You are the absolute best!!! Not only for your beautiful work, but for your willingness to share, in such detail, information about your materials. You have really helped me make a better discernment about what to use for my next run of prints. Thank you so much!
The eraser idea is so cool...I can't wait to try that. I'm a junior in college right now majoring in Book Arts and I've been getting interested in printmaking - your channel, and your art, are amazing! thank you so much for sharing !!
I would love to study Book Arts (I've made a few and it's an amazing way to create)! Printmaking can be used in so many ways with handmade books. So happy to help with my videos!
Hi Linda, I think your artwork is wonderful. Thanks for your great video. You explain the process so clearly with the right amount of detail. I look forward to seeing your other videos. - Cheers!
Hi Lynne, thanks for watching. So happy to help others discover (or rediscover) linocuts! Quite a bit of newer material out there to make it easier to do with fewer tools and pieces of equipment!
I would like to thank you for the information, I found the materials lists you give as a boon, I am in the process of trying to pick up block printing, this will be a change for me going from painting and drawing to block prints, again, thank you
I've been able to pull pretty good hand pressed prints with hard Lino. Still I had some issues like greyed out zones and such. I might try that soft lino, I had some pull back with it's durability since I often do hundred copies editions.
+Simon Douville I, too, use traditional hard lino sometimes, and enjoy working with it. I did find the "greyed out" zones you speak of sometimes, as well. With the soft linoleum, I absolutely agree that it takes finding the right kind. Some of the soft ones will definitely crumble over time, while others are quite sturdy! Thanks for your comment!
Hi Faith, thanks for watching! Although I use a lot of different papers, I have a few favorites. I'm not sure where you are, but I will provide some links with a USA reference. One of my favorites is BFK Rives, a paper that's a little thicker (www.dickblick.com/products/bfk-rives-printmaking-papers/). For a more lightweight but still strong paper -- I use and LOVE the Speedball acid-free PrintMaster paper. It is bright white and mimics more of an oriental paper but holds the ink well without wrinkling or tearing (www.dickblick.com/products/speedball-printmaster-paper-pads-for-block-printing/). It sometimes comes packaged like this: www.amazon.ca/Speedball-Block-Printing-Printmaster-sheets/dp/B003IFWXHC/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1531604643&sr=1-2&keywords=speedball-printmaster-paper. Think really high-end bond for the PrintMaster paper, but it's really lovely. Really, any brand of mullberry paper is great -- if it says "for block printing" that's usually helpful. www.amazon.com/Black-Ink-Bleached-Mulberry-Printing/dp/B001DNH8I0/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1532131492&sr=1-8&keywords=mulberry+paper+art. Also, the Japanese papers are beautiful, more delicate but definitely worth a try -- there are so many that the best thing to do is to pick some up and experiment to find your own favorite. Just a note, that I do all my linocut printing by hand (no press, as you probably saw on my videos), so I am using the paper dry (not dampened). Hope this helps!
Thank you! +SavvyLikeThat I'm so happy they are informative! I will definitely be creating more videos, and thanks for subscribing! It's been a busy fall, but I hope to get some new vids done soon!
Good videos! Thank you for being so clear and informative.I notice your blocks each has a specific color on it. Do you not clean your blocks after use? Or do the blocks not actually come clean after using these water cleanup oil-based inks? Because these inks never actually dry, how do you store the blocks so that they don't stick to each other in storage?
Hi Jan. When I print a limited edition linocut, once the edition is run, I don't reprint them, so I don't really work that hard to clean them up so there is no ink on them. For those, I take as much of the ink off as possible with a paper towel because I am just keeping them to show people when I'm at shows. Sometimes, the ink does take a long time to dry on the block so I do a couple things: 1) I wrap the block in plastic wrap to keep them from sticking together and to keep the ink off the hands. If you plan to re-use the block, don't do this for the long-term, though, as the plastic wrap can 'wrinkle' and create a bit of a mark on the surface parts of your block art; 2) If you wipe most of the ink off with a paper towel, then wash the block up with water (I use a soft vegetable brush to get in the cracks) they do dry with almost no ink. If some is left, you can wipe any remaining ink off with vegetable or canola oil and a paper towel which gets the block pretty clean. However, sometimes the block is stained, even with no ink on it. The ink's pigment can be so strong that it stains the block, and even though there is hardly any real residue, the block will be stained (like the bird in the trees one you see in this video).To store those blocks I will re-use (like for cards), I don't wrap those in plastic, but let them dry on a paper towel, then store the block in drawers or bins with a piece of foam core or mat board in between the blocks, cut to the size of the block. This has worked really well for me -- in some cases I've stored card blocks this way for 10 years. Hope this helps!
