Lino carving technique
September 27, 2015 8:16 AM Subscribe
I love block prints but my own efforts are pretty disappointing. Please give me advice on tools and technique!
Every few months, I try lino block carving again, but the outcome is the same: it looks rough like a small child trying potato carving, and the lino is scraggly with gouges through the back. What am I doing wrong and how can I improve?
- I have one of those basic red-handled cutting sets and it always feels like the heads are too big for detail work
- I tend to be a bit heavy-handed in drawing and it's probably the same in carving
- I have tried a few levels of block hardness, with no real difference in output quality
- I'm mostly trying to work at a6 size which feels tricky for detail
- The printing part isn't the problem and I have decent ink and paper on hand
- I learned printmaking when I was a teenager, and I can draw but am better at geometric than naturalistic stuff
- I have recently changed career to a less creative field and I would really like to be printmaking as a creative and incremental evening hobby where I can improve my skill
- Some local print studios run workshops and I have considered taking one, but I guess I'm worried that the problem is me and not knowledge?
Any recommendations of tools, technique, or books/web content you have used to improve your technique or to teach others would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Every few months, I try lino block carving again, but the outcome is the same: it looks rough like a small child trying potato carving, and the lino is scraggly with gouges through the back. What am I doing wrong and how can I improve?
- I have one of those basic red-handled cutting sets and it always feels like the heads are too big for detail work
- I tend to be a bit heavy-handed in drawing and it's probably the same in carving
- I have tried a few levels of block hardness, with no real difference in output quality
- I'm mostly trying to work at a6 size which feels tricky for detail
- The printing part isn't the problem and I have decent ink and paper on hand
- I learned printmaking when I was a teenager, and I can draw but am better at geometric than naturalistic stuff
- I have recently changed career to a less creative field and I would really like to be printmaking as a creative and incremental evening hobby where I can improve my skill
- Some local print studios run workshops and I have considered taking one, but I guess I'm worried that the problem is me and not knowledge?
Any recommendations of tools, technique, or books/web content you have used to improve your technique or to teach others would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Have you learned to sharpen those gouges yet? My experience is with wood rather than linoleum, but a lot of beginners seem to misunderstand how sharp carving tools need to be, and how much maintenance is required (probably less with lino than with wood).
Being heavy-handed is also probably part of your struggle, andrewcooke's worthwhile creative advice notwithstanding. There's no way you can take a heavy cut and keep the motion smooth, especially if you've got cheap tools that distort and deflect under pressure.
posted by jon1270 at 8:28 AM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Being heavy-handed is also probably part of your struggle, andrewcooke's worthwhile creative advice notwithstanding. There's no way you can take a heavy cut and keep the motion smooth, especially if you've got cheap tools that distort and deflect under pressure.
posted by jon1270 at 8:28 AM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
I've had good results with the #1 (smallest) gouge for the red-handled tool. They don't sharpen well, but you can buy a pack of replacements and switch them out when they start to dull--as stated above, a sharp tool is essential. I also like the medium-soft beige lino blocks. They cut easily and cleanly.
If you want big, bold lines, dig in deep. If you want finer detail, just barely skim the surface of the block. You can also clean up jagged edges with a light, careful touch.
If you draw your image first with a soft no. 2 pencil and carefully make a rubbing onto the block, you will have a reverse image to guide your cuts. Good luck!
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 8:42 AM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you want big, bold lines, dig in deep. If you want finer detail, just barely skim the surface of the block. You can also clean up jagged edges with a light, careful touch.
If you draw your image first with a soft no. 2 pencil and carefully make a rubbing onto the block, you will have a reverse image to guide your cuts. Good luck!
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 8:42 AM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I use these soft blocks... Way easier.
posted by ecorrocio at 8:48 AM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ecorrocio at 8:48 AM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Can you use mounted blocks? I have better results with mounted blocks (that is, the lino has a wood board mounted to the back.) It holds still better.
I would also suggest a plate-hook (basically a wooden Z where one leg of the z holds on to the table edge, and the other sticks up and holds the block edge so you can use both hands to cut. It's also safer.
You really won't get a lot of detail but I have had good results with using an Exacto for sharp geometrics-- use the v groove tool to excavate the larger area, then cut with the Exacto just on the line you want with the point straight down, then remove with a cut that's as parallel as can be to the surface of the block-- first draw the line, then excise the line from the side. This only works in a relatively free area (like, around an object in an empty field) because you have to really get the tip of the Exacto in there to get the piece out. I have tried scalpels for this but they are not right for my hand (ymmv). I have found that I prefer dedicated wood chisels over the lino cutter sold in art stores, and yes, you will have to sharpen them over and over to get a good cut.
Have you also tried Speedy-Cut? The super soft stuff? You don't get as many sharp prints from it but it's much easier to work with.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:04 AM on September 27, 2015
I would also suggest a plate-hook (basically a wooden Z where one leg of the z holds on to the table edge, and the other sticks up and holds the block edge so you can use both hands to cut. It's also safer.
