Watching you apply your technique is just amazing for me Belinda! ...That's RUclips algortihms for you which every day puts one of your films first on my list of suggestions ... which means that algorithms don't just radicalize terrorists!
I am new to printmaking and have found your tutorials my best resource. Answering my many questions about registration, tools, materials, ink and process. Your work is inspiring. Thank you for sharing!
Hi +Kristine MacGregor ! Welcome, and thanks so much for letting me know the videos are of good use to you! #mygoals Come back often, and share your results with us. :)
Hi John, Thanks for the feedback and the compliment. I hope you do give glazing a try - it makes the process slower, and less risky, which is good since you can’t really un-do what you carve away. Happy printing to you!
Another excellent demo. Your sections on creating a separate tracing of each color to be carved and on making a cardboard registration board are particularly helpful.
John Pfeiffer That's great! Thanks for letting me know. If you have any questions while you're making your blocks or printing, feel free to leave them here, and I'll answer them for you. It might be helpful to others who have the same questions too. :)
Hi Belinda you make this look so easy, simply add colour upon colour while carving out irreplaceable hands full of lino! Without an understanding the process it’s so easy to look at such a print without having any notion of the amount of skill and foresight needed to produce it. Again, lovely work, and thank you for taking the time to make and share the videos, I know how long it takes to shoot, edit, sound edit, title, caption, add links and upload such a video. Kind Regards . . . Andy
Hi there, +AndyDaviesByTheSea - thanks so much for such a kind note. You've made my day! I appreciate that you're interested in the printmaking process, and I hope you give-it-a-whirl someday. Once you have a plan, it's a very meditative process, and it can become quite addictive! And yes, the video-making process is lengthy and detailed, so thanks for the pat-on-the-back. :) All the best to you...
thank you so much for this video! i love the way you've made the registration jig and i'm definitely going to try using that as i've had problems with my block/paper slipping as i hand press! being able to see every single step and walking us through the whole process was so helpful and clear! I've been so used to using the presses at my college and now that i'm at home i've been trying my hand at hand pressing which has definitely been a challenge but I can't wait to try these methods out thank you!!!
Hello Hui-yi! I’m so glad the tutorial was helpful! I hope your registration jig is cute and personalized! They can be like studio assistants who’ve helped keep a project on track. After printing a whole edition with one, they are part of your “team”. Good luck and happy printing!
Belinda Del Pesco - I have carved very elementary blocks to use as stamps in multimedia work. I want to learn about printing and was looking on RUclips to gain some understanding. Your work is beautiful but way from where my skills are. Thank you for making the video as it helps to give me an overview of where I might be in the future. When I bought my parents home, I had an old printery in my shed where they used to run a small newspaper. Big old guillotine and hand platens. Beautiful antique equipment, but huge.Cabinets full of letters. My parents and I donated it to a local college because I needed the space.i would love to have played with that hand platen.
Hi Leigh-Ann, with that discovery in your parent’s shed, it’s *so* fitting that you should make prints! How fun! Have you by chance seen any of the other linocut tutorial videos here on my channel? You might get a few tidbits from the overview of linocut set up, or the two color reduction print that also uses rubber stamps to create a carvable pattern in the block. If you can’t find the videos, I can paste links for you. And I will work in some other very beginner based demos too.
This is inspirational, it’s the best video I’ve seen on reduction printing. What puzzles me is how you work out the colours to use, I suppose it’s experience, but some of the colours you put over other colours make unexpected third colours! Fabulous, look forward to seeing your simpler video. Thank you for sharing this, you’re very talented.
Hi Helen, Thanks so much for the feedback. I'm glad the video made sense to you. And yes, overlapping two colors strategically creates a third color. Magical art stuff! And yess also to the experience element. Getting into it, and trying a few simple two color prints will inform the next one after that, etc. Happy experimenting!
@@bdelpesco Hi Belinda, thanks for your reply. I've only done a few reduction prints so it's still a mental challenge. I'm also used to using water-based inks and am starting to move to oil-based so lots of new things to explore. Hoping to start my next print soon....I'll be watching keenly when I start it!
Hi David, Thanks for the compliments. If you want to see the finished print, check the links in the 'show more' section under the video window. etsy.me/2hoEYeI Each video on my channel includes links to all supplies and the finished art, as well as a blog post about the art. Happy printing to you!
...I make a cardboard frame exactly like that every time I cast a mould of an engraving - and then I take the original engraving out of the cardboard frame and I make a mould of a mould for the embossing folder in the same frame... Which is sort of funny because I've always been thinking of casting a mould at every stage of making a reduction print so that I could go back and print them again if I wanted to! I mean, I haven't done it yet, but the cardboard frame I use to spread the adhesive over the engraving made me think of this. Burning desire to solve the problem of losing past work: I went back to one of my first engravings and cut away more of it... to only realize that there was no way of going back ! Lost forever!! By the way, the cardboard frame above the frame is a fantastic idea... Why didn't I thihk of that?!? [I love the film by the way]
+petrikNZ - you didn't miss it. I hope to finish shooting, narrating & editing some time in February. I've recently moved, so my studio is not yet organized for printmaking, but it's coming. In the meantime, if you're in need of visuals or inspiration, I'd recommend looking at Sherry York's amazing reduction linocuts: sherrieyork.com/reduction-linocut-process/
Thanks so much for taking the time to make these videos. I have learned so much. I have question however. What product would I use if I did not want a transparent base?. I don't want the colors to change when I make a new color layer. I'm very new at this. Only took a class in college long time ago. Thank you again. Carol
Hi Carol, Every ink manufacturer has a different level of opacity. Straight relief ink, un-modified by other products can be tested in small overlapping swatches on your preferred printmaking paper scraps. Do a couple of pull downs with ink held against a spatula as you drag it down your test paper, Let it dry and then layer another color on top of a portion of your previous color to see how opaque your second color mix is. These scraps can be labeled and kept in a notebook or an accordion file for later reference so you’ll know what to expect with each of your colors and brands of ink.