+John Andrew Hi John, thanks so much for your comment! I use a lot of different papers (love to experiment) but my favorites are BFK Rives, a paper that's a little thicker (www.dickblick.com/products/bfk-rives-printmaking-papers/) and love the Speedball acid-free PrintMaster paper that is bright white and mimics more of an oriental paper but hold the ink well without wrinkling (www.dickblick.com/products/bfk-rives-printmaking-papers/). I've given you links to Dick Blick art store in the US to show you the product. So far, with hand printmaking, I am using them dry (not dampened). Hope that helps!
so i tried this soft cut i once got in a essdee set ( i upgraded not long after bc oof) but why i was very disspointed inthat was that the material kinda moved with my tools? it got all bunched up and would just carve nice and clean. also if you ever want to try out harder lino again pls do a bend test when buying, the one you showed in the video seems realllly old. fresh lino should be able to bend easily and will cut very nicely. when its old it will get really hard and will be near dangerous to carve.
Thanks so much for your comments and clarification about the traditional lino. Good tip! I have not tried the esdee brand soft lino, buthave seen it, and from what I can tell it's quite different from the soft lino I use. There are quite a few soft lino manufacturers out there, and many I do not prefer. It's best to test what works best for each individual, as many underperform in my opinion. Thanks for adding your observations!
I hear you. :-( It's hard to find here in Canada, and it took some digging to find it, for sure! There are lots of printmakers in the UK. Perhaps reach out to them in the off chance that they know where something like this exists? Good luck!
i just happened to try speedy carve for the first time a half hour before finding this video and it was the worst, hated how flimsy it was. But I'm originally a woodcarver, so the firmer linoleum is more my friend.
That makes total sense coming from the wood carving side of tings! Any time you switch materials, it definitely takes some getting used to. When I tried the softer lino after the harder traditional linoleum, I made so many over-cuts. It was so frustrating at first! I would say, though, that there are many kinds of soft lino on the market, and I really dislike some -- finding them too soft and crumbly, and hard to get a nice solid line. As I mention, my favorite is the 'softoleum' which is quite dense (Canadian link in the notes), and I get good results with it. Whatever base material you use, I find it's good to experiment, and find what works best for your preferences. Everyone's style is different, and the nice thing is, there are lots of choices. Thanks for weighing in on this!
Hi Reuben, price is always a consideration! I'm lucky, that where I live, the price is not very different between the two. I pay about $10 CDN for a 9x12" piece of soft linoleum, which is within a dollar or so of the traditional lino, but I am glad that you have options!
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You are the absolute best!!! Not only for your beautiful work, but for your willingness to share, in such detail, information about your materials. You have really helped me make a better discernment about what to use for my next run of prints. Thank you so much!
Aw, thanks so much for saying so, Tricia! The world needs more printmakers, so I am happy to share and inspire others to try, too. Happy printmaking!!
Thanks Linda for all these information. I am a watercolor artist. I like your linocut prints.
You're welcome - thanks for watching! I love watercolor as well!
The eraser idea is so cool...I can't wait to try that. I'm a junior in college right now majoring in Book Arts and I've been getting interested in printmaking - your channel, and your art, are amazing! thank you so much for sharing !!
I would love to study Book Arts (I've made a few and it's an amazing way to create)! Printmaking can be used in so many ways with handmade books. So happy to help with my videos!
Your work is gorgeous and you are very generous with your techniques. Thank you so much!
Thank you for watching, Susan, and for your nice comment! I'm happy to share my experiences and encourage others to try printmaking!
Thanks for the great explanations!
Thanks for watching, Katrina!
Love your work. Thank you for sharing such wonderful videos! Very informative & useful.
Thanks, Alicia - so happy you find the videos helpful!
Absolutely brilliant tutorial! Thank you so much!
