‘Lino Skulls’ is a year 10 Art printmaking project which extended a previous investigation into monoprinting techniques. Building on the knowledge and skills already gained, students were introduced to the concept of relief printing, in which an image is carved into a block or surface and then rolled over with ink. The carved lines do not hold any ink and this is how the image is made.

Initially, the students made some trial prints by simply carving their initials into a small piece of linoleum, rolling it over with ink, and creating a simple print on cartridge paper. This exploration allowed the students to experiment with colour and gain an understanding of the variety of effects that can be achieved by using different colours, amounts of ink and levels of pressure during the printing process.

After the students concluded their experimentation and research, they moved forward to produce a final print. Skulls were identified by the group as an ideal subject matter because of their strong contours and striking visual impact. Student’s drew the outline of the image in graphite onto the Silk Cut lino and then used carving tools to cut away the background. For the final print the class used block printing inks to print onto high quality etching paper.

Paul Morrison
Learning Area Leader – Visual Arts & Media
St. Bede’s College, Mentone