Make Linocut Prints w/o Budget or Talent, by Wesley Treat on YouTube. 22 min 57 s.
- Video length
- 22 min 57 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Draw your design on plain paper the same size as your block. Keep the shapes bold and the lines thick, because thin details are hard to carve and easy to lose.
Lay tracing paper over the drawing and trace it in soft pencil. Turn the tracing paper face down on the block and rub the back with your fingernail so the graphite transfers.
Remember the print comes out mirrored, so any letters or numbers must be drawn backwards on the block.
Warm the block in your hands or with a hair dryer on low if it feels stiff. Warm lino cuts much more smoothly than cold, hard lino.
Carve the outlines first with the V gouge, then clear the large background areas with the wider U gouge. Work in shallow passes and cut away from your body, keeping the hand holding the block behind the blade.
Squeeze a coin-sized blob of ink onto a glass or plastic sheet and roll the brayer through it in both directions until the ink looks tacky and even.
Roll the inked brayer over the block in several directions until every raised area is coated. Do not press hard or ink will creep into the carved lines.
Place a sheet of paper on the block and rub the back firmly with a baren, spoon or your palm, working from the centre outwards.
Lift one corner to check the print, then peel the paper off and lay it flat to dry.
Rinse the block and brayer in water straight away before the ink sets. Then re-ink and print the rest of your run.
Tips and common mistakes
Always carve with the blade pointing away from your hand and never toward your fingers.
Pull a test print on scrap paper after the first carving pass, then carve deeper where the print looks patchy.
Any spot that prints white is a carved area, so mistakes cannot be erased, only designed around.
Water-soluble ink dries fast, so keep a damp cloth nearby and clean tools before you take a break.
Questions
Do I need a printing press?
No. You can print by rubbing the back of the paper with a spoon, a baren or your hand. Presses only speed things up and give a more even result.
What kind of ink should I use?
Use water-soluble block printing ink to start, because it cleans up with water and is forgiving for beginners. Acrylic craft paint works in a pinch but dries too fast on the block.
Can I reuse the block for more prints?
Yes. Clean the ink off with water and a soft cloth, dry it fully, and the block will keep for many more prints. Store it flat so the surface does not get dented.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
