Tonight at Great Ayton Art Club we explored lino printing, taking inspiration from Scandinavian folk art to create our own unique designs.
We began by using simple reference images and tracing paper to develop motifs and patterns before transferring them onto lino. Once everyone had their designs ready, we spent time becoming familiar with the lino cutting tools and experimenting with different approaches to carving.
Some people chose to cut directly along their pencil lines, while others preferred to cut either side of the line to preserve the drawing. It was interesting to see how these different approaches influenced the final print.
One of the key things we discussed was that successful lino prints often rely on simple shapes and strong design. Large gaps between raised areas can weaken the lino and make it more difficult to print effectively, so thinking carefully about the balance of positive and negative space is important. We also talked about how traditional lino prints are not intended to look machine-made. Small marks from the carving process and slight imperfections are often part of the charm and character of the print.
As the session progressed, we explored registration tools and simple jigs to help achieve cleaner, more consistent prints. Once everyone had produced their first prints, we began experimenting further by cutting away selected areas of lino so that they could be inked in a different colour. This simple adjustment created some really striking and interesting results.
As always, the most enjoyable part was seeing people gain confidence with the material and start to experiment. Lino printing offers so many possibilities, and often the best way to learn is simply to have a go and see what happens.
Next week we will continue our exploration of lino printing by creating a new design and introducing multiple colours. We will experiment with two-colour gradients and also explore reduction printing, where an image is printed, carved further, and then printed again in a different colour. The possibilities are almost endless, and I’m looking forward to seeing where everyone takes their ideas.
