Colin Beaumont Printmaker

Japanese Woodblock Printing at DCA

2011-10-18T00:21:00.000+01:00

Had a good weekend finding out at least enough to make a start with Japanese Woodblock Printing. Thanks to Campbell Sandilands and the 3 other participants for the winning combination of concentration and laughing which made the time pass in a flash. Certainly left me wanting to explore more and learn more about it, so I'll be ordering some Japanese plywood as soon as GreatArt have it back in stock.

As you can see, we tried printing our block in various colours, some more successful than others. I think the offset overprinting is worth experimenting more with, but finding my "optimum" colour palette for the print will occupy me for now. There are also SO many beautiful Japanese papers to try. We printed on three different papers all of which had quite different qualities, so only the surface has been scratched so far...

New small prints - September

2011-09-18T21:21:00.000+01:00

I've been experimenting with some "easy cut lino" I bought on eBay recently. Turned out it was not lino at all, but some kind of plastic/vinyl, which behaves very differently. It is taking a bit of getting used to, but I am persevering with it for now. I will continue to use traditional lino for my larger work.

The illustrations on the left are the three stages of a reduction print I was working on. The first is of a "reject", but the only one I have of the first layer which was a very pale translucent mix of about 90/10 extender/ yellow ochre. The second is another pale layer of extender and process cyan, the third with process magenta added.

The final image is of a dancing mouse cut from traditional lino printed in oil based ink over a background of caustic soda etched lino printed in waterbased yellow ink.
He's a cheeky looking chap I'm quite fond of - I also printed a few without the background, just black and white. I thought he could stand it, being a nice strong image.
I really must get back to doing some nice big prints and more colour - I need a break from small prints!

Miniprint - multi-plate lino

2011-08-27T19:54:00.001+01:00

Working on some miniprints again, this time using rather odd plastic lino substitute recently bought on eBay. It does cut very easily, except at the edges where it seems to stretch and pop back once the tool has gone over it. I'll keep experimenting with it, but doubt I will buy any more somehow.
I cut three blocks with a little landscape and printed them using Hawthorn Stay Open inks in process colours, to see how the colours would interact. I printed the first block in yellow, the second with cyan and added extender and third magenta again with extender. The result was very bright and fresh looking.
When I went to FDPW on Tuesday I decided to try printing with "normal" oil based colours - Primrose Yellow, Royal Blue and Poppy Red. The results were more subdued colours which definitely appealed to me.
For the fourth and final block I actually ended up cutting three versions of a man walking his dog - two using the plastic lino and one using traditional brown lino. The latter was my preferred one and I have started overprinting in black oil based ink. I do like the way the colours show through the previous layer rather than just sitting on top of each other.

Pittenweem Sculptures

2011-08-11T12:54:00.001+01:00

The weather has not been kind in Pittenweem this year, but Tuesday was a bright, warm and sunny day.

After all the rain and with more promised, it seemed the perfect time to visit. The car park was full of likeminded people, the streets crowded and queues to get into the more popular Exhibitions.

I was very taken by Helen Denerley's animal sculptures, made up of "a wealth of beautiful old bits and pieces of discarded metal lying around in scrap yards, farmyards, garages and back gardens. Welding is the perfect process for transforming these once useful objects into a muscle, a bone or a thigh."
They were drawing a good amount of attention with lots of people posing by the camel especially.
The village has such a great atmosphere during the Festival with people from far and wide sitting at the outdoor cafes that have sprung up or eating ice cream as they stroll. Why some of them even buy an odd picture or two!

Pittenweem visit

2011-07-31T23:30:00.001+01:00

I went up to Pittenweem on the east coast of Scotland today - a week before the Arts Festival begins. A very quiet day in the fishing village, a few people having ice cream, a couple of boys fishing from the end of the pier and the fishermen working on their boats.
Next week the place will be crawling with thousands of visitors and almost every house will be turned into a temporary Art Gallery. It's a great atmosphere, with open air cafes and all sorts of events going on around the village.

The seagulls were fighting over scraps of fish from the boats and this very bold chap sat enjoying his morsel right beside me. No fear, probably eyeing my pockets for more fish!
I'll post more photos next week just to show the incredible transformation in the village - a real party atmosphere, even if it rains. Not unheard of in this part of the world...

Scots don't tan - number 1 & 2

2011-07-02T20:57:00.000+01:00

I've spent the past couple of days drawing, carving and printing a couple of little prints inspired by a couple of American women I met in a cafe in Edinburgh last week. It was a beautiful day - for Scotland - and I was drinking my latte wearing a T shirt feeling very warm. The women sat at my table and got chatting, saying how cold it was and that they needed to eat something hot to warm them up. Then I noticed they were wearing big wool polo necked jumpers and winter jackets! It made me smile and think about our glorious "temperate" climate.

When I got home I started doodling in my sketchbook and these funny little men appeared, so I traced them onto lino, but thought I'd keep it relatively simple and print them in grey and black - a two stage reduction print. I didn't cut a registration block as I usually do thinking I would be able to judge them by eye as they were small at 8 x 20 cm. This proved to be a mistake! I struggled with the registration and decided to try again in the morning with better light - the light in my studio cast an awkward shadow . It was much easier next day when I could see what I was doing.
I think I'll do some bigger prints from my other sketches during the week.

A great Studio day

2011-06-22T21:46:00.000+01:00

I had the perfect day in the studio yesterday, printing my three plate Collagraph in shades of grey. Whilst waiting for the waterbased inks to dry I started a small reduction Lino Print with the British Miniprint in mind. The maximum size for it is 10 x 8 cm, so some intricate cutting was required. There is something so therapeutic about working with Lino. I can easily lose myself in it for hours. I spent the entire day happily working away with radio 4 keeping me amused and before I knew it midnight had arrived. No wonder I was feeling tired and my back was creaking.

I printed the female in three shades of grey using waterbased inks and was pleased
with the results. I think she has a pleasantly retro look and wistful expression. I am
now sketching some companions for her - I think a group of three would be ideal.