You really won't get a lot of detail but I have had good results with using an Exacto for sharp geometrics-- use the v groove tool to excavate the larger area, then cut with the Exacto just on the line you want with the point straight down, then remove with a cut that's as parallel as can be to the surface of the block-- first draw the line, then excise the line from the side. This only works in a relatively free area (like, around an object in an empty field) because you have to really get the tip of the Exacto in there to get the piece out. I have tried scalpels for this but they are not right for my hand (ymmv). I have found that I prefer dedicated wood chisels over the lino cutter sold in art stores, and yes, you will have to sharpen them over and over to get a good cut.
Have you also tried Speedy-Cut? The super soft stuff? You don't get as many sharp prints from it but it's much easier to work with.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:04 AM on September 27, 2015
Try Speedball Speedy-Carve carving blocks. They're very easy to cut, and with a bit of care you can get lovely sharp detail.
One thing you could try is chopping up a Speedy-Carve carving block into smaller blocks, and using each one to carve a small image. Much less daunting, and if you ruin a small block, at least you've got others left. Then you can create stamped/printed images made from a combination of different stamps, stamped in different colours. Different stamps can be overlapped to produce cool effects. This is SO fun, and the possibilities are endless.
posted by Grunyon at 9:21 AM on September 27, 2015
One thing you could try is chopping up a Speedy-Carve carving block into smaller blocks, and using each one to carve a small image. Much less daunting, and if you ruin a small block, at least you've got others left. Then you can create stamped/printed images made from a combination of different stamps, stamped in different colours. Different stamps can be overlapped to produce cool effects. This is SO fun, and the possibilities are endless.
posted by Grunyon at 9:21 AM on September 27, 2015
Definitely start with softer blocks, so you can get a better feel for the tools. Fighting against a hard block is no way for a beginner to learn.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:30 AM on September 27, 2015
posted by Thorzdad at 9:30 AM on September 27, 2015
You need a knife as well as the gouges. Using a knife to outline helps you make sharper edges, leading to finer detail.
posted by yarntheory at 11:24 AM on September 27, 2015
posted by yarntheory at 11:24 AM on September 27, 2015
Seconding the use of a plate-hook (I call it a bench-hook). You can easily build one with some scraps of plywood. Fine detail is certainly possible with lino, but the medium is less about lines than it is shapes and textures. Especially true when you start doing multi-color images. Finally, the rough-hewness of lino is part of the charm, so don't sweat it. As for transferring designs to blocks, I use a wax-free pattern transfer paper used by dressmakers. It's a technique I don't hear a lot of other printmakers using, but works really well for me as the pattern sticks really well to the block (doesn't rub off while carving), and being bright orange, is quite visible, unlike carbon paper.
posted by spudsilo at 12:14 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by spudsilo at 12:14 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Speedball Speedy Cut, which is off-white and crumbly, is bad news. However their product Speedy Carve (with almost the same name) is pink, and is super nice and smooth to cut. It's good for detail. For a small project you can use the white, slab-shaped Staedtler Mars Plastic Erasers. They're pricy but even better for detail than even the Speedy Carve.
Using a combination of plain x-acto knife (#11 BLADE CLASSIC FINE POINT) and that red handled speedball kit gives me good results.
posted by pickles_have_souls at 1:19 PM on September 27, 2015
Using a combination of plain x-acto knife (#11 BLADE CLASSIC FINE POINT) and that red handled speedball kit gives me good results.
posted by pickles_have_souls at 1:19 PM on September 27, 2015
This may go without saying, but since no one has mentioned it yet: soften your block beforehand with a hot iron (place wax paper over the block and gently iron it until it softens--if I recall it gets a little fragrant when it's ready). You will have far fewer gouges and jagged lines, assuming your tools are sharp enough.
posted by EL-O-ESS at 1:37 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by EL-O-ESS at 1:37 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
I love linoleum, and I love fine detail in my prints (it's a slippery slope to wood engraving, beware).
If you're getting gouges all the way through to the backing of your linoleum, you may be holding your tools at too steep an angle to the surface of the linoleum. With too steep an angle, the gouge immediately sinks deep into the linoleum, and that's bad for control and for fine detail.
I see a lot of people holding their lino cutters pencil-style at the knurling on the Speedball type, and that seems to force the tool into a 45-degree position. I hold my tools such that the base is at the center of my palm, my index finger rests on the top of the tool, and my thumb and middle finger support the tool from the sides. When I'm doing very fine lines, I'll often use the index finger of my other hand to help guide the tool. (A bench hook comes in very handy for this maneuver.) I usually have about a 20-degree angle from the surface of my block.
I agree with other posters that you might want to treat yourself to some nice tools if you love lino. The Speedball set is totally serviceable, but I got tired of buying replacement blades all the time, especially when some of them would come out of the box with burrs and dull edges. Flexcut is a good brand, they have a 5-piece linoleum set that runs just shy of $50 and includes a strop for maintaining a nice edge.
