Printmaking!



Printmaking!

 





This is a print made from a linoleum stamp. The linoleum is carved into using special carving tools. The part that is carved away will be blank white space in the print, and the part that is not will catch the ink. In creating a print, the most important part to focus on is the composition of your picture. While there are multicolor prints, the type of print shown here essentially has only two colors: the background, and whatever color ink you use. Even if you want a print that fades from one color to another (like mine pictured above), you would still have the same composition. It is vital that the ink and the background create a composition that is pleasing to the eye if the print is to be successful.

The next step is to begin printing. Ink is rolled onto the stamp using a brayer, which is like a rubber paint roller. The stamp is used to transfer the ink to a sheet of paper, and, voila!, the print is finished!

This is a fun and fairly easy project. Sometimes my prints came out a little blurry, but I love my composition and was able to get quite a few successful prints. I learned how to make a print go from one color to another. You have to put one color of ink on one end of the brayer, another color on the other, and then blend them together in the middle. I really like this effect, and am very happy with my work!