Collagraphs and lino - good day in the Studio

2011-06-20T00:34:00.000+01:00

Despite the weather - rain, sun, rain again - I opened up the studio doors and had a great day making a three plate Collagraph and in between waiting for glue or varnish to dry, revisited a couple of older pieces and printed them again. I just love working in the Studio, whether it be adjusting the new blinds to keep the sun out of my eyes or opening them up to watch the rain during the waiting times. My press is a joy to use and I'm well stocked with papers and inks. I could do with more working surface and am thinking of moving my planchest from ther garage, but worry about filling what little space I have. It might be a case of working tidier. I'm still working out what's best where.
The Collagraph was printed in waterbased inks - yellow, red and a dark brown. The final layer proved problematic, picking up more ink than I wanted. I didn't like the first print at all, so wiped some areas before printing again. This was better, more what I had in mind, but I decided to cut all the shapes again to glue them over the originals raising the surface. Hopefully this will print more easily. I shall varnish the plate again in the morning and print again.

The hand is a Lino print printed using the same brown waterbased ink as the Collagraph

The coat is an old Card print I no longer had copies of. I varnished it and tried printing it in various combinations of colours, but came to the conclusion that I preferred the monochrome version. I think I will work on it more and try printing it on my favourite Japanese paper. The white paper is too stark for my taste.

Methil Power Station - going, going, gone

2011-06-09T19:58:00.001+01:00

Methil Power Station in Fife, Scotland was in the final stages of demolition, with the last remnant being the chimney. Wednesday at 2.30 was the alotted time for its demolition and a large crowd appeared to witness the end of this landmark. Barriers had been erected in the car park across the river to keep people at a safe distance and the surrounding roads closed. After a surprisingly small, muffled explosion the chimney leaned, slowly at first, gaining momentum as it fell, sending up a huge dust cloud as it reached earth. Very satisfying somehow and after a brief pause, the crowd dispersed quickly having seen it go down.

I confess I will miss the Power Station and its monumental "ugliness" - I really liked it. I will also miss seeing it from miles away whilst driving and knowing I'll soon be home. Let's hope that something interesting is put in its place, though in the current financial nuclear winter the site could lie unused and unloved for years to come...

Alien Invasion !!!

2011-05-31T10:43:00.002+01:00

Bored out of mind being "virused" for weeks on end, with little concentration, I decided to take some of my sketches into lino. I blame the antibiotics, but this is what came out... I did enjoy cutting it, always so therapeutic working with lino. I also did a couple of coloured versions, looking for an eerie light. The black and white version is printed on very thin Japanese paper, the coloured one on a thicker, creamy Japanese paper I really like - can't remember the name at the moment.

Back in the Studio over the weekend I did a couple of Collagraphs on a mountboard base, cutting out card for the image. Only one suitable for showing so far. The other still needs tweaking. Just a simple image, but quite fun.

I'm looking forward to getting in to the Workshop in Dunfermline today, to do some work on my etching plates. I've really missed being there as much for the chat as anything.

Large Collagraph - the final push

2011-04-04T22:18:00.000+01:00

I forgot to post that I had got some decent prints from my large Collagraph, now called "the Conversation". Printed on good paper using oil based inks, I mixed turquoise with bright red, which gave a pleasing dark brown and another mix gave a dark green tint. I printed two of each over two days - they do take a long time to ink and wipe. Happy with the results, I may print a couple more later, but I have other prints to be getting on with for now.

New etching press - first prints

2011-04-03T21:43:00.000+01:00

Having spent the first couple of days admiring my new press, I thought it was about time I did some printing. Being a masochist I started with a Collagraph that had been problematic first time round. A bit of alteration before printing - adding raindrops, cutting out highlights, trimming the board down, revarnishing to seal it.

I got a couple of replacement rollers and tried them with waterbased Speedball inks. The new rollers took up the ink very well (unlike the hard rubber ones I'd used previously) and the printing went remarkably well. I even quite like the results. Maybe room for a little more tweaking - there always is...

Large Collagraph

2011-02-26T10:25:00.000Z

Having worked a good deal experimenting with the Lascaux products on small Collagraphs I decided to try a larger image. I used the image from my "Celebration of a life", this time "editing" one of the four figures out, Soviet official photograph style. Three is always a good number and it gives the composition a pleasing triangular structure with a bit of space. The board I am working on is 54 cm x 40 cm.

I painted the image onto the board using just two products - Pastelground for the dark areas and Stop out for the lighter areas, having painted it with white acrylic and sealed the board with clear matt varnish.
I proofed the image using black oil based ink onto dampened paper put through the etching press at FDPW. The proof was fine, showing areas that needed darkening or lightening.

Whilst working on the adjustments I decided to use Soft Ground to impress a pattern (from textured wallpaper) onto the waistcoat. You can apply the ground with a brush as it is self levelling, then leave it for around 12 minutes to dry a bit, then lay the textured paper on the board, cover with newsprint to protect the blankets and put through the press.
It all seemed to be going so well, but when I proofed it for the second time some areas came off the board! Now that has never happened before. Still, all is not lost and I set about repainting the damaged areas.
So, another proofing session is next, then hopefully I can print it on some decent paper.

Scanographic prints? Whassat then?

2011-02-14T20:30:00.001Z

During a visit to the Rothes Halls today I saw an exhibition which included "Scanographic" prints - lovely big photographic prints of flowers. Didn't look like any printmaking preocess I'd come across... Then I found out they were done by laying flowers on the scanner bed covered by a black cloth. Nice effect.
Suitably inspired, I thought I'd have a go when I got home. Not having any flowers handy, I settled for my very old, loved to death, one eyed teddy bear as my model. I think he still looks handsome, don't you?
The next challenge was - how would it work with reflective objects? A quick raid on the cuttlery drawer and three forks were captured.
They seem to have a pleasantly "aged" look to the images.
I think it may provide inspiration for some drawings and more experimentation. Not sure if it will work its way through to my printmaking, but it's good to expand the brain with new ideas!

Caustic Soda Lino Plates

2011-02-12T20:40:00.001Z

These are the plates I printed the previous post with. I thought some of you might be interested. I applied the Caustic with Q tips and a "Colour Shaper" - those very handy rubbery brushes you can use with paint, pastel, glue, whatever. Sorry the photos aren't better, but the light was going and they seem to have taken on a blue tinge.
Now I'm thinking about the third plate... I could cut an outline and print it intaglio, or use normal lino tools and cut the block. I even thought about monoprinting. Or collagraph. The possibilities are endless, aren't they?

