Hello everyone, hope you are doing well. Today I am excited to share the process of what it takes to make a linocut print! My main form of art making is block printing, I hope this helps all of you get a better understanding of what goes into a print and that you will find it as enjoyable as I do!

I am going to walk you through the steps of my most recent print, a landscape inspired by my new home in the PNW. This print was the biggest I ever worked and I really enjoyed working at the larger size.

The first step to making a linocut is having a drawing. I spend a good amount of time sketching and drawing my image before I even get started with carving. Typically for a print I do a rough sketch in pencil, then a final detailed pen and ink drawing. Depending on the image I may go back and redraw the image again in pen. All of my drawings are in black and white and I am always thinking about positive and negative space. When drawing out your image your black pen will represent the inked part of the final print and the white is what you will be carving out. The better your drawing is the better your print will end up, it is always best to take time to have a good composition and image than to rush and try to figure it out while carving. Once I finish my drawing I will scan it into the computer, boost the black and white contrast, size it to my block and print it out. An important note, your drawing will need to be mirrored on the plate to ensure when it is printed, it prints the way you intended it.