Last year I bought myself a pookie press. These are portable table top linoprinting presses that are an affordable way to print for hobbyists like myself. They are made here in the UK. My press prints up to A3 in size. It’s compact, so doesn’t take up much room in my little terrace house.
I decided to test it with my own cormorant design. I was inspired by this linocut by Richard Bawden. I frequently buy this design on a greeting card to give to friends who are also nature lovers and I love watching the cormorants near where I live at Bedford Priory Marina.
Above, you can see my process in pictures. I use this method for every reduction print I make.
I sketch my design in my sketchbook using watercolour to test colours. Then I use the Fresco app on my iPad to finesse the design. I trace the image onto a piece of lino (I used traditional battleship grey lino). The lino is stuck to a board using carpet tape. I use terne burton pins to achieve a perfect registration.
Then I carve away parts of the lino, ink the remaining surface and print a blue layer, then carve away more material, print orange onto the same piece of paper, and then carve away some more, then print the final black layer. Each time a colour is added to my paper it must be in exactly the same place to my lino or the print will be off and all my time will be wasted! Three colours are printed using the same piece of lino.
When I sell reduction prints at markets, it’s difficult to explain my process. I hope this helps!
The Cormorant is available to buy from my shop over at Etsy now.
Folk Style Linocuts By MStraccia Art 