My first lino-cut

...well since I was ten.

Bear in  mind that I'm doing this intuitively with no books or advice, but two nice tools and the suggestion that the new vinyl is softer than lino and that some people prefer it. This is because I have a time scale - this lino cut need to be cut and printed within three days, so I opted for the green vinyl. The casual wavy edges are deliberate. I'm sure I'll benefit greatly in my next one after consulting books and having advice!

I traced it then remembered that prints have to be reversed, so washed it off and started again.
These tools are divine and I love lino cutting (quick convert). I'm going to do the grass lime-green and you can see how the tool has dictated the texture. I had planned to make a little rubber stamp with three bits of grass and stamp all over the print. This is much better.
I finished cutting this out then went off to the Printmaker's studio in Oxford.

The technician helped me plan registration of the second "plate" and showed me a super way of tracing the second design - for the lime green grass. Do a print onto paper, then while it is still wet, use the paper to do an inverted print on the second piece of lino. Now choose which areas to cut away.

Technical info:
Cutting tools: I'm not sure what make, but it has "Swiss made" on the tool and the sizes are L 12/1 and L11/3 - it is a V-shape 1mm wide and a rounded one 3mm wide.
Green Vinyl (reverse side is blue)
I'm still not sure how to transfer the design as the pencil barely showed. Must find out.
Ink: Intaglio oil-based ink with a gun - I used Phthalo blue mixed with Primrose Yellow in different proportions for the two greens. Once printed the print took 3 days to dry.
(Fortunately at this stage the rector had delayed to pamphlet with some details)
There is also an intaglio ink extender but I'm too ignorant about what the consistency should be or exactly what it does. Delays drying? Thins the ink?
Roller: Durathane roller (often a green colour)
Paper: For practice I used a cheap Kent paper 190gsm, but for the final print I used an utterly fab. Japanese paper called Tosa--Shoji.
Printing Press: I used a nipping press with a few felts - hooray, its like the book press I have and I had no idea that it would work with lino! And no eternal rubbing with the back of a spoon.
Blankets / felts: I'll have to buy some new blankets for my nipping press. Mine are thin felts from a paper mill. These are pure wool and like really thick felt. Sold at Intaglio by the square inch. (Scary)

I'm very chuffed with this new found skill.

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