Caustic Soda Reduction Print

2011-02-12T12:49:00.001Z

Due to my first etch "eating" too much of the lino away - hard to tell how strong a new batch will be, I decided to start again and keep an eye on it this time! Second time round it behaved itself much better and whilst comparing the plates I decided to try overprinting them. I used waterbased inks, yellow for the new plates and red for the overbitten ones.
I quite like the effect and am now considering a third layer - haven't decided whether to etch the new ones again or to do another set of plates to be printed in blue I think.
Still having a bit of trouble with the waterbased inks adhering to the roller and lino, though they did print reasonably well. I don't think my "arctic" studio helps the properties of the ink. Takes about an hour for it to heat up and two for me to thaw out. A hat and fingerless gloves have been necessary at times - suffering is good for the soul they tell me!

Lino etch video part one

2011-02-05T19:46:00.002Z

I thought I'd be clever and video myself when I printed my etched lino print today, this time doing it in small sections to be edited together later. I used my wonderful Panasonic Lumix TZ9, which has a video capability. The previous videos were done at the highest quality but took in excess of 3 hours to upload a two and a half minute film to Youtube. So I went one down and used the 640 x 480 quality... seemed so simple, but when I tried to edit them using Windows Movie Maker the format was Quicktime, which it couldn't use.

So if anyone has knowledge of a FREE programme to convert my files to something useful, please do let me know! I tried a couple of "free" programmes, but as soon as you try to use them they suddenly demand money! I don't want to remake "Avatar", just to chop the ends off my clips and cobble them together. Maybe add a little music if I feel ambitious.

Lino etch

2011-02-04T16:12:00.000Z

Made up some caustic soda this morning with the aim to make some reduction prints using just etched lino and printing them using yellow, red and blue layers. The subject matter is abstracted figures and for this experiment I am using 15 x 10 cm blocks. Reduction printing is not a fast process, so I'll content myself today with applying the etch and leaving it for a good few hours. Here are a couple of photos of the still wet blocks. I can't wait to see how they'll print.
It really is the most awful weather today - lots of rain and wind, raw and cold, though with my heater on in the studio along with radio 4 the time passed easily. Whilst waiting for the etch to dry I did a bit of drawing and painting, working on other ideas. What better way to spend your day?
Tonight I'm off to an Opening of the Kirkcaldy Art Club's 50th Anniversary Exhibition. Hope the weather won't put people off going.

Portrait painting today

2011-01-26T17:53:00.000Z

After a frustrating day yesterday in the studio when my Speedball waterbased inks would simply NOT behave themselves - refusing to adhere to either brayer or lino, probably because they were too cold having been sitting out in my studio over the unseasonably (for here) freezing winter.

So today I was in the mood for a bit of painting for a change. Acrylics on board, a double portrait, 356 x 305mm. I had about four hours after walking the dogs on the beach before the light started to go, so it's not near finished, but I thought I'd take a photo to compare against the finished article. I certainly enjoyed doing it and especially having more room to move about in. With my old studio/shed the only way to step back from a painting was to go outside! Big improvement.

A New Year...

2011-01-02T15:45:00.001Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR !! 2011... How can it possibly be 2011?! It sounds such a sci-fi kind of date! Arthur C Clark's 2001 still sounds futuristic to me. I think I was much more comfortable when it was 19 something. I don't think I was paying attention when the 21st Century snuck up on us and I'm still coming to terms with it all. Maybe I'll catch up this year. It's best to keep optimistic.
2010 certainly went out with a bang here, with unprecedented snow and ice. I took our two dogs for a walk in the woods for the first time since the snow hit and discovered that whereas the rest of the area has thawed, the woods most certainly have not! It was covered in several inches of rutted, glasslike ice. The dogs were so excited to be there I didn't have the heart to put them straight back in the car and head for the beach, so we pressed on. Their initial mad running around didn't last long as they did a fair Bambi impersonation, legs flying in all directions at once. Chloe the streetwise 57 variety redhead soon was trotting gingerly along the 4 inch band of non icy ground by the walls, but Phoebe the Bearded Collie wasn't going to let any ice stop her having fun. She seems to have self adjusting legs which allow her to keep going forward no matter which way each leg was pointing. So funny - I wish I'd had a video camera with me!

We've been overrun with Festive family, so no time for printing. The last thing I managed was a first proof of a lino cut Myra says should be titled "Spies" - not a bad name. I did try to fo more with it at FDPW before Xmas, but it just would not print properly for reasons I couldn't understand - always some patch did not take the ink. I'll get back to it this week I hope.
Despite the Arctic conditions I have made progress with my studio - hopefully sorting out the leak which was my main concern. All the insulation is in, the boarding done apart from a couple of awkward little bits, a very solid worktop installed and most of the painting done. I'm pretty much ready to go and can't wait to enjoy the extra space.

Boxing hares reduction lino print

2010-12-13T13:27:00.000Z

When I saw that the queen of Reduction Prints, Babs Robertson, was doing a weekend course at Dundee Contemporary Arts I couldn't resist the temptation to see her work. I was not disappointed. Babs was as entertaining as she was informative, so there was much laughter to accompany the work. The two days passed in a flash - so incredibly easy to lose yourself in a block of lino!
Somehow or other I managed to produce a 4 colour oil based inks print in the two days and am pretty satisfied with the result. My hares made a return appearance, kitted out with boxing gloves and a ring. Opinion suggested there was a hint of the Brothers Grimm about the print.
We are supposed to have one more session next Saturday, but with the snow expected towards the end of the week I suspect we won't be able to get there. Pity! I'll keep my fingers crossed...

The making of "For the love of Lugosi"

2010-11-20T17:28:00.001Z

Over the last few months I've been involved in a filmmaking project with DIVERSITY from Glasgow. It has been great fun learning about the process involved in making a film, helped by the fact that our group are such a good bunch of people and we all seem to have worked so well together.
We were filming on Thursday at the Necropolis in Glasgow, the most amazing graveyard anywhere. The plus side was that it did not rain at all, despite being forecast, however it was COLD !! My hands were icy all day, though the rest of me was well wrapped up and warm enough.

The day went really well and we got everything shot before the light went completely. We even had a smoke machine for added spookiness, though the wind tended to blow in directions we didn't want at times - added to the fun. Talking of fun, our "Ned" actor James had us all laughing as he shouted abuse at our writer and star Derek - even on the second take. He was brilliant - pity Derek had to "kill" him towards the end. That's showbiz I suppose!
Kim, our Producer was taking her own video ot the proceedings throughout the day - the link is below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXPJ77gL3b8

Dogs,dogs,more dogs

2010-10-28T13:09:00.001+01:00

I can't seem to leave my "pack" of 10 cm x 10 cm dogs alone! I keep thinking "what would they look like if I did..." One thing I have been pleased and a little surprised about is how well they have lasted, considering they are only made from mountboard and thickish card. The secret is obviously lots of thin layers of varnish to seal the board, then more layers to seal the image.