Hello daisy3690 - its only complicated if you've never done it before, but after a little practice, like most things, it becomes easy-peasey. :) Thanks for visiting!
The video is very good. Thank you for it. I have bought some Akua intaglio coulors and the Akua transparent base for the colours. Unvortunately some of the clolours and the transparent base are very dry and viscous. Could you please tell me how to make the colours and the Transparent base more liquid? Thanks, Anke
Hello Willi - the Speedball company (manufactures the Akua) are *very* responsive to technical questions about their products. I’d highly recommend that you send them an email. I bet they can solve that issue quickly for you. Thanks for the compliments on my video tutorial. 😀
What a wonderful artist you are. I'm enjoying all your videos. Gives me so much encouragement. Thanks. Incidentally what is the varnish you use to seal your blocks? Thanks again from a grey London.
Hi +richard pike - Thanks for writing. I'm so glad you're getting encouragement from these videos. Printmaking is more a "do" process than a "read-about" process. Trial and error is an essential component in this medium, due to the variations on materials, tools and sequence, so no one escapes a few pitfalls along the way. I use MinWax to seal my plates: amzn.to/1tjOmMu And you can find a list of all of my supplies under each video in the 'show more' section, usually with links, if I can find a source online. Keep at it! :)
Another question - so for each colour layer, I am doing a tracing for that particular colour and pattern? For each colour you have carved onto a separate block? Then printed over the same image lining it up in the jig ? some parts of it go really fast so I can’t keep up?
Hi Gaye, You might be best served to find instructions for a multi-block print, or a single color, if you're new to this process. This is a reduction block print - where I'm carving a little more from the same block and printing it in sequence of overlaying colors. Control the speed of the video in the lower right corner of the video window. Have a look at my friend Sherrie York's demo of a reduction linocut: ruclips.net/video/AnNFXZYXUOI/видео.html
Hello Five - I’m glad the spritzing is making good strides for you. I do spritz for each layer of added color. I think the success on that will depend on each printmaker’s choice of paper and ink, so test the results on your proof prints before applying the practice on your edition prints. 👍🏽
Hi Gaye, I sketched the image first in a sketch pad to plan the colors, and then sketched it on the block with watercolor and colored pencils, so yes, I put an image on the block to start, and sealed it. 👍
Excellent demonstration. Thank you. I have a question about controlling the successive color outcomes as each layer is put down. That is, how can you ensure that any subsequent color won't be affected by the underlying ones so that your result is not the color you wanted? For example, blue and yellow usually mix to produce green, but what if I wanted to have some parts of my picture blue and others yellow? What do I have to do in advance to prevent such accidents? Will the reduction technique only work with certain color combinations?
Hi John, Thanks for your compliments. I hope you give reduction printmaking a try... it's good brain aerobics, and a fun sequencing project to experiment with. In order to keep some of your colors untouched, and avoid layering them with subsequent pigments, you can strategize your carving and printing order to preserve them, or use stencils to block ink transfer, and control color layering. If you've never made a reduction print, start small, and very simple to get a feel for the process. It's fun, and challenging - and when done well, the prints are a wonder to look at.
Hmmm I bought a bottle of Akua 'transparent base' 'created by printmakers (it was £18, ouch ouch ouch, am on a low wage) and tried using it with water based relief ink - i wanted it thin - Results were not good! : The base consistency was like thick honey (house too cold?) and when i mixed it (i didnt use the pigment you used) it looked a bit like cement... Ah well... ALSO tried printing one small section through a piece of tracing paper - bad uneven results.... Also thought i should avoid details in future...though i did cut alot out... ANYway, am open to any advice Good video
Hello Lise, I can only imagine the glop you got by mixing Akua Transparent Base with water-based relief ink! Two completely different formulas. The transparent base is a modifier made specifically for Akua Intaglio inks - the ones I used in the video. And it is an awesome product you will get many, many prints from, so it'll be worth the purchase! So, when you say you wanted it "thin", do you mean you wanted the ink to be somewhat transparent in the print??
yes, i meant i wanted layers of transparent colours... I thought something was up, though, when your base looked like oil and mine was sort of solid - the room temperature was making it hard, I thought - Thanks for answering me -will try to get some black pigment soon :-)
The transparent base does react to room temperature. So on cold days, mine is the consistency of refrigerated butter, and on hot days, it's more like room temperature butter. The friction of mixing and manipulating it on a slab with ink and your knife will also loosen it. This jar is only 2 oz, so it might be a good bet to try: amzn.to/33gxlvS Keep me posted on your attempts. The right materials will make all the difference, and you'll use them again and again and again!
Thanks a lot :) this video is so useful and well done! I'd like to ask you: I'm using water-based inks, on thin paper; do you know of anything I could use as a transparent base, other than water itself (that ultimately just weakens the paper)?
Hi Shana, Thanks for the visit, and the compliments. I'm glad you liked the video. Which ink are you using? I would recommend avoiding water, and using transparent base from the same manufacturer of your inks. Are you printing with akua or the speedball tube ink?
I am preparing my work area and pictures to do this over Christmas as it is quite a lot to do. I need the transparent base and mag mix as it is called a different name here in UK. I ordered the v and u blades, and gold ink too ....when you say ink - is it water based paint for rolling on a block print ?
