Cherub

Gary, your gallery of linocuts is fantastic! Thank you for commenting on mine, I really enjoyed doing it and can't wait to go on the course in the new year. What sort of lino do you use? Mine was done on SoftCut but I don't know if this is the right sort. I think I will have to invest in some better carving tools as the blades tended to bend a bit. I'd be grateful for any tips you have, you are obviously way more efficient than I am. I especially love your tree and Balloon prints, I can't quite work out myself yet how to do more than two colours!

Thank you Christine ;) I use grey and/or tan lino 3.2mm thick lino blocks - I prefer to buy in bulk pre-cut 150 x 100mm - from either www.intaglioprintmaker.co.uk or www.lawrence.co.uk - my tools are the mushroom handle tools - I have an extra fine, a fine, a medium and large U shaped tools - a fine, medium and large V shaped tools - a small, medium and large gouges also a Japanese Marking Knife - I also use speedball rollers large and small - if you want more than two colours you will need to either cut the lino into colour shape (like a jigsaw) and ink separately or what is known as reduction printing - you will need to plan for the highlights - cut the highlights in the lino then print several prints - clean the lino cut away some more of your design print again - clean the lino cut away some more of your design print again and so on until you have completed your image with not much of the lino left - Tips; warm the lino before cutting (an old iron with newspaper over the lino) and keep warming to aid cutting - when using finer tools for fine detail cool the lino in a fridge for about ten minuets - look out for the great books out there on lino-cuts/lino-printing - above all have fun :)

Gary, thank you so much for your helpful advice and explanations, I can't wait to get going! My family are arriving for Christmas anyday and I really must concentrate on that but find myself drawing and cutting when I should be cleaning and cooking! All the best to you for Christmas and 2012.

Ah - this is the mark of an artist - torn between your craft, family and domesticity - I know it so well - in my case my art won outright ;) -- I forgot to mention that with lino you need to sandpaper and degrease the surface before hand -- I draw straight onto the lino with a permanent maker then I can see where to cut around my design adding pattern where needed -- I would settle the family in or get then involved in making lino-cuts :)