The first print I did the first layer in red with lots of extender, the second in a warm mixed grey and the third layer in Royal Blue oil based inks.

The second was printed in two tones of grey, with a purple/blue on top.

The third is printed in a pale blue with the second layer orange.

Not my "usual" kind colours - funny how we all seem to have our own set of colours that appeal to us - but I think I was feeling a little subdued myself and that seems to be reflected in these prints. Restored to my more normal cheer, I think it's time to move on to larger prints and brighter colours again.

More Collagraphs, more dogs

2010-10-18T23:27:00.001+01:00

I thought I'd try making more collagraphs from my dog sketches, on a mountboard base varnished two or three times with the images cut with a scalpel from card, then varnished again to seal them. Most of the plates have two dogs on them, plus a bone somewhere. I've done seven of them so far and started printing them in waterbased inks in my studio. The first photo is of the plates, the lefthand one still covered in blue ink having just been printed.

The second photo is of a three plate print using yellow, then an orange mixed from the yellow with some red added and the final layer being blue mixed with white.
The third photo is a two plate print using a mixed sepia with the same blue as above printed on top.
I shall be continuing to print combinations of these small plates in a variety of colours. I think it is the colour mixing that appeals to me most at the moment and the difference between overprinting when still wet to leaving them to dry before printing the next.
I intend to go to the Workshop tomorrow and will work with oil based inks on the plates. They have quite a different quality, but I enjoy using both.

More work with Collagraphs

2010-10-01T12:44:00.001+01:00

I have not posted for a while now, but it has been a particularly busy time one way or another. I have still been working on my Collagraphs and doing some drawing, but the FDPW Exhibition "Marked Impression" took up a good deal of time. On top of that I have a new studio in my back garden which I have been insulating and boarding out in preparation for the winter. I'm so looking forward to working there.

Here are some of the images I have been working on. I used oil based inks with extender and printed the three plates one after another without allowing the ink to dry in between. The dogs were printed using yellow, red and ultramarine blue. I used the same colours for the first "Legs" print, the second being printed with more extender in the yellow, red and sepia.

More prints from the course

2010-09-09T15:30:00.001+01:00

FDPW Beginners Course - 2nd Week

2010-09-08T18:57:00.002+01:00

The second day of the course was a real hive of activity, with everyone getting really involved and prints came flying off both the relief and etching press as they tried printing both versions of the Collagraphs. The general consensus seemed to be in favour of the more traditional collage, varnished and printed as relief, but there were some great results using the Lascaux products as well. It's always a good sign when lunch is swiftly disposed with to get on with more printing! In the afternoon we tried printing in colour, some with multiple plates, overprinting colours whilst still wet, which gave excellent if sometimes unexpected results. So all in all a very good, enjoyable and successful day.

The image on the right is a relief print, the other three were printed intaglio. The head and the lamps used the Lascaux products, the feather was collaged. All very different ideas and interesting results

More multiple plate Collagraphs

2010-08-27T18:22:00.001+01:00

At the Workshop on Thursday I did some more work on my 10 x 10cm Collagraphs, adding another layer using oil based Golden Yellow mixed with Yellow Ochre and extender. I really like the way the inks have built up on the paper and will be trying other colour combinations with waterbased inks in my studio and oil based at the Workshop.
I will also be combining my Lino Prints with the Collagraphs to see how the crispness of the Lino contrasts with the "mistier" look of the Collagraphs.

Beginners Course FDPW

2010-08-25T00:07:00.001+01:00

August's Beginners Course started on Saturday - here is our "team photo". As you can see, nobody seems to have read the poster saying "wear old clothes" !! Nevertheless with the addition of an apron and gloves everyone left unscathed, I think.

It was a good day with lots of hard work, good humour and excellent prints. Collagraphs are not easy to get your head round thinking they can be inked both as relief and intaglio, but people did seem to get some idea of how they might turn out by the end of the day.

I feel sure there will be more developments next Saturday as their confidence grows. I'm looking forward to next week's set of prints!

Crows and dogs

2010-08-15T14:00:00.001+01:00

With such lovely weather - apart from the odd "monsoon" downpour - I've been spending a lot of time in my studio recently. Lots of playing around with my dog linoprints, many different arrangements, not to mention creating a much larger puddle than in the original prints. I tried printing the various elements in different colours, but decided after all that I prefer the black and white versions. My favourite so far is pictured at the bottom.

I have also been producing little 10 x 10 cm collagraphs - with Leicester's "Small print, Big Impression" in mind. A mountboard base varnished a couple of times with the crows cut out of heavy printing paper scraps which I drew into using a hard pencil or a scalpel. I then varnished the whole thing again. I printed them as relief using mixes of blue and black or red and black waterbased Speedball inks. I have four plates with different crows and thought I would try overprinting them. You can see two of the results to the left. I like the idea, but don't feel I'm quite "there" yet.

I do love my little Tofko press and getting into a rhythm of inking and printing. I put up a shelf in the corner where the press is and screwed hooks into the bottoms of my brayers, eyes into the edge of the shelf, so they are all handy. I feel more organised. I now have an L-shaped printing area, with the inking slab and cutting board on the L, inks underneath along with a variety of registration boards. So I can ink then turn and slip it into the press and screw it down. Much better.

Hares reduction print - just one more layer...that would make six

2010-08-03T17:51:00.001+01:00

Back at the Workshop today after a busy weekend, I decided I did not like the solid green background and did some more cutting to put some grasses in it. I still liked the green, though I mixed up a different shade, using Golden Yellow and Royal Blue, with some white and extender this time. I did some proofs with the "partial" prints I had, which seemed fine and carried on with a few of the "complete" prints. I do think they look much better than the solid green, though I still like the dark background. I may well keep some like that.

Three block lino - part 2

2010-07-29T20:03:00.000+01:00

Not sure why these weren't posted with the others, but these are the two versions of the three block prints.

Three block lino print

2010-07-29T20:00:00.001+01:00

With thanks to Mariann Johansen Ellis for her inspirational video, I decided to give three block printing a try. It did take rather a long time to cut the blocks - best part of three days, but unlike reduction printing, once you do the print you still have the blocks to print again ! As opposed to a rather limp piece of hessian with traces of lino which is all that is left at the end of a reduction print.

