Lino-printing workshop – Reduction cut method.

Learn about the art of linocuts with the talented Heather Swain. Explore reduction lino prints techniques, colour effects and mark making. This is a method for creating a multi-coloured print made using one piece of lino and overprinted layers of colours it’s called a reduction linocut. Several initial prints are made from a single lino block surface by rolling on a base ink colour. Following this, certain areas of the design are carved into the lino block surface, therefore ‘cutting away’ part of the previous surface area. (This ‘reduction’ of the printable surface for ink is how the method gets its name) A second ink colour is then rolled onto the reduced lino surface and printed directly over the top, revealing areas of the base colour, through the areas that have been cut away. The process can then be repeated so that a third colour is printed over the top, and so on. The workshop will follow this process; we will also explore mark-making and different ink effects. You will also learn about registration of the print layers for accuracy of placement. At the end of the workshop you will have produced a series of prints which have different colours/effects – this is called a ‘variable edition’ of prints.