Pardalote on a Wire – Woodcut

‘Pardolote on a wire’ Linocut 260 x 360 mm Aug 13

I revisited my Pardelote linocut and redid it as a larger woodcut.  Really happy with how it worked out, now I have more idea of how this medium works.  I was able to add more detail into the background while still keeping the simplicity of the composition.  It was much harder to cut in wood and I had trouble with bits chipping off, though super glue helped to save his leg!

I will be adding colour to some of the prints, but I have such a busy month it may not be till September.  Here is the original drawing and the first print just for comparison.

Spotted Pardelote Lino Design

Pardalote Two colour print May 2013

This time I remembered to flip the design before transferring it onto the block.  See learning has occured.

Carving the Pardalote

Karen

Spotted Pardelote Linocut

Pardalote Two colour print

Here is my second linocut.  It is a Spotted Pardelote, which is a tiny finch like bird that used to nest in the banks on our property near Castlemaine.  They are lovely little birds.  The colours are not right, but as this is only a practice piece while learning the techniques we didn’t have a choice of colour.

Pardalote print Red

This is what is called a reduction print.  You carve out all the areas that you want to leave white (or the colour of the paper) then print with your next colour, in this case red.  Then you carve out the areas that you want red and print with your next colour, in this case black.  You can keep printing as many colours you like, but two was enough for our experiment.

I was really happy with how the bird turned out and can’t wait to do another one of this image with the right colouring.  I think a woodcut.

Karen

 

 

 

Relief Printing with Linocuts

Spotted Pardelote Lino Design

I have started my relief printing course and have done the first two sessions.  So much fun!  It combines a whole stack of processes that I love and my style of art really lends itself to this medium.  You get to draw, carve, print and colour in, plus you have prints to keep, sell and give away.  Happy sigh.

We started out with a single colour linocut on a very rubbery lino, which was easy to carve.  especially as I have memories of trying to carve old, tough lino at school.  I used an image from a earlier drawing of the sturt desert peas, love recycling and trying images out in another way.

Sturt Desert Pea

We did another lino print using proper lino and it will be a two colour reduction print.  For this one a drew this lovely little pardelote, a tiny spotted bird that used to visit our property when I lived in Castlemaine.

Variations on Pardelote Design

As my prints are still drying at school I have my drawing to share with you, next week I will have images of the actual print to share.

Talk soon Karen