Great fun deciding what colours to choose, a pale yellow for the first block, a muted green for the second and a darker green for the third. I mixed the colours using my Speedball waterbased inks. Then I thought I'd try a dark red for the final block. Endless possibilities and I will definitely cut some more blocks to "mix and match", as the first attempt went so well.

Fifth layer of the hares

2010-07-18T18:02:00.001+01:00

Sunday and I am feeling a bit better, so I went ahead and cut the fifth layer of my little hares reduction print. Despite the excitement of getting near the end, there is always a bit of sadness too as there is hardly anything left of the original lino by this stage. No wonder the other name for reduction printing is "suicide printing" ! Once I'd finished I couldn't wait to print it, but all but one of the fourth stage prints are sitting in the drying racks in Dunfermline. I did however have all sorts of partial prints from previous printings and it seemed a shame not to try so I printed them all using oil based Sepia.

I was pleased with the result - maybe the odd tweak is required before I print the rest of the edition... Resist the urge to fiddle is good advice. Must remember that when I get to the Workshop on Tuesday.

Dogs on lino

2010-07-13T22:18:00.005+01:00

Decided I needed a little break from reduction prints and thought I would turn some dog drawings into separate little lino silhouettes which I could arrange into a large composition. I started off with about 20 sketches, but by the time I'd got to the sixth one, the middle finger of my left hand had gone completely numb! Time for a break to blow the cobwebs away - and recover feeling in my finger.

After a good walk in the woods with my dogs, I did a proof of all six and with some trimming of the edges which were printing, started arranging them.

Nothing too ambitious to start, I printed a single dog, then a few pairs. I'm rather fond of them and you can see them on the right.

Today I cut out a lamp post to add to the composition and printed it along with five of the dogs. I tried a few versions of this and though I do like the idea, I didn't come up with a definitive composition yet. I printed some in the reddish brown, some in sepia and some with both colours. I like elements in each of the prints, but there is still something missing. I'll cut some more dogs in the next few days to give myself more to choose from, then try again.

Why did I think this would be a nice easy project? How do I forget so quickly that nothing is simple in printmaking ? Must be part of its addictive nature!

Reduction print - 4th layer

2010-07-11T10:17:00.001+01:00

I was back in the Workshop in Dunfermline to print my fourth layer of my hares reduction print during the week. My first thought had been to print a darker shade of red/brown, but then the idea of printing a blue layer somehow got into my head. The more I thought about it the more I liked it, so I mixed oil based ultramarine blue with a little extender and did a test print. I really like the result and continued printing the complete edition.

I thought I'd do a print in just the blue ink to let you see the difference between the third and fourth stages. There are only little glimpses of the blue, but I think it lifts it.

So the next layer will be the darkest colour and the final layer will be the background. I have no set idea of what colour that will be as yet. I'll take the time to live with the result of the fifth layer before deciding.

Print demonstation at Wilkie Memorial Hall, Pitlessie

2010-07-09T22:41:00.001+01:00

I spent Thursday evening giving a short talk and printing demonstration in The Wilkie Memorial Hall, Pitlessie, Fife - named after the reknowned Scottish painter Sir David Wilkie (1785-1841). The Hall houses a superb collection of his engravings and etchings . The event was part of "Celebrating Fife" and was hosted by the very passionate and knowledgeable Marjory Archibald who has been instrumental in the drive to restore the prints.
Those attending the evening were from the Markinch Heritage Group and most

had a go at making their own print after the talk. It was great fun, with much hilarity and "I haven't done any drawing since school" or "I can't draw", but then pleasant surprise when they saw their resulting print.
I think it also helped deepen their appreciation and understanding of just how skilled the engravers were all these years ago. During the interval tea and cakes they were all closely examining the prints again.
Here are a few photographs of the participants and their prints.

Reduction print - 3rd layer

2010-07-06T17:48:00.001+01:00

Back at FDPW today and the third stage printed with oil based magenta mixed with a little raw sienna and extender. I do like the old fashioned feel the combined colours give. Of course everything will change again with the next layer which I think will be a cooler, darker brown. Although my other thought is to print it using blue and extender to let the colours merge. I have a couple of days to consider my decision, but the more I think about it I'm sure the blue would do very nicely.
It was quite a busy day at the Workshop with Mandy combining weightlifting with her large woodblock reduction print. My goodness she worked hard and went home exhausted. Aine went through a more cerebral struggle with her images, whilst Thora and I printed away without too much trauma on the Imperial press. A good day and I can't wait to get on with the next stage with my hares!

Reduction lino print layer two

2010-07-04T20:18:00.000+01:00

I'd printed the second layer of my lino reuction print in my home studio (shed) with Speedball waterbased inks, but had 18 oil based prints drying in the racks at FDPW in Dunfermline and became impatient to get on with cutting the third layer of my print.
So I drove to Dunfermline early this morning (Sunday) to print the second layer of my oil based ink prints. Paul was already there doing some etching and after a bit of a chat I got on with my printing. You can see the prints back in the drying rack on the left.
The next print down is the first layer (oil based) and the last is two layers of waterbased ink. So now I can get on with cutting my next layer and print again when I go back to FDPW on Tuesday.

It's funny how excited I get when I'm doing a reduction print to see the next stage. Unusually, I haven't really mapped this one out, so I don't know quite how it will turn out. Makes it more intriguing that way. I do know what colours I want to use, just not quite where. I'll decide as I go...

Pop back in a few days to see where it is going!

Miniprint reduction lino

2010-06-28T22:32:00.001+01:00

Suitably inspired by Aine's posting on the FDPW blog I've started a tiny reduction print for "Small print, big impression" or suchlike in Leicester. I'm not too sure how I'm going to do it at present, but I cut two pieces of lino, a piece of mount board and a piece of card which as you can see warped when I varnished it! Doubt if I'll be able to use it. So far all I've done is draw out the image onto the lino and mount board, making a small start cutting the lino.
I like the idea of combining collagraph and lino to add some texture and plate colour to the image, though I will probably do a "straight" lino version as well. I will also be doing a waterbased ink series in my home studio, but oil based at the Workshop in Dunfermline. If nothing else, that amount of variety should boost the odds of getting prints I like out of it! Compared to the oil based inks I do struggle with my Speedball waterbased inks - they just don't seem to cover as well and quite often take the previous layer off or blend with it. However, having said that I do tend to like the different quality of the prints they produce.

