How To:

Materials

• Derivan block printing ink
• Lino and carving tools
• Cartridge paper
• Soft rubber lino rollers
• Silk cut lino squares
• Glass plates for printing

Resources and inspiration

• I had seen a book on quilting and textile design at an inservice. There was some design work in this book that I found very appealing for students.
• The artist concerned often composed her work by placing an image in the center of her composition and then creating a border around it made up of a similar shape or theme.
• Because of the strong use of shape and design I got thinking that students could create a design for lino by using a similar structure.
• Students were shown the artists work (whose name I don't have) which we discussed and they were encouraged to create their own individual theme, brainstorming a variety of subjects that would be appropriate for lino.
• They then researched their ideas on the internet and by using library resources as well as found objects.
• Ideas were gathered in their sketch books and compositions were trialled until their favourite could be selected.
• Students then had to produce a final drawing that was coloured in using 4 colours only plus the colour of the paper.
• Once this was checked, designs were transferred on to the lino plate
• I was very flexible about the composition and as you can see some work really deviates from the idea I originally presented!
• Reduction lino cut printmaking can be very confusing and time consuming and I don't recommend you tackle it in class unless you have had a go at it yourself and feel really confident.
• Each step was demonstrated at the beginning of each class and homework was set every week.
• I needed the printing to be done at school and the cutting to be done at home, ready for the next lesson.
• Each student created their own registration sheet and despite starting with 5-6 copies, many only ended up with one successful copy due to poor registration.

Copyright 2004 Zart Art & Zart Education Service