You are so welcome, Sandra! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Linda, I think your artwork is wonderful. Thanks for your great video. You explain the process so clearly with the right amount of detail. I look forward to seeing your other videos. - Cheers!
+Drake Rice Thanks so much! I appreciate your nice comments!
Thanks for all the tips Linda! Much appreciated. I hadn't done lino-cut since High School, your videos are very informative!
Hi Lynne, thanks for watching. So happy to help others discover (or rediscover) linocuts! Quite a bit of newer material out there to make it easier to do with fewer tools and pieces of equipment!
+LindaCoteStudio lol, I've been quietly stalking your videos. I really like the was you register your multicolour prints.
Haha, that's awesome! Yes, the registration system is a simple thing to create, and works really well!
Cheers for that. Useful tips.
You're so welcome, Joseph!
Thank you so much . Very useful information
Thanks for watching- so happy it's useful!
I would like to thank you for the information, I found the materials lists you give as a boon, I am in the process of trying to pick up block printing, this will be a change for me going from painting and drawing to block prints, again, thank you
+Wayne sykes So happy to help! I was a painter, too, before lino printing. Watch out ... it's addictive! Haha. Enjoy!
this has been so helpful, thank you
So glad you found it so helpful!
I've been able to pull pretty good hand pressed prints with hard Lino. Still I had some issues like greyed out zones and such. I might try that soft lino, I had some pull back with it's durability since I often do hundred copies editions.
+Simon Douville I, too, use traditional hard lino sometimes, and enjoy working with it. I did find the "greyed out" zones you speak of sometimes, as well. With the soft linoleum, I absolutely agree that it takes finding the right kind. Some of the soft ones will definitely crumble over time, while others are quite sturdy! Thanks for your comment!
Yet I see how crisp your lines are with this Lino it's definetely a huge appeal towar using it.
These videos are so informational and fun! Your work is so beautiful! What type/brand of paper do you use when you are printing your fine-art prints?
Hi Faith, thanks for watching! Although I use a lot of different papers, I have a few favorites. I'm not sure where you are, but I will provide some links with a USA reference. One of my favorites is BFK Rives, a paper that's a little thicker (www.dickblick.com/products/bfk-rives-printmaking-papers/). For a more lightweight but still strong paper -- I use and LOVE the Speedball acid-free PrintMaster paper. It is bright white and mimics more of an oriental paper but holds the ink well without wrinkling or tearing (www.dickblick.com/products/speedball-printmaster-paper-pads-for-block-printing/). It sometimes comes packaged like this: www.amazon.ca/Speedball-Block-Printing-Printmaster-sheets/dp/B003IFWXHC/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1531604643&sr=1-2&keywords=speedball-printmaster-paper. Think really high-end bond for the PrintMaster paper, but it's really lovely. Really, any brand of mullberry paper is great -- if it says "for block printing" that's usually helpful. www.amazon.com/Black-Ink-Bleached-Mulberry-Printing/dp/B001DNH8I0/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1532131492&sr=1-8&keywords=mulberry+paper+art. Also, the Japanese papers are beautiful, more delicate but definitely worth a try -- there are so many that the best thing to do is to pick some up and experiment to find your own favorite. Just a note, that I do all my linocut printing by hand (no press, as you probably saw on my videos), so I am using the paper dry (not dampened). Hope this helps!
I really really like your videos :) They are super informative while being concise ^_^ I hope you keep going with them when you get new ideas :D
Thank you! +SavvyLikeThat I'm so happy they are informative! I will definitely be creating more videos, and thanks for subscribing! It's been a busy fall, but I hope to get some new vids done soon!
Good videos! Thank you for being so clear and informative.I notice your blocks each has a specific color on it. Do you not clean your blocks after use? Or do the blocks not actually come clean after using these water cleanup oil-based inks? Because these inks never actually dry, how do you store the blocks so that they don't stick to each other in storage?