FDPW Exhibition at Abbot House, Dunfermline

2010-06-19T22:22:00.001+01:00

This weekend FDPW has an Exhibition of Members prints in Abbot House, Dunfermline. These are a few photos of the Exhibition taken as we opened, when it was quiet. We had a good day today with a good number of visitors, many of whom took the opportunity to try their hand at a simple print. We used waterbased inks for printing, so nobody, not even the kids, got too messy! Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience and a few people expressed an interest in coming to the Workshop to either take a beginners course or get back into printmaking after a lengthy absence.

Abbot House is such a beautiful setting and we were very lucky to get two hot sunny days in a row - this is Scotland after all! Let's hope the weather holds for tomorrow (Sunday). The Exhibition was very well received by all our visitors with lots of positive comments, though there was a lack of sales unfortunately. Maybe tomorrow....

June hare collagraphs

2010-06-18T23:51:00.002+01:00

Here are a few of my recent Collagraphs. The first two are "traditional", a varnished card base with various papers glued onto it, then varnished again to preserve it. I was printing them in my home studio last weekend with waterbased inks and I liked the way the inks didn't give even, flat colour, rather a broken, patchy look. I printed them again on Tuesday at FDPW using oil based inks which gave a totally different look to the prints; a richer, deeper, more even coverage. The two here are oil based. I will take some photos of the waterbased ones for comparison. Having had a few days to contemplate them, I'm coming round to enjoying the waterbased prints more. I will continue printing both though, trying different combinations of colours and inking methods.

These two were produced from Mdf plates varnished three times before the image was worked up using Lascaux Pastelground, Gesso and Stop out. It seems quite difficult to get the results you want on the first attempt. They always need a good deal of "tweaking" to get the tones/ contrast right. The inking and wiping are vital to any kind of consistancy and as there is very little height difference between dark and light areas great care is needed. Still some work to do I think, but I'm happy with the image, which is half the battle!

May already and finally our trees are in blossom

2010-05-03T23:26:00.000+01:00

As we live on the seafront the blossom never lasts more than a few days - it's windy here! However, it is uplifting to see our trees covered in white and pale pink. I'm waxing lyrical because I've been confined to bed these last few days with some bug or other which knocked me sideways. I slept away most of the last five days, but think I'm feeling a little better tonight.
So I've done no work but had time to think and my head is full of ideas of things to try. I feel the need for colour and will experiment with my waterbased Speedball inks and relief printing/monoprinting. Mmmm, can't wait.

Having said that, the last thing I did was a black and white proof of a linoprint from my hare drawings. Still a lot of cutting to do, maybe another plate too. A long way from finished, but it has a certain charm even at this early stage.

I got an email today from Emma Roberts telling me I was included in an article on her blog, Photography Colleges, called "Top 50 incredibly inspiring printmaking blogs" which came as a surprise! She asked me to mention the site on my blog as she is hoping to increase readership, so here is the link. Some interesting blogs, so do have a look.
http://www.photography-colleges.org/50-incredibly-inspiring-printmaking-blogs/

Hare Collagraphs 2

2010-03-23T19:16:00.001Z

Don't know what happened but this first proof did not get published with the others. I was not so happy with this one as their expressions were not what was in the drawing. Also I felt they were both too grey, so definitely some work is needed on these poor creatures! Printmaking does have a habit of giving you a sharp slap when you think you have a fair idea of what you're doing. Just as well I have a lot of patience and a stubborn streak.

Hare Collagraphs

2010-03-23T19:07:00.000Z

Having got my mouse Collagraphs to a point where I'm satisfied with them I decided to give the same kind of treatment to some hare drawings from my sketchbook.
The first two pictures are of the "plates", 2 mm thick MDF which were given two coats of hard ground as a base then the image was worked using Modelling paste, Pastelground and Stop out. The Modelling paste was used in the foreground hare to give the appearance of fur, which worked quite well.
This was my first proof, inked up with Sepia oil based ink. The righthand hare in the middle ground somehow lost its face and the background was pleasant enough, but too even.
This is the second proof with the hare's face reestablished and a band of Stop out at the top to give a sky for the small hare to leap across. It still needs more work, but I feel it was a good start.

Crail in Collagraphs

2010-03-15T12:55:00.000Z

I thought I'd post a few of the Collagraphs I've been working on in the last week. The first is an "old style" collaged card plate inked up intaglio. The other 3 are on MDF, the image produced using the Lascaux products.

The first of these is lacking the crow on the gable steps inked in a mixture of raw umber and cobalt blue oil based ink - with a hint of a warm red.
The second has the crow added, plus a bit more texture in the sky, using stop out.

The third was hand coloured using watercolour paint.

So far I prefer the monochrome versions, but I will see what else I can do with the sketches of Pittenweem which are next in line to take into print.

Mouse ecstacy

2010-03-12T20:14:00.002Z

I suddenly realised I hadn't printed all four of my crazy dancing mice Collagraphs - for some reason two had been sadly neglected. Determined to right this wrong I looked at my proofs and started "adjusting" them all for a better tonal balance. Or so I thought... The tricky bit about these plates using the Lascaux stuff is that there is very little difference heightwise between dark and light and it all comes down to the wiping of the ink. To say that it is variable would be an undersatement. It is very easy to wipe too much ink off, or indeed to leave more than intended. Ah the joys of Printmaking!

Their saving grace is that they still make me smile every time I pull the paper off on the press - even if they don't live up to my expectations. I still like the images and that is definitely not the case with many of my prints. They are all 17 x 20 cm as their destiny was to be sent off to the Miniprint Exhibition in Finland. Only three are required and I have until May to produce prints I am really happy with. It's good to live in hope.

I've also been working on some "Seaside" Collagraphs of Crail, a fishing village in the East Neuk of Fife. They seem to be fairly cooperative so far, which is good. I have more images to work on for this series, so I'll see how they develop with time.

Mice monotypes

2010-02-16T19:03:00.001Z

Today I took my mice into new territory, tracing them onto acetate and cutting them out - tricky. Next came the cheese of course and into monotype, using perspex as the base. The first was a simple base colour of yellow ochre with plenty of extender to keep it translucent rolled onto the perspex and the mice inked seperately in burnt sienna, with less extender.