Hello Gaye - ink is totally different from paint. For this project, I’d recommend ink. You only need transparent base if you plan to print sheer, see-through color. And the mag mix will thicken Akua intaglio ink, which may or may not be necessary for you to use it as relief ink. It’s a preference thing. I know printmakers who use Akua intaglio straight out of the jar, for intaglio, relief and monotype prints, but it’s a little thin for my style of block printing, and I prefer to thicken it with mag mix. Visit my friend Rich Fowler’s site www.boardingallrows.com and read his Linocut ink reviews. His ink reviews are extensive and very helpful. 👌
Thank you I love your tutorial,I have only work with water and oil inks, most spedball can you share other tutorial of the transparent Inks ? Silvia Riley
Thanks so much for your excellent printmaking videos. I am looking for advice in printmaking about switching to Akua Inks. I am a printmaker and I do multi-color reduction monotype prints. I use a plexiglass and roll ink on the plexi and carve away my image taking away where I don't want that color to be. I do this on all my layers. I have watched several videos and I have not found someone using my process. So it is unclear to me which inks and additives to purchase. Oh and I use a large printmaking press and I don't know how much press to set it at and if I need to soak my paper or not with Akua Inks.
Hi Emily, Thanks for stopping in and leaving feedback. I've seen dark field monotypes in print labs here in California, and they are lovely. (For anyone reading this and curious, the instructions can also be found in The Printmaking Handbook by Louise Woods.) If you're accustomed to oil-based inks, I'd recommend trying Akua on a small scale, to test it for your purposes first. Perhaps you can purchase a sample ink pack. And you can soak the paper, or not - the inks work beautifully either way. Overlapping colors are beautiful, and highly pigmented, but take longer to dry. Have you looked at the videos on the Akua channel?
Great video. I am a beginner and I wondered if after the first color, do you continue to spritz the paper before applying the next color, or just the first time? Thanks, Mike
Hi Mike, Yes, you should spritz the paper before each color. Wetting the paper makes the pulp more pliable, but it also makes it stretch, so if you want good registration, wet & blot before each color is printed, or, if you're using a very thin, light weight paper, don't wet at all. I used heavy weight BFK Rives on this print, so it needed a bit of spritz. Thanks for your reply!
So I put the image in a sketchbook then photocopied it and painted it to see how the colours look in different ways and now I’m drawing it onto the block and I’ve just coloured it in and now you’re saying I should seal it right? so I’m going to have to order inks and sealant - which sealant is it? I m in the United Kingdom so I think brand names are different?
Hi Gaye, All supplies in each video on my channel are listed in the Show More section just under the video window, and my channel avatar on the left. You have to click on Show More (gray letters) to open the list. Here are all the other relief printing tutorials on my channel: ruclips.net/p/PLpicUVTRQqwegg2y2nxQEex26nyYBwo1u. And this is the sealant I use on my blocks to preserve the drawing in between inking and printing each color: amzn.to/1tjOmMu
When you draw/colour your image onto your lino and then seal with varnish - can you continue to see the image/different colours as you continue to clean the plate in between colours? or does the image wash away with each cleaning? I'm asking because I'm wondering if you can eliminate using the tracing paper, and just see your image on the plate the entire time.
Hi Ryan, You can color and seal the lino surface, but even with water-based inks (Akua) and Citra-Solv cleaning the block between colors, I found the varnish wiped away and the colors under it disappeared. You can try it on a simple block with just a few colors, and perhaps apply the varnish a bit heavier. The block in this video was colored and sealed, but you see very little of the pigments by the time I get to the 3rd color or so. It's probably good to have a little back up plan. :)
Hello Belinda, thanks so much for your informative videos! I know Akua inks are slow to dry. How long does it usually take for the ink to dry before you can print the next color? Does the mag mix help with the drying time? Thanks, and I hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend!
Hi Ann, the drying time will depend on your studio humidity, the colors of ink you use, and the paper you’re printing on. I’d recommend doing color swatch tests so you’ll know going into the project how long you have to wait between each color. I don’t think mag mix affects drying time, though I suppose it could because you’re adding dry material to wet. I love mag mix for thickening the akua inks. What are you planning to print?
Thanks so much for your quick reply Belinda! I am printing a small landscape reduction linocut. I've done a fair amount of printmaking over the years, but I've only done a simple reduction linocut once. I've also not used the transparent base to get multiple colors (e.g., both yellow and green over blue), so that will be interesting to try out. Your videos are a big help! I can let you know my results if it turns out as I hope. Do you have a FB page or something where people post the results of their work based on your videos? Here's some of my prints: www.locusartstudio.org/shop-prints
Hi Ann, Your solar plate poppie prints are beautiful! Thanks for the link. You can share images of your monotypes on the monotype facebook page here: facebook.com/groups/MonotypePrintmaking/ I look forward to seeing your landscape. The transparent base is amazing for light, airy color, and overlapping new colors... it can be a bit of a brain teaser to plan the colors, but that's good neural synapse aerobics! Happy printing!
I'm a lousy drawer. Is there a way to transfer an image to the linoleum other than drawing it with your grid trick? Also, how do you avoid getting shrinkage when you have to wet the plate to clean it each time? Thanks
Hi cerealsilk, you can use good old fashioned carbon paper and trace your image, or use this glue method outlined here: ruclips.net/video/qTfp-Qgy8WY/видео.html When I clean unmounted linoleum, I'm careful to never wet the burlap, which will shrink like crazy and curl the plate. I just wipe the surface of the plate while it's on the table using baby wipes and paper towels. If you're using oil based inks, you can reference this video for table-top cleaning: ruclips.net/video/T4qZlxkqfts/видео.htmlm46s
HI Belinda, I enjoy your videos on color reduction printmaking. I tried using some Akua inks and they were kind of thin when printed. I didn't use the mag mix-do you think that's why the print was kind of thin and transparent looking? thanks, Craig F.
Hi Craig - thanks for the compliments - I appreciate the feedback. And yes, the magmix is important to thicken the Akua inks so they rest up on the surface of the paper rather than soaking in/dispersing. It also helps if you don't soak the paper in water. Are you transferring by hand or in a press?
+Belinda Del Pesco I have only printed by hand so far. I didn't soak the paper. I don't have the full complement of tools yet for carving and just carved on an unbacked piece of linoleum. thanks for the response- I guess I need to get some mag mix-just as I thought!
