Giraffes for Mum

Linocut print, approx 30 x 30 cm

It's been a long time since I've had a chance to post, or even been inspired to.

I finally was able to print a lino block I had crafted for my mum, who's favourite animals are giraffes. It turned out relatively well. Personally, I'm not fond of depicting animals as an artistic subject. But mum seems to like it, which is all that matters.

Cheek to Cheek

When I began to design my next lino print, I decided I would ask my mother if she wanted me to make something for her. I've never painted or drawn or created anything for anyone other than myself before, as artmaking to me has always seemed something personal and exclusive - very much an expression of self. So it truly is an odd phenomenon to be making art for someone else.

I know that she particularly likes lino prints. She was rather pleased when I brought home my Venus prints, and she has - what we expect to be - a linocut print of a platypus hanging in our house, it looks embellished (touched-up) to me.

Anyway, I simply enquired as to whether there was anything she'd like me to picture in it. And, because her favourite animal - other than the platypus - is the giraffe, she requested that I created a print of them.

The quick sketch, before it was transferred

I accepted the challenge, and on Google Images found a rather lovely photograph of - what is presumably - a mother giraffe leaning down towards her baby. They were cheek to cheek, and I knew it was something that would make my Mum happy. After all. I'm her only baby. I adapted it to a quick sketch and then transfered it to the linoleum square (30 x 30 cm), of which I was aware it would be printed backwards.

The actual lino square, complete with carving haha :)

Long story short; I didn't feel that I'd be able to draw it opposite to the original, but whilst I drew and carved I frequently held it infront of the mirror - making sure it was symmetrical enough not to be freakishly disproportionate.

Showing the cuts

I've finished the carving, shaded over it with a piece of paper to check my cuts. Now all that's left is buying some larger paper for the printing process. Back to Eckersley's haha.

Inks & Lino

Just a quick update. I'm rather glad, you see, as I'm beginning to find a bit of inspiration again. Hoorah! This Queen's Birthday long weekend has been going quite well.

Pen & ink experiment.

On Saturday Mum and I went into Newcastle to buy some art supplies. One of the new goodies I bought was an ink nib and pen to work with at home. I've always had an interest in inks, but it wasn't until this year at school that I developed one for pen & ink. I'd only ever used brush & ink. A totally different method really does alter the image you create. I'm having fun working with cross-hatching. It's a strange way to shade, but it's growing on me. The ink drawing above was something I crafted this morning, just randomly. A quick sketch, and then it was inked.

Lino print equipment.

I also bought some lino printing materials: silk-cut linoleum squares (30 x 30 cm), block ink, lino carving tools, and rollers. I really should have made a point of buying some paper while I was there. It took me until we arrived home at 4pm that day (we did make a point of staying in town all day) to realise my 11 x 14 " VAPD would be large enough to print on. Silly, silly illy.

In addition to all of these I got some charcoals: willow and compressed. I've never had proper charcoal at home for drawing, so that's really nice too.

I've suddenly got a lot more motivation and inspiration on the art front. Part of it, I think, is staring the Day Zero Project; in which I will attempt to complete 101 preset tasks in 1001 days. My blog that will be journalling my challenge and all it entails is located here.

Things are going alright :)

"Venus" Coloured

Linocut print & oil pastels

We were told to colour one of the poorer prints we made in class with out linocuts. So I got out the oil pastels. I think I'm going to touch up the yucky bits that didn't print good with some black paint.

I've had to cut some of the prints to fit them in my VAPD.

I'm going out to buy my own lino squares and carving tools today, as I've mentioned before, I'm quite fond of this medium.

"Venus" Linocut Print

Linocut print 2 /3 (so far). Approx 30 x 30 cm.

In my art class at school we have been creating artworks that revolve around the human body. One task we have had to complete recently is designing our own simple linocut prints of a size of approx 30 square cm (1 square foot); obviously featuring the body or body parts.

I researched Linocut printing on Wikipedia and apparently it's a modern and cheaper adaptation of the comparatively ancient woodcut printing. So there you go. It's an altered ancestor.

I'm truly sorry that this has nothing to do with one of my beloved oldies, it's simply that at a time like this - one when I've got no inspiration - when I still want to participate in IMT I have to twist things a bit. I think this printmaking exercise has really combatted my creative block.

I love lino printing now. It's awesome fun. The designing, carving the block, inking and printing. Well. I love it all except for the cuts I've gotten on my hands from my own stupidity at times. Hem-hem. I really want to keep making lino prints. I'm going to Eckersley's to buy my own pieces of linoleum and some carving tools, block ink and rollers. AND good paper, of course.

This is one of the best prints I've gotten thus far from the linocut I've designed. Print number 2 / 3... thus far. It's inspired by the Venus di Milo.