Next I tried rolling two colours on the base and darkening the mice, which I liked. There is a fine white line around the mice, but that didn't bother me too much. It does show more against the darker colour and I suppose I might sandpaper the edges down should it start to annoy me.

For my third attempt I moved to a bigger base and included the cheese - again rolled in two parts. This one made me smile, the idea of using the cheese as a diving board. By this time I was thinking about drawing into and wiping the images to add detail. I haven't tried it yet, the silhouettes still fascinating me as I print. Someone suggested they look like illustrations from a scary kids book!
Tiring by now and the afternoon wearing on, my last print used two of the square plates. My idea was of the two mice in the bottom print not being able to reach the cheese no matter how hard they tried. Just as I was about to put the plates on the press I thought about rolling a shadow under the cheese. Oh well - should have wiped the area first. It just looks kind of dirty.
That done it was time to clear up and go home. I think I had six rollers of varying sizes to clean, plus all the other bits and pieces. A restful evening is called for I think.

Mice Collagraphs

2010-02-09T23:58:00.001Z

Back in the Workshop today, with Aine and Tatiana there too. I started working on some new collagraphs with the Lascaux products on MDF, taken from sketches I was working on over the weekend. I've included two proofs of each, one printed using oil based raw umber, the other combining the umber and raw sienna. I was reasonably pleased with the results, still like the images, but they both need more work yet. Hopefully I'll be back in the Workshop on Thursday to carry on with them, along with the other one I didn't get round to proofing and the fourth in the series which remains in my sketchbook. I have still more drawings in my sketchbooks, so the mouse family may grow even larger if I get round to preparing more plates.

I originally thought about combining collagraphy with lino, but haven't quite decided what to do on which medium. Not sure if I want the sharp definition of lino either. I rather like the "misty" quality of the collagraph, but I can sharpen them up should I feel the need. I'll think about that tomorrow...

Collagraph... dead or just resting?

2010-01-27T10:23:00.000Z

Last week was not a good one for my Dog and feathers collagraph. I did some more "tweaking" and was looking forward to seeing the new results. However, the printing went very badly, both on Tuesday and Thursday, with the paper sticking to the print, the dog coming out much lighter than I wanted, just all wrong really. I'm afraid the surface of the plate may have reached the end of its useful life. So I've put it to one side for a while to concentrate on other projects. I'm still very much in the experimental stage with the Lascaux collagraph products and I have four small plates (20 x 17 cm) with lots of drawings of mice and cats to attempt to make into prints. All I did yesterday in the Workshop was to prepare the surface of the plates ready for the drawing/painting when I return on Thursday. I'll post any results worth seeing...

2010-01-15T14:07:00.001Z

Collagraphs - making progress

2010-01-15T14:05:00.000Z

It was so good to get back to the Workshop after the Arctic Festive Season. I worked on the collagraph I'd started with the Lascaux products on an old steel plate. Much as I liked the marks the process made I felt it needed more definition and darker tones. So I started by painting on some of the gesso - first picture, then added pastel ground - second image. There were some differences in the way they hold the ink, but I shall experiment more, work back into some areas to see what can be achieved. Overall I am impressed by the possibilities these new products promise and look forward to exploring more over the next few months.

Post Festive Blues

2010-01-04T15:53:00.000Z

Well the Festive Season is over at last and I'm exhausted, feeling lethargic. Time to snap out of it and shape up to a New Year! Lots of ideas and things to try, once I work out how to achieve them technically. I'm going to explore the Lascaux version of Collagraphy more as I've barely scraped the surface yet - metaphorically, not literally.
The weather has not been helping, with ice and snow making it an adventure just crossing the road. Tried our first car journey of the year yesterday when we went to the FDPW Festive "Do". The main roads were reasonable but side roads a nightmare. The road from Aine's to the main road was real challenge with much wheel spinning and sliding backwards - no fun at all.
So I'm not sure if I'll risk the journey to the Workshop on Tuesday, but I have plenty to be getting on with here. Today's weather forecast was for a very cold week and our Council has run out of grit, advising people to stay at home. Why does winter always come as such a surprise in Britain?

Collagraphs again today - old and new

2009-12-22T21:15:00.000Z

After being cut off last Thursday I was determined to make it to the Workshop today and after much scraping of ice it took almost twice as long to get there - due more to traffic than snow.
Once there it took a while to get going, whilst having a good chat with Aine - and briefly Susan before she left. I did a bit of work on my "dog and feathers", left that to dry and put hard resist on the "dog dance" in preparation for printing. Next on to my neglected linocut "lost balloon" and tried printing it in two colours. Tried three variations, none of which I was completely happy with, but they were only proofs as the lino needs more cutting yet and something else to "lift" the image. I'll think about that one over Christmas, work on some sketches.
Finally I printed "dog dance" inked as relief and liked the image a lot. Did another print wiping the figure to lighten it. Another one to think about at my leisure, maybe try other versions.

Snow !!

2009-12-18T11:42:00.000Z

Didn't make it to the workshop on Thursday due to a real change in the weather. First in the morning there was snow, which melted almost at once, then it turned to hail which did lie, deep and crunchy. I took the dogs for a walk along the front at Leven and was slipping and sliding all the way. The dogs didn't seem to mind at all, adjusting their gait to a tippytoe kind of run to compensate - quite funny.
So I decided to stay cosy in the house reading my "Intaglio" book which arrived courtesy of Amazon. Definitely a book to be devoured in small chunks as the total amount of information is overwhelming. I'm concentrating on the Collagraph section first, as that fascinates me.
I did do a proof of the etching we did with Carol and Robert on the final Saturday of the course, but it needs some work yet. There was not much time on the day as we didn't get round to the actual etching until late in the afternoon. I need to mask out the light areas, respray with aquatint and etch again to darken the dark area. A work in progress...

Collagraphs - for the 21st Century!

2009-12-10T09:19:00.001Z

We've been fortunate at FDPW to have Carol Robertson and Robert Adam giving Masterclasses on printmaking with the range of products they have developed with Lascaux. The latest covered Collagraphy on etching plates and MDF, building the images using Gesso, Pastel ground, stop-out and soft ground. The beauty of using etching plates is that once you have finished your edition, the plate can can cleaned off and used again.

I have posted the first two prints I tried and was astonished by the range of marks it managed to record. I can't wait to experiment more and discover what I can do with this technique.