Hi +Craig Fansler - It sounds like you have enough tools if you've got lino, a knife, ink, spoon and paper. :) I like unbacked linoleum too, and buy it by the roll. So, yes, get some magmix, and don't be alarmed when it appears to lighten your ink because it's white: it'll dry clear. Post your results somewhere so we can see!
Thanks Belinda- will do! I made a cardboard guide for the paper and the inked linoleum, but before and I get going again, I think I'll try to make one out of mat board like the one in your video. thanks for the advice. Craig
Hi Dabblebag, In a reduction print, you always print lightest first, darkest last, layering them from lightest to darkest sequentially. That's what I've done in the video. It might help to make a color chart, or a sheth of tracing paper color layers so you can keep track of what's next. Start simple, with about 3 or 4 colors to get the hang of it. :)
Hello Ruurd, All supplies used in each video on my channel are listed in the Show More section under the video window, with links. The power grip knives are here: amzn.to/2V0UFKG and the Flexcut knives are here: amzn.to/2UOqDtv Happy carving!
Hello Priyoum, the ink is soy based water soluble Akua intaglio ink, modified with their transparent base, and their MagMix. All supplies used in the videos are listed in the Show More link under each video on my channel.
Hi Barbara - I use minwax wood varnish to preserve the drawing & smooth out/level any imperfections on the plate. A list of all the supplies with links are in the Show More section under the video window. You can also see an application of the varnish on a small Lino plate in this video: ruclips.net/video/lRy5lvrWsa0/видео.html
I love your videos so I have watched many of them already, after just finding your channel two days ago. I have noticed that your sound levels are inconsistent from one scene to another, eg. going from your intro to your studio and then to the outro. The intro is fine, but the studio sound is so low I have to turn up my volume quite a lot, and when you go back to your outro, it is so loud that it temporarily deafens me if I am wearing buds. Thanks for making these videos, and I hope my observation helps your presentations.
Hi +Randi Command - Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I do know about the sound issues, and I promise I'm working on it. I'm new to video & audio production, and it takes time, tweaking, and the sequential acquisition of the right gear (microphone, camera, editing software, etc.). I'll be trying hard to smooth things out this year.
Hello, Nilanjan, I don't have a woodcut tutorial on my channel yet, but you can watch a linoleum block print tutorial here: ruclips.net/video/K1Z2TGrOm1w/видео.html I hope that helps. :)
This had to be by far the simplest of jig registration! Thank you for sharing.
Hey BELINDA! I'm so glad you found the jig instructions easy! Yayyy for simple solutions to the printmaking process! Happy printing to you!
Watching you apply your technique is just amazing for me Belinda! ...That's RUclips algortihms for you which every day puts one of your films first on my list of suggestions ... which means that algorithms don't just radicalize terrorists!
I am new to printmaking and have found your tutorials my best resource. Answering my many questions about registration, tools, materials, ink and process. Your work is inspiring. Thank you for sharing!
Hi +Kristine MacGregor ! Welcome, and thanks so much for letting me know the videos are of good use to you! #mygoals Come back often, and share your results with us. :)
Watching your videos is a splendid moment.
That's very kind of you, Nacer. Thank you.
Loved your blog a very different way to the methods I use never tried the glazing method will have too give it a go Fujitsu all the best
Hi John, Thanks for the feedback and the compliment. I hope you do give glazing a try - it makes the process slower, and less risky, which is good since you can’t really un-do what you carve away. Happy printing to you!
Another excellent demo. Your sections on creating a separate tracing of each color to be carved and on making a cardboard registration board are particularly helpful.
John Pfeiffer That's great! Thanks for letting me know. If you have any questions while you're making your blocks or printing, feel free to leave them here, and I'll answer them for you. It might be helpful to others who have the same questions too. :)
Hi Belinda you make this look so easy, simply add colour upon colour while carving out irreplaceable hands full of lino! Without an understanding the process it’s so easy to look at such a print without having any notion of the amount of skill and foresight needed to produce it. Again, lovely work, and thank you for taking the time to make and share the videos, I know how long it takes to shoot, edit, sound edit, title, caption, add links and upload such a video. Kind Regards . . . Andy
Hi there, +AndyDaviesByTheSea - thanks so much for such a kind note. You've made my day! I appreciate that you're interested in the printmaking process, and I hope you give-it-a-whirl someday. Once you have a plan, it's a very meditative process, and it can become quite addictive! And yes, the video-making process is lengthy and detailed, so thanks for the pat-on-the-back. :) All the best to you...
Thanks Belinda, I was especially interested in how to make a jig for registering the prints. Very simple and easy, thanks!
You're welcome Dan. Thanks for visiting! Happy printing!
thank you so much for this video! i love the way you've made the registration jig and i'm definitely going to try using that as i've had problems with my block/paper slipping as i hand press! being able to see every single step and walking us through the whole process was so helpful and clear! I've been so used to using the presses at my college and now that i'm at home i've been trying my hand at hand pressing which has definitely been a challenge but I can't wait to try these methods out thank you!!!
Hello Hui-yi! I’m so glad the tutorial was helpful! I hope your registration jig is cute and personalized! They can be like studio assistants who’ve helped keep a project on track. After printing a whole edition with one, they are part of your “team”. Good luck and happy printing!
Very interesting but I need the beginner series. I didn't understand what was going on most of the time, but enjoyed what I saw. Thank you.
Hi Leigh-Ann, Thanks for taking the time to let me know! Have you ever made any sort of linocut, as in a single color print?
Belinda Del Pesco - I have carved very elementary blocks to use as stamps in multimedia work. I want to learn about printing and was looking on RUclips to gain some understanding. Your work is beautiful but way from where my skills are. Thank you for making the video as it helps to give me an overview of where I might be in the future.