I think this page has a lot of good basic information, and also demonstrates the toner transfer method that I like to use for getting my designs onto the block: Linocuts 101
posted by samar at 8:46 AM on September 28, 2015
If you're getting gouges all the way through to the backing of your linoleum, you may be holding your tools at too steep an angle to the surface of the linoleum. With too steep an angle, the gouge immediately sinks deep into the linoleum, and that's bad for control and for fine detail.
I see a lot of people holding their lino cutters pencil-style at the knurling on the Speedball type, and that seems to force the tool into a 45-degree position. I hold my tools such that the base is at the center of my palm, my index finger rests on the top of the tool, and my thumb and middle finger support the tool from the sides. When I'm doing very fine lines, I'll often use the index finger of my other hand to help guide the tool. (A bench hook comes in very handy for this maneuver.) I usually have about a 20-degree angle from the surface of my block.
I agree with other posters that you might want to treat yourself to some nice tools if you love lino. The Speedball set is totally serviceable, but I got tired of buying replacement blades all the time, especially when some of them would come out of the box with burrs and dull edges. Flexcut is a good brand, they have a 5-piece linoleum set that runs just shy of $50 and includes a strop for maintaining a nice edge.
I think this page has a lot of good basic information, and also demonstrates the toner transfer method that I like to use for getting my designs onto the block: Linocuts 101
posted by samar at 8:46 AM on September 28, 2015
Best answer: You may be fighting to achieve certain results in a medium that's not suited to effecting your particular artistic vision. Lino printing has a certain, generally chunky look that emphasises a certain kind of bold stroke and stark contrasts between light and dark areas. When I think of 'detail' and 'geometric' my mind doesn't go to lino/woodcut first. If we're talking printmaking, that's more the realm of etching or lithography or even engraving. What is it that draws you to this style of printing in particular? Is it the easy access and affordability of the materials, or is it the general look and feel of a block cut print? Maybe both?
If nothing else, one way to get more detail is to work bigger. That gives you more freedom. Unlike drawing with a pen, there's much more of a hard minimum in terms of line width since you do need at least some gap between lines, lest they fill with ink. Look at the amount of detail in this woodblock print, and then look at how big it is. It needs to be that big to get that level of detail.
One thing that sends up a bit of a red flag for me is you saying that you're pretty heavy-handed with the cutters. If you don't already, you should be thinking of the tools like a nib pen that operates on the z-axis. Unless you want a completely uniform line, learn how to vary the pressure to create create lines of varying widths. This, to me, is a large portion of what makes up the learning curve for the medium. It requires a lot of patience and a steady hand. You don't necessarily need to push the blade down to the bottom of the lino to get a clean print.
posted by picea at 9:03 AM on September 28, 2015
If nothing else, one way to get more detail is to work bigger. That gives you more freedom. Unlike drawing with a pen, there's much more of a hard minimum in terms of line width since you do need at least some gap between lines, lest they fill with ink. Look at the amount of detail in this woodblock print, and then look at how big it is. It needs to be that big to get that level of detail.
One thing that sends up a bit of a red flag for me is you saying that you're pretty heavy-handed with the cutters. If you don't already, you should be thinking of the tools like a nib pen that operates on the z-axis. Unless you want a completely uniform line, learn how to vary the pressure to create create lines of varying widths. This, to me, is a large portion of what makes up the learning curve for the medium. It requires a lot of patience and a steady hand. You don't necessarily need to push the blade down to the bottom of the lino to get a clean print.
posted by picea at 9:03 AM on September 28, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you all, this has been really helpful and gives me lots to try out.
picea:
posted by carbide at 10:36 AM on September 28, 2015
picea:
You may be fighting to achieve certain results in a medium that's not suited to effecting your particular artistic vision. Lino printing has a certain, generally chunky look that emphasises a certain kind of bold stroke and stark contrasts between light and dark areas. When I think of 'detail' and 'geometric' my mind doesn't go to lino/woodcut first. If we're talking printmaking, that's more the realm of etching or lithography or even engraving. What is it that draws you to this style of printing in particular? Is it the easy access and affordability of the materials, or is it the general look and feel of a block cut print? Maybe both?I think this might be it, yeah. It's both, but I'm coming at it with line-drawing ideas and that's the wrong starting point.
posted by carbide at 10:36 AM on September 28, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
- heavy handed is ok
- block hardness is not important. having something to say is.
- see above.
- printing is not important. having something to say is (aka see above).
- cool. say what you want to say in geometric stuff.
- cool. i'm about to go shopping and then paint my bike. i just had an empanada.
- i think your problem may be not knowing what you want to say
technique isn't the issue. you just hack lumps out of the thing. you seem to be lacking any direction. try reading metatalk 'til it makes you mad and then take it out on the lino.
posted by andrewcooke at 8:24 AM on September 27, 2015 [5 favorites]