✷ My Process ✷

How I make my linocut prints

As a Southend-on-Sea based linocut printmaker, every original print I make is handmade from start to finish in my home or garden studio in Essex. Here's a look at exactly how I make my artworks.

Linocut printmaking is a type of relief printing, which means that whatever you carve won't be what's printed. It can be tricky to wrap your head around, especially when you remember that whatever you carve is also printed in mirror image (something that has thwarted many a novice and seasoned printmaker alike!)

To cut my lino block, I use a variety of different cutting tools. My main tools are Pfeil gouges. I do have a whole set, which I often bring to workshops, but I tend to stick to a few favourites for most of my prints: a small v-blade for fine details and a larger u-blade for curves and clearing larger spaces.

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Inking up

Once I have carved my design, I ink the block. Whatever was carved will not pick up ink and will, once printed, remain the colour of the paper. I mainly use Cranfield's Caligo Safewash Relief inks in my work. I print at home with my little one often nearby, so I appreciate an ink that is easy to clean and non-toxic whilst still retaining a high quality finish.

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Adding colour

When making multi-coloured prints, I use a variety of different techniques depending on the design.

Multi-block printing involves carving multiple separate blocks of the same size and printing them in layers, one colour at a time.

Jigsaw or puzzle block printing uses a single block that is cut into separate shapes. Each piece is inked in a different colour, then the block is reassembled and printed as one.

Reduction printing is perhaps the most frustrating method but also the most rewarding! You work with one block, carving and printing each layer one at a time, usually working from the lightest colour through to the darkest. By the time a reduction print is finished, there is usually very little of the original block left!

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Made by hand, start to finish

All of my prints are handmade from start to finish. Every part of this process is physical and tangible, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. I have always been someone who loves to make things with my hands, and linocut keeps me engaged at every stage. With so many different elements to the process, I am rarely bored from first sketch to final hand-pulled print.

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Where I work

I work mostly from home. I do have access to a small garden room at my lovely mum's house, which I sometimes use as a studio, but as a busy parent I mostly now work from the kitchen table. Which is, fittingly, exactly where I started out. It doesn’t stop me from printmaking, though it does mean I have to be more mindful about how and when I work. That challenge has also led me to start experimenting with new techniques, including kitchen lithography, woodcut and tetra pak intaglio.

Every original linocut print in my shop has been made this way: hand-carved and hand-printed by me in my home in Southend-on-Sea or the garden studio in Hadleigh, Essex.

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Interested in learning more about linocut? Join one of my workshops in Essex!

FAQs

How are prints made?

Each print starts with a sketch which I then transfer to the block using carbon or tracing, or I freehand on the lino.

What materials do you use?

How long does printing take?

Do you ship internationally?

No, sorry, I currently only ship within the UK but I hope to change this soon.

A variety of different materials and tools which I've accumulated over the years. If you're just starting out, you can read my blog post about five essential tools for a beginner printmaker here.

It depends! Small blocks of one colour may only take an hour or two. Complex prints, larger prints or multi-coloured prints can take weeks to months to complete, depending on cutting time and drying time.

✷ Own a piece of the process ✷

Every original linocut print in my shop has been made this way: hand-carved and hand-printed by me, with care, in Essex, UK. Every edition is signed and titled and every limited edition is numbered by hand.

[Shop Original Linocut Prints] | [Book a Linocut Workshop in Essex]

Interested in trying linocut printmaking for yourself? I teach friendly, small-group linocut workshops in Essex, suitable for all levels - no experience needed!