When I bought my parents home, I had an old printery in my shed where they used to run a small newspaper. Big old guillotine and hand platens. Beautiful antique equipment, but huge.Cabinets full of letters. My parents and I donated it to a local college because I needed the space.i would love to have played with that hand platen.
Hi Leigh-Ann, with that discovery in your parent’s shed, it’s *so* fitting that you should make prints! How fun! Have you by chance seen any of the other linocut tutorial videos here on my channel? You might get a few tidbits from the overview of linocut set up, or the two color reduction print that also uses rubber stamps to create a carvable pattern in the block. If you can’t find the videos, I can paste links for you. And I will work in some other very beginner based demos too.
Belinda Del Pesco - you are very kind. I shall explore your other videos thank you.
Thanks. I'm trying to learn this technique.
Good luck with your experiments, and happy printing!
Great video Belinda, the print turned out great!
Thanks, Graham! I like your latest counter-proof print tutorial too. Onward, printmakers! :)
You make it look simple, I will take a look at the two color video for beginners, I learn a lot! Thanks
Hi Roger, Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad the video tutorial was useful to you! :) Happy Printing!
This is inspirational, it’s the best video I’ve seen on reduction printing. What puzzles me is how you work out the colours to use, I suppose it’s experience, but some of the colours you put over other colours make unexpected third colours! Fabulous, look forward to seeing your simpler video. Thank you for sharing this, you’re very talented.
Hi Helen, Thanks so much for the feedback. I'm glad the video made sense to you. And yes, overlapping two colors strategically creates a third color. Magical art stuff! And yess also to the experience element. Getting into it, and trying a few simple two color prints will inform the next one after that, etc. Happy experimenting!
@@bdelpesco Hi Belinda, thanks for your reply. I've only done a few reduction prints so it's still a mental challenge. I'm also used to using water-based inks and am starting to move to oil-based so lots of new things to explore. Hoping to start my next print soon....I'll be watching keenly when I start it!
Helen, it sounds like you’re approaching a printmaking party of fun! Which water based inks were you using and what did you switch to?
Your lessons are invaluable Belinda. Thank you.
Thanks for your encouragement, Magda Palmer ! I hope to keep posting these videos frequently! :)
wonderfully clear and easy to follow...especially the jig section; have subscribed and will follow all the way
Hi Alanna, I'm glad you found it useful! Come back and let us know how your print project turned out! :)
Thank you for the details
Hi boxing - you are welcome. Happy printing. 🤝
Great video Belinda, very comprehensive and well explained.Thank you
Hi Nick! Welcome! Thanks so much for the feedback, and happy printing!
Muchisimas gracias!!!
What a wonderful short video, so well explained and with such an unremarkable technique. I am a fan of you from now on!
Thank you, Fernando! I’m glad the video steps made sense to you! 🎉🎨⏳👍🏼
Wonderful art, Belinda! It's so beautiful and therapeutic. Thanks for sharing it with us! I wish you all the best.
Thank you, +Elmer D. Escoto R. - I'm glad you like it.
I always love your instructional videos, Belinda... Very complete.
Thanks for that, my dear! I hope you are doing well, and carving a lot. Your printmaking always makes me happy. :)
Thanks also for the very exhaustive notes!
I hope you found them useful! Let us know how your project turns out. :)
Great video, thank you.
Hello Tu - thanks for the feedback. Happy printing!
Thank you for your generosity in sharing your skills with us all!
Linda Poulton Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave feedback! :)
GREAT VIDEO - thank you
I'm glad you found it useful, David. Thanks for letting me know. Happy printing!
best demonstration ever!!!! Thank you dear Belinda!
Thanks for the compliments, @prunkblume! Happy printmaking to you!
Really helpful
Thanks for the feedback, Mary! Have fun carving and printing! 🌺
Very helpful
Hi Ricky - I’m glad. Thanks for the feedback - and happy printing!
Oh wow! I had to subscribe...this is so lovely...thanks for including all those steps...makes a ton of good sense, thanks so much!
Thanks, Brenda! I'm glad you liked the video!
great details on instructions. next time, can you give more of a detailed shot of the finished print. thanks 🌞🌞🌞
Hi David, Thanks for the compliments. If you want to see the finished print, check the links in the 'show more' section under the video window. etsy.me/2hoEYeI Each video on my channel includes links to all supplies and the finished art, as well as a blog post about the art. Happy printing to you!
awesome video! bravo!
Thanks for your feedback! 💓
Muy bien 👍 👍 👍
Gracias! 🖐🏽🍪🤓
...I make a cardboard frame exactly like that every time I cast a mould of an engraving - and then I take the original engraving out of the cardboard frame and I make a mould of a mould for the embossing folder in the same frame... Which is sort of funny because I've always been thinking of casting a mould at every stage of making a reduction print so that I could go back and print them again if I wanted to! I mean, I haven't done it yet, but the cardboard frame I use to spread the adhesive over the engraving made me think of this. Burning desire to solve the problem of losing past work: I went back to one of my first engravings and cut away more of it... to only realize that there was no way of going back ! Lost forever!! By the way, the cardboard frame above the frame is a fantastic idea... Why didn't I thihk of that?!? [I love the film by the way]
This is so great! Thank you
You're welcome, Winnie! :) Happy printing!
Great video, looking forward to the beginners guide. :)
Colaris Thanks for the nice comment. The simple 3-color linocut tutorial is in the works. :) Happy art-making!
+petrikNZ - you didn't miss it. I hope to finish shooting, narrating & editing some time in February. I've recently moved, so my studio is not yet organized for printmaking, but it's coming. In the meantime, if you're in need of visuals or inspiration, I'd recommend looking at Sherry York's amazing reduction linocuts: sherrieyork.com/reduction-linocut-process/
love your work berlinda! i am new to printmaking and my first project is simple 8 pages collograph using matboard.