"Instant Lithography"

2009-11-18T23:00:00.000Z

Just finished my fourth evening at DCA doing the "Instant Lithography" course. We covered polyester plate lithography using Omega plates. It was certainly a lot easier than traditional stone lithography, but not without its own unique problems. The image was first photocopied (or laser printed) onto the plate, then the plate was cleaned with an Omega solution ready for printing. So that part was indeed simple. The results were pale to begin with, improving with subsequent printing, but there was a "scumming", ink adhering to places where it should not have done, water marking, the thin plate wrapping itself round the roller among other things to cope with.
The second process used Toray plates which was a waterless process. The image was put onto the plates photographically, then developed with a Toray solution and a dye applied to make the image more visible. Then it was simply a case of inking up - with Toray inks. Apparently lithography inks can be used with the addition of magnesium oxide to stiffen them, though they can suffer from "scumming" too. The Toray inks were very thick and rubbery, but a pleasure to use. Results were good right from the start with careful inking.
All in all a very enjoyable course. Will I be using either process in the future? I would have to say probably not. The Omega plates would take a lot of getting used to, much trial and error/ frustration. As for the Toray plates I think the expense of buying the plates, chemicals and inks would prove prohibitive.
My mind seems to be in "lino mode" at the moment and I'll continue with it. I'm able to work out what I'll get in advance, enjoy the physical process of cutting and the puzzle of working out which colours need to go where and am able to work quickly whilst doing it. It's quite instant enough for me!

A new direction - Lithography

2009-10-30T23:05:00.000Z

Since I last wrote here I have completed two more reduction lino prints. I must be mad to keep doing them. No wonder they call it "suicide" printing - there's no lino left by the end and little sanity either.
So as a change I am trying out polyester plate lithography. I did do stone lithography in the past, but the process is so long and arcane reduction lino was a breeze by comparison! However, this new, "safe" version uses nothing toxic and is so much quicker. I look forward to experimenting with it and discovering what it can do.
I seem to be having no luck uploading images on here, but have a look at my website at www.cobeau.weebly.com for recent images.

Bigger "hats"

2009-10-18T12:27:00.000+01:00

I swore after completing my "hats" edition I would go back to single colour printing... and I did do a couple.
However, less than two weeks later I found myself compelled to go for it again with a larger version. I like the image, what more can I say?
So here are the stages I went through
Had a bit of trouble uploading photos, hence the rather confusing order, but I'm sure you can work it out

Finished "hats"

2009-08-26T20:47:00.000+01:00

It's been too long since I posted anything here, but here is the final layer of my "hats" reduction print. I was pleased with the end result and when a friend said it looked like a cheery funeral, with the nearly black ties I decided to call it "Celebration of a Life".

Everyone at FDPW was very complementary about it and I decided to put it and "Crail" into the Open Exhibition at the Pittenweem Arts Festival. I was fortunate and it sold on the first day, followed by "Crail" the next day. Very pleasing and I'll no doubt spend the money on more printing paper!

I swore I would not be doing another reduction print any time soon as it took six printing days, plus waiting for the prints to dry and concentrated on collagraphs for a while... Five weeks later I've been experimenting with multiblock prints and yes, I've cut the first layer of a new reduction print! I can't help myself. I love the way the colurs build up and change as they are overprinted.

I've included my "Unspotted Crow" collagraph which was great fun to do and makes me smile when I look at it.

Reduction print

2009-06-19T14:41:00.000+01:00

Been pretty busy printing recently, working on a reduction lino print which is going well. Up to 5 colours now, with only one or two to go - photo of it in its current state. As a relief from that I did a couple of quick prints using Tangram pieces to make little narative prints - illustration of "2 cats considering lunch".

Earlier I had been trying caustic soda etch on some lino, which gave some interesting cloud effects after I'd done it three times. This is of an old windmill in St Monans, Fife. I did another of St Monans as a collagraph, including some lettering, painstakingly cut out from card. Don't really think it was worth the effort and I printed it only as a relief print. I may get round to trying it as an intaglio, but somehow I doubt it. Onwards and upwards on to the next idea.

A different kind of week

2009-04-11T21:52:00.000+01:00

Well, it's been a pretty prolific week workwise, working in both lino and collagraph. I've drawn out lots of different ideas for images, lots of drawing - probably my first love. I'm very fond of Derwent drawing pencils for their waxy feel, but this week has been all good old graphite. I think with the lino prints I've been thinking in black and white again. Took me back to my old days of working with Tri-X and my beautiful Pentax MXs. I miss black and white film, the smell of the chemicals and days spent in the darkroom. In various houses the "darkroom" has been a bathroom, a cupboard and a kitchen. Somehow digital just isn't the same. Seems too quick, too glib. They seem more like throwaway images to me. I suppose it will grow on me in time.
I cut and proof printed the first of my giraffe linocuts and was quite pleased with my results. Not at all what I'd set out to produce, but I cut an odd elipse behind its head, which started off in my head as a "squashed" sun, kind of sunset thing. Anyway it ended up like more of a moon, I thought. When I got home Myra said it looked like the giraffe was wearing a straw hat! So I reckon the elipse will have to turn into a light background. I just can't leave it as it is. Maybe I can squeeze a tree or two into it. I like working in multiples, then trying different juxtapositions of the images. So far I have 3 giraffes, all the same size, but I am toying with the idea of a much larger image - haven't worked out how to fit them together yet. I may need more small images. Have to draw out some options.

At last!! Some images

2009-03-27T10:26:00.000Z

I finally managed to get images on here and the right way up too, after I edited them in photoshop first. It only seems to want to post them one at a time though - is that normal? I will get used to it eventually I'm sure.

Prints

2009-03-26T18:24:00.000Z

At the third attempt I seem to have managed to upload some photos. Phew! Perhaps using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer as suggested by Aine helped. Thanks again.
Today I printed a whole herd of zebras at the Fife Printmakers, their colour varying from black to sepia and white. I'll have to ponder which I prefer. Better paper this time certainly produced more "rounded" prints.
I have a range of plates ready to collograph, inspired by seeing Aine's giant print.

Opening blog

2009-03-24T19:55:00.000Z

Thanks to Aine Scannell for pointing me in the direction of my own blog. It did prove easier than I thought to get started, so now all I need to do is discover what I can do with it!
I spent the day at the Dunfermline Printmakers Workshop printing my weekend work, a penguin and a zebra linocut. Both turned out pretty well, though I decided to tweak them both a little as I printed. Next time I'll try to do some "proper" prints on nice paper.