linocuts
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- seed
Does anyone here do linocuts? I am interested in trying them and have some questions:
What is the easiest way to transfer an existing drawing to the block?
Do you make your own blocks? The ones at the art stores are expensive for what they are.
What kind of paper do you prefer to use?
When printing do you put the block on top of the paper then flip it over and peel it off?
- jdcomba0
use those transfer paper thingys, like carbon paper, and trace the drawing onto the block. use arches paper. print with paper on bottom, block facing down. have fun.
- gruntt0
1 - Yes, I do.
2 - Carbon Paper
3 - I buy 'em - they're not expensive (5-15 bucks) - Speedball brand
4 - So far 100% cotton rag is my favorite.
5 - I put the paper on top of the inked block. Burnish the hell out of it. Peel it off.
it's great fun!
- seed0
What do you burnish it with? Do you have to retrace the original drawing? Also the cotton rag, is that a watercolor paper?
I found this link on transfering a photocopy to a block:
- scarabin0
you can burnish it with anything, try the back of a spoon or a burnishing tool.
- paraselene0
omg. those people are all so polite to one another. are all forums like that?
- gruntt0
the spoon method works well for burnishing. Take a wooden spoon, sand it and apply a little bit of olive oil. Makes it nice and slick. Your hand will eventually cramp up like an old lady if your producing a bunch of prints at one sitting... take a break and drink a beer.
I'm actually waiting for a teflon coated burnisher to be delivered today. I'm doing a linocut for the NTPE2.
The 100% cotton rag is not a watercolor paper. It's billed as a mulituse paper. Very soft. Not stiff like wc paper.
- Jaline0
haha, I think some forums are like that, yes. I've been a part of some entertainment forums in the past. Usually if you respect a person they will respect you back. Obviously, there are disagreements here and there...has to be with that many people. I think NT is more of a family forum. We treat each other more like siblings than friends.
- gruntt0
omg. those people are all so polite to one another. are all forums like that?
paraselene(Aug 25 05, 08:15)
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lol para! I was on that forum over the weekend just reading (not participating). I was thinking the same thing but instead of "polite" I thought they were just a bunch of pussies... NT has me jaded for sure.
- seed0
I read about pressing the paper with another block to get an even print. Is there any different result from burnishing it ? Is there ever a problem of the paper moving on the block when pressing or pulling it off?
- gruntt0
i but my block up against a 1" piece of heavy wood and tape the piece of paper to that piece of wood. That way I can flip it down on to the linoblock, burnish, and lift. If for some reason I have an uneven print I can flip the paper back down while keeping it registered. Works quite well. As for getting an even print without burnishing I would think that would be quite hard unless you were using a press. I am rather new at it though so an expert I am not. That wetcanvas forum has a lot a good info.... a lot of really shitty prints... but good info.
- seed0
Is this Linozip set sufficient to do a good linocut? I bought it a long time ago and never used it.
http://www.dickblick.com/zz402/0…
Is it better to use the straight u and v shaped blades? Also, is the #6 blade shown used for detailed lines?
- anzelina0
after doing woodcuts, doing linocuts was like digging a spoon into soft butter.
and that's a good thing.
- gruntt0
i prefer the V and U shaped blades myself i do however have a #6 that I use infrequently but not really for detailed lines, I use it more for scoring a small section that needs to come out but I can't get to it with another blade.
- seed0
Any links to the preferred tools? I guess the other blades in that set do the same thing except you pull them towards you.
- gruntt0
i have a set of these:
http://www.dickblick.com/zz330/0…
and these (which i use the most): http://www.dickblick.com/zz402/0…
- seed0
gruntt, a few more questions.
Does the olive oil on the spoon stain the paper?
Do you wash off the block after your done?
How deep do you cut it? Not down to the wood I am guessing.
Do you use oil or waterbased ink?
- mrdobolina0
seed, you have been seriously ambitious lately, letterpress, lino and screenprinting?
- seed0
Evven though the NTPE is a bit stressful it has really gotten me to get serious about doing more art again. Next time I hope to use one of those mediums to do something really awesome.
- mrdobolina0
nice.
ntpe1 got me hyped too.