I love printmaking techniques and the caring, thoughtful processes behind them. Even when creating a series of reproductions from the same block, every image turns out to be unique. Printmaking techniques allow for a wide range of experimentation. However, they also require a lot of planning if one wants to have firm control over the results. Even then, there’s always an element of surprise that’s innate to the process.
Being an illustrator usually means working on commissions within short deadlines. Using digital software to create artwork can be time efficient and corrections can be easier to make. The images are usually ready to be printed or to be displayed on a screen. But being all day in front of a screen can be tiring. I don’t think twice when I have the chance to paint with acrylics or work with lino.
I found my mind wandering a lot during lockdown. While the world is still upside down for all of us, I decided to step back from social media for a while and to work on some projects that were on hold.
This black swan is one of them...
It was always planned to be a linoprint, however, first I created the image using vectors in Illustrator which helped me to define the colour palette and the steps of the printing process.
This is an initial series of ten hand-printed pieces, using a combination of relief printing techniques and stencil processes. It's 406 x 297 mm and it was printed on Canson 300 gsm, acid free paper. You can find this and some other pieces at Thrive, located in the courtyard of the Helmingham Hall Gardens.
Thrive is the project of artist Megan Rose Clark who curates and organises everything so we can have a space in her beautifully curated pop-up shops and soon-to-be online store. One can see how much love and thought Megan puts into everything she does. It's a privilege to be part of the Thrive Collective and to share the space with amazing artists and makers from around East Anglia.
Find more information here if you’re planning to visit Thrive.
This is another artwork I created that you can find at the shop. This series is limited to 50. It's 380 x 280 mm, hand-printed in Somerset 250 gsm paper.
I've been working on a smaller piece during my free time. This is a test print:
Feel free to contact me if you'd like to know more about this or other pieces in my portfolio.
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Artwork Insights: Printmaking (Part 2)
Even though the majority of my illustration work has been created digitally, I’ve made a couple of books using printmaking techniques when the time and budget have been generous enough.
I'll tell you a bit more about it soon.