Hi Mona, That sounds like an ambitious first printmaking project, and I hope it's a huge success to propel you into even more printmaking!
Thank you! Im Keeping it simple. Thank you for your comment
I love this .....
Hi Gaye, Thank you. 😊
Belinda! You are Great!!!
Tigran Khashmanyan Thanks for the compliments! :)
Thanks so much for taking the time to make these videos. I have learned so much. I have question however. What product would I use if I did not want a transparent base?. I don't want the colors to change when I make a new color layer. I'm very new at this. Only took a class in college long time ago. Thank you again.
Carol
Hi Carol, Every ink manufacturer has a different level of opacity. Straight relief ink, un-modified by other products can be tested in small overlapping swatches on your preferred printmaking paper scraps. Do a couple of pull downs with ink held against a spatula as you drag it down your test paper, Let it dry and then layer another color on top of a portion of your previous color to see how opaque your second color mix is. These scraps can be labeled and kept in a notebook or an accordion file for later reference so you’ll know what to expect with each of your colors and brands of ink.
Wonderful demonstration...thankyou!
Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you liked!
thank you for sharing this complicated process. I like the image; it looks like you. bye
Hello daisy3690 - its only complicated if you've never done it before, but after a little practice, like most things, it becomes easy-peasey. :) Thanks for visiting!
great instructional videos, you are a great help to my work, thank you
Thanks so much, Heidi! I really appreciate the feedback, and I'm so glad this is helpful!
great video! need more vids like this
Thanks, Sutra!
Your video instruction is excellent.
Thanks
Thanks, Angela! I'm glad you found it useful. :)
Amazing!!!!!
Love it.
Thank you for your video
Thank you for the kind words, Julio!
Thank you, I enjoy your videos
Thank you for letting me know! :)
Very well done video!
Thanks for taking the time to leave me feedback!
Loved it! Thank you ☺
Thanks for the feedback! Be sure to come back and leave any questions that come up as you build your plan. :)
perfect demonstration thanks a lot :) :) :)
Thanks, Bernard! I'm glad the demo was helpful for you! :)
Belinda yes it was :) :) :)
The video is very good. Thank you for it. I have bought some Akua intaglio coulors and the Akua transparent base for the colours. Unvortunately some of the clolours and the transparent base are very dry and viscous. Could you please tell me how to make the colours and the Transparent base more liquid?
Thanks, Anke
Hello Willi - the Speedball company (manufactures the Akua) are *very* responsive to technical questions about their products. I’d highly recommend that you send them an email. I bet they can solve that issue quickly for you. Thanks for the compliments on my video tutorial. 😀
What a wonderful artist you are. I'm enjoying all your videos. Gives me so much encouragement. Thanks.
Incidentally what is the varnish you use to seal your blocks? Thanks again from a grey London.
Hi +richard pike - Thanks for writing. I'm so glad you're getting encouragement from these videos. Printmaking is more a "do" process than a "read-about" process. Trial and error is an essential component in this medium, due to the variations on materials, tools and sequence, so no one escapes a few pitfalls along the way.
I use MinWax to seal my plates: amzn.to/1tjOmMu And you can find a list of all of my supplies under each video in the 'show more' section, usually with links, if I can find a source online. Keep at it! :)
thanks for the cool video and tutorial,.....I appreciate it'!!,.......
Thanks for the note!
Thank you.
awesome 👏🏽
Thank you, Sinem! :)
Another question - so for each colour layer, I am doing a tracing for that particular colour and pattern? For each colour you have carved onto a separate block? Then printed over the same image lining it up in the jig ? some parts of it go really fast so I can’t keep up?
Hi Gaye, You might be best served to find instructions for a multi-block print, or a single color, if you're new to this process. This is a reduction block print - where I'm carving a little more from the same block and printing it in sequence of overlaying colors. Control the speed of the video in the lower right corner of the video window. Have a look at my friend Sherrie York's demo of a reduction linocut: ruclips.net/video/AnNFXZYXUOI/видео.html
Spritzing the paper with water is gamechanging for me. Do you repeat it for each layer, or do you only do it for the first layer?
Hello Five - I’m glad the spritzing is making good strides for you. I do spritz for each layer of added color. I think the success on that will depend on each printmaker’s choice of paper and ink, so test the results on your proof prints before applying the practice on your edition prints. 👍🏽
nice video.
Thanks, Doug! :)
I am painting a picture first to put on the block. Did you paint onto the block first ?
Hi Gaye, I sketched the image first in a sketch pad to plan the colors, and then sketched it on the block with watercolor and colored pencils, so yes, I put an image on the block to start, and sealed it. 👍
Excellent demonstration. Thank you. I have a question about controlling the successive color outcomes as each layer is put down. That is, how can you ensure that any subsequent color won't be affected by the underlying ones so that your result is not the color you wanted? For example, blue and yellow usually mix to produce green, but what if I wanted to have some parts of my picture blue and others yellow? What do I have to do in advance to prevent such accidents? Will the reduction technique only work with certain color combinations?
Hi John, Thanks for your compliments. I hope you give reduction printmaking a try... it's good brain aerobics, and a fun sequencing project to experiment with. In order to keep some of your colors untouched, and avoid layering them with subsequent pigments, you can strategize your carving and printing order to preserve them, or use stencils to block ink transfer, and control color layering. If you've never made a reduction print, start small, and very simple to get a feel for the process. It's fun, and challenging - and when done well, the prints are a wonder to look at.
@@bdelpesco Thank you very much.
Super film. Thanks :)
Thanks, Jerzy!