Hi Jan. When I print a limited edition linocut, once the edition is run, I don't reprint them, so I don't really work that hard to clean them up so there is no ink on them. For those, I take as much of the ink off as possible with a paper towel because I am just keeping them to show people when I'm at shows. Sometimes, the ink does take a long time to dry on the block so I do a couple things: 1) I wrap the block in plastic wrap to keep them from sticking together and to keep the ink off the hands. If you plan to re-use the block, don't do this for the long-term, though, as the plastic wrap can 'wrinkle' and create a bit of a mark on the surface parts of your block art; 2) If you wipe most of the ink off with a paper towel, then wash the block up with water (I use a soft vegetable brush to get in the cracks) they do dry with almost no ink. If some is left, you can wipe any remaining ink off with vegetable or canola oil and a paper towel which gets the block pretty clean. However, sometimes the block is stained, even with no ink on it. The ink's pigment can be so strong that it stains the block, and even though there is hardly any real residue, the block will be stained (like the bird in the trees one you see in this video).To store those blocks I will re-use (like for cards), I don't wrap those in plastic, but let them dry on a paper towel, then store the block in drawers or bins with a piece of foam core or mat board in between the blocks, cut to the size of the block. This has worked really well for me -- in some cases I've stored card blocks this way for 10 years. Hope this helps!
Hi Linda: I love your art and your videos! What kinds of paper do you prefer to use?
+John Andrew Hi John, thanks so much for your comment! I use a lot of different papers (love to experiment) but my favorites are BFK Rives, a paper that's a little thicker (www.dickblick.com/products/bfk-rives-printmaking-papers/) and love the Speedball acid-free PrintMaster paper that is bright white and mimics more of an oriental paper but hold the ink well without wrinkling (www.dickblick.com/products/bfk-rives-printmaking-papers/). I've given you links to Dick Blick art store in the US to show you the product. So far, with hand printmaking, I am using them dry (not dampened). Hope that helps!
Thanks! BFK Rives is an awesome paper.
so i tried this soft cut i once got in a essdee set ( i upgraded not long after bc oof) but why i was very disspointed inthat was that the material kinda moved with my tools? it got all bunched up and would just carve nice and clean.
also if you ever want to try out harder lino again pls do a bend test when buying, the one you showed in the video seems realllly old. fresh lino should be able to bend easily and will cut very nicely. when its old it will get really hard and will be near dangerous to carve.
Thanks so much for your comments and clarification about the traditional lino. Good tip! I have not tried the esdee brand soft lino, buthave seen it, and from what I can tell it's quite different from the soft lino I use. There are quite a few soft lino manufacturers out there, and many I do not prefer. It's best to test what works best for each individual, as many underperform in my opinion. Thanks for adding your observations!
I love your videos!!)) I like so much to learn from you, this art is amazing! want to drink a cup of tee with you ^.^ and greetings from Moldova
calipsous Thanks, I am glad you find these videos helpful! Nice to have a viewer from so far away!
It's very hard to get a hold of the lino you use here in the UK. I'd love to find it.
I hear you. :-( It's hard to find here in Canada, and it took some digging to find it, for sure! There are lots of printmakers in the UK. Perhaps reach out to them in the off chance that they know where something like this exists? Good luck!
www.polymetaal.nl/contents/en-uk/d1473_Soft-plastic-plates-relief-forme.html
i just happened to try speedy carve for the first time a half hour before finding this video and it was the worst, hated how flimsy it was. But I'm originally a woodcarver, so the firmer linoleum is more my friend.
That makes total sense coming from the wood carving side of tings! Any time you switch materials, it definitely takes some getting used to. When I tried the softer lino after the harder traditional linoleum, I made so many over-cuts. It was so frustrating at first! I would say, though, that there are many kinds of soft lino on the market, and I really dislike some -- finding them too soft and crumbly, and hard to get a nice solid line. As I mention, my favorite is the 'softoleum' which is quite dense (Canadian link in the notes), and I get good results with it. Whatever base material you use, I find it's good to experiment, and find what works best for your preferences. Everyone's style is different, and the nice thing is, there are lots of choices. Thanks for weighing in on this!
Thank you!
You're welcome, Mike! Thanks for watching!
only issue and to lot of people soft linoleum is very expensive...so I use the hard ones lot cheaper....not as nice as soft
Hi Reuben, price is always a consideration! I'm lucky, that where I live, the price is not very different between the two. I pay about $10 CDN for a 9x12" piece of soft linoleum, which is within a dollar or so of the traditional lino, but I am glad that you have options!