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Monday 31 May 2021

designing out detail



finished design drawing for the second mini print
© Teresa Newham


I used to be decisive, but now I'm not so sure. Not if my experience so far with the second linocut miniprint for the Awagami International MiniPrint Exhibition  is anything to go by! I'd already decided to base the print on a photo taken last Autumn near the field which inspired the first of the two prints:


September, Cross Lane
© Teresa Newham

I spent a happy afternoon idly sketching the outlines of the fence, trunks and branches, trying to make sense of what was there and how I might incorporate that into the print itself.  I didn't develop my ideas any further at that stage, because I was concentrating on making the first print.


too many branches . . . 
© Teresa Newham

Now the deadline for confirming my entries is fast approaching, I feel the need to get on with number two even though nothing has to arrive in Japan until the end of July.  I was well into another drawing before it occurred to me that I couldn't possible include all that detail in a reduction linocut . . . 



. . . and too many leaves
© Teresa Newham


Although the photo which first appealed to me was landscape format, I quickly realised that the image would be best simplified for printing by turning it into portrait, and I developed the final sketch shown at the top of this post.


enhancing the transfer with sumi ink
© Teresa Newham

When I went over the image on the lino with sumi ink and a dip pen, to make it easier to see when cutting, it made some interesting marks of its own, which I tried to keep in when making the first cut.  I wiped off most of the ink before printing the first layer, to avoid it transferring to the paper.  Now all I have to do is work out the order for printing the rest of it . . . 


wiped and cut
© Teresa Newham








Saturday 15 May 2021

Field, Cross Lane

 


Field, Cross Lane
reduction linocut by Teresa Newham

I've finished the first of the two reduction linocuts I'm planning to send to the Awagami International Mini Print Exhibition in Japan this summer.  Regular readers will know that this view is a favourite of mine - I take photos of it almost every time I pass by.


refining the design
© Teresa Newham


I sketched the original design for the print back in March, using an Inktense pencil sketch and a photo from a couple of years ago for reference.  Even so, I had to edit out some detail when I transferred the image to the lino with tracing paper.



cutting techniques
© Teresa Newham


I've learnt a lot about lino cutting techniques in the last twelve months, and put many of them into practice with this print: cutting fine detail, using an aisuki chisel to remove large flat areas, and cutting around watercolour marks for a more painterly feel.



the inking was a learning process
© Teresa Newham


The inking, too, was a revelation; I reined in my natural urge to slap the colour on and rolled out my layers as thinly as I could.  Extra pressure in the right places, and a gentle application of a little more ink where necessary, produced a far more nuanced result - and the layers dried quickly on the Awagami Hosho 80gsm paper. 


one of the finished prints will go to Japan
© Teresa Newham


Closer to home, I have five pieces in The Workhouse Dunstable Print 21 exhibition,  open 10am - 3pm Wednesday - Saturday until 5th June. As I haven't shown anything at a physical exhibition since the beginning of last year, I'm looking forward to spending a morning there meeting the public on Friday 4th June!