Hmmm I bought a bottle of Akua 'transparent base' 'created by printmakers (it was £18, ouch ouch ouch, am on a low wage) and tried using it with water based relief ink - i wanted it thin - Results were not good! : The base consistency was like thick honey (house too cold?) and when i mixed it (i didnt use the pigment you used) it looked a bit like cement... Ah well... ALSO tried printing one small section through a piece of tracing paper - bad uneven results.... Also thought i should avoid details in future...though i did cut alot out... ANYway, am open to any advice Good video
Hello Lise, I can only imagine the glop you got by mixing Akua Transparent Base with water-based relief ink! Two completely different formulas. The transparent base is a modifier made specifically for Akua Intaglio inks - the ones I used in the video. And it is an awesome product you will get many, many prints from, so it'll be worth the purchase! So, when you say you wanted it "thin", do you mean you wanted the ink to be somewhat transparent in the print??
yes, i meant i wanted layers of transparent colours... I thought something was up, though, when your base looked like oil and mine was sort of solid - the room temperature was making it hard, I thought - Thanks for answering me -will try to get some black pigment soon :-)
The transparent base does react to room temperature. So on cold days, mine is the consistency of refrigerated butter, and on hot days, it's more like room temperature butter. The friction of mixing and manipulating it on a slab with ink and your knife will also loosen it. This jar is only 2 oz, so it might be a good bet to try: amzn.to/33gxlvS Keep me posted on your attempts. The right materials will make all the difference, and you'll use them again and again and again!
What do you do with your prints once you have them ? Where do you sell them ?
Hi Gaye, I sell my work (in a normal year) at Art Festivals, and on Etsy. Here's my shop: www.etsy.com/shop/bdelpesco?
Thanks a lot :) this video is so useful and well done! I'd like to ask you: I'm using water-based inks, on thin paper; do you know of anything I could use as a transparent base, other than water itself (that ultimately just weakens the paper)?
Hi Shana, Thanks for the visit, and the compliments. I'm glad you liked the video. Which ink are you using? I would recommend avoiding water, and using transparent base from the same manufacturer of your inks. Are you printing with akua or the speedball tube ink?
I am preparing my work area and pictures to do this over Christmas as it is quite a lot to do. I need the transparent base and mag mix as it is called a different name here in UK. I ordered the v and u blades, and gold ink too ....when you say ink - is it water based paint for rolling on a block print ?
Hello Gaye - ink is totally different from paint. For this project, I’d recommend ink. You only need transparent base if you plan to print sheer, see-through color. And the mag mix will thicken Akua intaglio ink, which may or may not be necessary for you to use it as relief ink. It’s a preference thing. I know printmakers who use Akua intaglio straight out of the jar, for intaglio, relief and monotype prints, but it’s a little thin for my style of block printing, and I prefer to thicken it with mag mix. Visit my friend Rich Fowler’s site www.boardingallrows.com and read his Linocut ink reviews. His ink reviews are extensive and very helpful. 👌
Brilliant!
Thanks, Montse!
Thank you I love your tutorial,I have only work with water and oil inks, most spedball can you share other tutorial of the transparent Inks ? Silvia Riley
Hi +Silvia Riley Thanks for your compliments. Do you mean that you'd like to see more information about making your ink transparent?
Thanks so much for your excellent printmaking videos. I am looking for advice in printmaking about switching to Akua Inks. I am a printmaker and I do multi-color reduction monotype prints. I use a plexiglass and roll ink on the plexi and carve away my image taking away where I don't want that color to be. I do this on all my layers. I have watched several videos and I have not found someone using my process. So it is unclear to me which inks and additives to purchase. Oh and I use a large printmaking press and I don't know how much press to set it at and if I need to soak my paper or not with Akua Inks.
Hi Emily, Thanks for stopping in and leaving feedback. I've seen dark field monotypes in print labs here in California, and they are lovely. (For anyone reading this and curious, the instructions can also be found in The Printmaking Handbook by Louise Woods.) If you're accustomed to oil-based inks, I'd recommend trying Akua on a small scale, to test it for your purposes first. Perhaps you can purchase a sample ink pack. And you can soak the paper, or not - the inks work beautifully either way. Overlapping colors are beautiful, and highly pigmented, but take longer to dry. Have you looked at the videos on the Akua channel?
Great video. I am a beginner and I wondered if after the first color, do you continue to spritz the paper before applying the next color, or just the first time? Thanks, Mike
Hi Mike, Yes, you should spritz the paper before each color. Wetting the paper makes the pulp more pliable, but it also makes it stretch, so if you want good registration, wet & blot before each color is printed, or, if you're using a very thin, light weight paper, don't wet at all. I used heavy weight BFK Rives on this print, so it needed a bit of spritz. Thanks for your reply!
So I put the image in a sketchbook then photocopied it and painted it to see how the colours look in different ways and now I’m drawing it onto the block and I’ve just coloured it in and now you’re saying I should seal it right? so I’m going to have to order inks and sealant - which sealant is it? I m in the United Kingdom so I think brand names are different?
Hi Gaye, All supplies in each video on my channel are listed in the Show More section just under the video window, and my channel avatar on the left. You have to click on Show More (gray letters) to open the list. Here are all the other relief printing tutorials on my channel: ruclips.net/p/PLpicUVTRQqwegg2y2nxQEex26nyYBwo1u. And this is the sealant I use on my blocks to preserve the drawing in between inking and printing each color: amzn.to/1tjOmMu
When you draw/colour your image onto your lino and then seal with varnish - can you continue to see the image/different colours as you continue to clean the plate in between colours? or does the image wash away with each cleaning? I'm asking because I'm wondering if you can eliminate using the tracing paper, and just see your image on the plate the entire time.
Hi Ryan, You can color and seal the lino surface, but even with water-based inks (Akua) and Citra-Solv cleaning the block between colors, I found the varnish wiped away and the colors under it disappeared. You can try it on a simple block with just a few colors, and perhaps apply the varnish a bit heavier. The block in this video was colored and sealed, but you see very little of the pigments by the time I get to the 3rd color or so. It's probably good to have a little back up plan. :)
Hello Belinda, thanks so much for your informative videos! I know Akua inks are slow to dry. How long does it usually take for the ink to dry before you can print the next color? Does the mag mix help with the drying time? Thanks, and I hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend!
