed. 

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I then traced and carbon papered the shoal down on to a seventh block. Originally, I thought I might gild these fish with silver leaf. But in the end, they worked perfectly well without.

​All that remained then was to make and over print the screen printing stencils. As usual I prefer to make these by simply tracing with pencil and using hand painting techniques directly on to the screen mesh using screen filler.

First, a simple two stage reduction for the beautiful golden blush of colour these otherwise black and white birds have on their head and neck.

Then a two-stage reduction of semi-transparent blended cold sea green; once, covering most of the bird underwater, plus a few bubbly marks.

Then a second layer through the same stencil after stopping out all the bird and fish and more bubbles.

​Finally the cold grey Scottish west coast sky, with again a hand painted ‘splash on entry’.

I had decided that I would tear down the finished prints to give an edge to edge colour finish (or bleed) but with a softer edge. This is done by damping the tear line on the back of each print and then bravely tearing to a heavy steel straight edge. Although I haven’t done this for years, I was pleased with the effect, despite it meaning that the prints had to be signed on the inked surface and they will have to be ‘float’ mounted for framing.

I have entered it for the possible Iceland exhibition. We'll see!

I have recorded a few things about the way I prepare for and develop a linocut - using the XCut Xpress.
Here are the links to the YouTube versions.
​A future blog post will include some details about sourcing materials and equipment used.
Part 1 'Preparation is Everything!'