New Book Cover Prints

I have been working on a three colour lino print of birch catkins for a square format book. As I will want to produce a reasonable number of these if they are successful, I didn't want to use the reduction lino cut method, as this would mean loosing the block once the prints are finished. I therefore produced three separate blocks, one for each colour.

I drew the image onto the first lino and cut the parts that would be green.

Once this was done I offset the image in black onto two more lino blocks. I did this by printing the image onto acetate, then quickly printing the still wet acetate onto the new lino. This meant that the image was still the correct way round to cut the other two blocks.

I cut the second lino for the yellow sections of the image (above) and the third lino was cut for the brown sections (below).

I have produced some proof prints onto book cloth. The colours are not right yet, but I am getting better at the registration. Still some work to do though to get the image as I want it.

After removing some areas of the green lino around the twigs and catkins, I then reprinted onto different colour book cloth. Being happier with the results, I made up a sample book.

The Rudiments of Letterpress

I spent the weekend at Hot Bed Press in Salford attending a letterpress workshop run by Elizabeth Willow and David Armes. On the Saturday I worked with lead type using an Adana press. Although I have set wooden type more recently, the last time I set metal type was during the first year of my degree at Lanchester Polytechnic (now Coventry University) back in 1977.

 

 

 

Using 24point Windsor, I learned how to place the type in the chase, arrange the furniture and quoins to ensure they are firmly locked and wouldn't move at any stage of the printing process. The Adana press was an office standard before photocopiers. The self-inking system is simple but effective.

On Sunday I set wooden type, used a simple proofing press and a lovely old columbian press. My first attempt was using a mixture of type in a variety of sizes. The first proof was done onto card so that this could then be used to create a frame to enable the ink to be rolled onto the type without it catching any of the furniture and showing on the finished print.

I wanted to try using wooden type in combination with one of my wood engraving blocks. The blocks I get from Chris Daunt are made to the same height at the type, so I knew, in theory this should be possible.

New wood engraving

I've started some new wood blocks. I plan to do a series of nine based on the Moseley Dovecote Gardens. First stage was to get the lemonwood blocks from Chris Daunt. I then stained the tops with brown ink.

I use a white watercolour pencil to draw the basic design onto the block. Unlike the previous designs, I decided to cut the backgrounds away.

I am pleased with the first proof of this block - it still needs some tidying up, but I think the white background gives the image a more solidity.