Hi Ann, the drying time will depend on your studio humidity, the colors of ink you use, and the paper you’re printing on. I’d recommend doing color swatch tests so you’ll know going into the project how long you have to wait between each color. I don’t think mag mix affects drying time, though I suppose it could because you’re adding dry material to wet. I love mag mix for thickening the akua inks. What are you planning to print?
Thanks so much for your quick reply Belinda! I am printing a small landscape reduction linocut. I've done a fair amount of printmaking over the years, but I've only done a simple reduction linocut once. I've also not used the transparent base to get multiple colors (e.g., both yellow and green over blue), so that will be interesting to try out. Your videos are a big help! I can let you know my results if it turns out as I hope. Do you have a FB page or something where people post the results of their work based on your videos? Here's some of my prints: www.locusartstudio.org/shop-prints
Hi Ann, Your solar plate poppie prints are beautiful! Thanks for the link. You can share images of your monotypes on the monotype facebook page here: facebook.com/groups/MonotypePrintmaking/ I look forward to seeing your landscape. The transparent base is amazing for light, airy color, and overlapping new colors... it can be a bit of a brain teaser to plan the colors, but that's good neural synapse aerobics! Happy printing!
I'm a lousy drawer. Is there a way to transfer an image to the linoleum other than drawing it with your grid trick? Also, how do you avoid getting shrinkage when you have to wet the plate to clean it each time? Thanks
Hi cerealsilk, you can use good old fashioned carbon paper and trace your image, or use this glue method outlined here: ruclips.net/video/qTfp-Qgy8WY/видео.html
When I clean unmounted linoleum, I'm careful to never wet the burlap, which will shrink like crazy and curl the plate. I just wipe the surface of the plate while it's on the table using baby wipes and paper towels. If you're using oil based inks, you can reference this video for table-top cleaning: ruclips.net/video/T4qZlxkqfts/видео.htmlm46s
Are you using watetbased colour?
Hi Brigitte - no water based colors - but I am using Akua printmaking ink, with is soy oil based, and it washes up with soap and water.
HI Belinda,
I enjoy your videos on color reduction printmaking. I tried using some Akua inks and they were kind of thin when printed. I didn't use the mag mix-do you think that's why the print was kind of thin and transparent looking?
thanks,
Craig F.
Hi Craig - thanks for the compliments - I appreciate the feedback. And yes, the magmix is important to thicken the Akua inks so they rest up on the surface of the paper rather than soaking in/dispersing. It also helps if you don't soak the paper in water. Are you transferring by hand or in a press?
+Belinda Del Pesco I have only printed by hand so far. I didn't soak the paper. I don't have the full complement of tools yet for carving and just carved on an unbacked piece of linoleum. thanks for the response- I guess I need to get some mag mix-just as I thought!
Hi +Craig Fansler - It sounds like you have enough tools if you've got lino, a knife, ink, spoon and paper. :) I like unbacked linoleum too, and buy it by the roll. So, yes, get some magmix, and don't be alarmed when it appears to lighten your ink because it's white: it'll dry clear. Post your results somewhere so we can see!
Thanks Belinda- will do! I made a cardboard guide for the paper and the inked linoleum, but before and I get going again, I think I'll try to make one out of mat board like the one in your video. thanks for the advice.
Craig
How do you decide in what order to print your colors?
Hi Dabblebag, In a reduction print, you always print lightest first, darkest last, layering them from lightest to darkest sequentially. That's what I've done in the video. It might help to make a color chart, or a sheth of tracing paper color layers so you can keep track of what's next. Start simple, with about 3 or 4 colors to get the hang of it. :)
Could you tell me where I can buy those linoleum cutting tools?
Hello Ruurd, All supplies used in each video on my channel are listed in the Show More section under the video window, with links. The power grip knives are here: amzn.to/2V0UFKG and the Flexcut knives are here: amzn.to/2UOqDtv Happy carving!
The ink is oil based or water based?
Hello Priyoum, the ink is soy based water soluble Akua intaglio ink, modified with their transparent base, and their MagMix. All supplies used in the videos are listed in the Show More link under each video on my channel.
Thank you very much for your reply. .
What Type varnish do you seal with?.
Hi Barbara - I use minwax wood varnish to preserve the drawing & smooth out/level any imperfections on the plate. A list of all the supplies with links are in the Show More section under the video window. You can also see an application of the varnish on a small Lino plate in this video: ruclips.net/video/lRy5lvrWsa0/видео.html
I love your videos so I have watched many of them already, after just finding your channel two days ago. I have noticed that your sound levels are inconsistent from one scene to another, eg. going from your intro to your studio and then to the outro. The intro is fine, but the studio sound is so low I have to turn up my volume quite a lot, and when you go back to your outro, it is so loud that it temporarily deafens me if I am wearing buds. Thanks for making these videos, and I hope my observation helps your presentations.
Hi +Randi Command - Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I do know about the sound issues, and I promise I'm working on it. I'm new to video & audio production, and it takes time, tweaking, and the sequential acquisition of the right gear (microphone, camera, editing software, etc.). I'll be trying hard to smooth things out this year.
Madam, are you can also done woodcut? If you can, please upload the video
Hello, Nilanjan, I don't have a woodcut tutorial on my channel yet, but you can watch a linoleum block print tutorial here: ruclips.net/video/K1Z2TGrOm1w/видео.html I hope that helps. :)
Thanks madam,, I am an Indian, can you seen Indian art or Indian printmaking??
Hi Nilanjan, Yes, I have seen Indian Printmaking on textiles, tiles and in fine art. Very beautiful. :)
Wow... Which country are you living mam?
Hah! :) I'm living in the country of RUclips, where all the world is visible!
Can hardly hear you