Student Linocut Printing Resources

STUDENT RESOURCES

This page is full of information about the tools we used during our workshop and what I buy from where.

I buy most of my art supplies online, from several different sources depending on who is having a sale, and what I need in my order. I look for overall value in the pricing of the item, delivery cost and quality of service when ordering.

I don’t receive any commissions from these sales – and I encourage you to shop around for different pricing if that works for you. Different online stores offer sales and discounts at different times of the year, and there are other suppliers for most of the tools and materials I use.

I would love to hear from you if you do source from a different supplier – I am always on the lookout for other options to share with students, and for myself.

Bookmark this page in your browser so you can keep referring back to it.

I’ve categorised the information below. Click on each toggle to read and click through on links that interest you. Each link will open in a new window, so you won’t lose this page.

Bookmark this page in your browser so you can keep referring back to it.

And please let me know if you think I’ve left anything out! 🙂

The information below:

LINOCUT REFERENCE BOOKS

I have written my own review of sorts of some of the books listed below. Click here if you’re like to read about the books and see some of the inside pages. I also note pricing and include links where you can buy them.

My library books that focus on the process and techniques of linocut are:

Mascot Media is the independent UK publishing company from whom I have bought some lino reference books. These are 4x of the books I have in my collection from Mascot:

And other linocut reference books in the library are:

OTHER ARTISTS TO CHECK OUT

William Hays
website –  www.theartistsloft.com
facebook – facebook.com/WilliamHHays103

Sherrie York
website – sherrieyork.com
facebook – facebook.com/sherrieyork.printmaker
instagram – instagram.com/sherrie.york.art
blog – brushandbaren.blogspot.com.au

Lili Arnold
website – www.liliarnold.com
instagram – www.instagram.com/liliarnoldstudios

Laura Boswell
website – www.lauraboswell.co.uk
facebook – facebook.com/lauraboswellprintmaker
instagram – instagram.com/laura_boswell_printmaker
YouTube – www.youtube.com/channel/UCS9nZVbpj-JlOxATscBE_4w
Tips for linocut printing – www.lauraboswell.co.uk/resourcel.php

Joshua Miles
website – www.joshuamiles.co.za
instagram – instagram.com/joshua_miles_artist/

Amanda Colville aka Mangle Prints
website – mangleprints.blogspot.com
facebook – facebook.com/miles.away.9638

Dianne Fogwell
website – www.diannefogwell.com.au

Mike Smith
website – www.mikesmithprints.co.uk
facebook – facebook.com/Mike-Smith-Printmaker-281363259260022

Lisa Hoopee
website – hoopoeprints.co.uk
facebook – facebook.com/LisaHooper.Printmaker
instagram – instagram.com/hoopoe.prints

Deb Wing
website – www.debwing.com
facebook – www.facebook.com/Parallel-Printing-2172567562833384
instagram – instagram.com/debwingprintartist

Rachel Newling
website – www.rachelnewling.com
facebook – facebook.com/linocuts?ref=hl
instagram – instagram.com/rachelnewling

Colin Blanchard
website – www.colinblanchard.com
facebook – facebook.com/colinblanchardprints
sharpening lino tools – www.youtube.com/watch?v=t10n_TzlMUE

Gill Thornton
website – gill-thornton.co.uk
Instagram – www.instagram.com/gill.thornton.art

Karen Neal
website – www.karennealartist.com
instagram – www.instagram.com/karenneal4

Leuan Edwards
website – blackgoldpress.bigcartel.com
Instagram – www.instagram.com/ieuanedwards_bgp

Jill Dunn
Instagram – www.instagram.com/riverbirdstudio

Steve Manning
website – www.stevemanningprints.co.uk
Facebook – www.facebook.com/stevemanningprints

Adele Brazenaite
Facebook – www.facebook.com/adele.ganciere
Etsy – www.etsy.com/shop/LithuaniaArt

Cheryl McCoy
website – etchtonetexture.com
Instagram – instagram.com/etchtonetexture

Rachel Newling
website – www.rachelnewling.com
Instagram – instagram.com/rachelnewling
Facebook – facebook.com/linocuts?ref=hl

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook

Some Instagram tags to follow

  • #linocutfriends
  • #get_imprinted
  • #linocutprint
  • #reductionlino

PAPER

Linocut 101 and Reduction Linocut Workshops

The paper we printed onto was a mix of:

  • 125gsm acid free cartridge paper – A4
  • 145gsm Hereford Book & Block printmaking paper
  • Japanese Hosho paper (approx 80gsm) – A4-ish (Linoprinting 101 workshop only)
  • Kraft paper – A4 (Linoprinting 101 workshop only)

Different workshops use different printmaking papers depending on availability and stock at the time. These are some different papers we may have used in your workshop:

  • 245gsm Stonehenge; or
  • 220gsm Rosaspina; or
  • 250gsm or 300gsm Somerset

I buy from various sources, and below are some of them:

If you ever have any questions about paper, please let me know. Most online art stores hold annual paper sales. Melbourne Etching Supplies has a big paper sale twice a year, with pricing up to 40% off. Most art stores will sell printmaking papers in-store, where you can see the papers, the colours and textures.

I’ve noted some other papers below to explore. I have used these papers. They range in price from approx $4 per sheet up to $18 per sheet. Google these paper names and look at different online stores for different pricing and availability:

  • Japanese Kozo papers
  • Japanese Awagami papers
  • Fabiano Tiepolo papers
  • Hahnemuhle papers
  • Arches 88 – my current linocut printing paper
  • Arches BK Rives

 

Print Your Own Christmas Cards Workshop

If you attended the PYOCC linocut workshop, the links below will take you to the cards and envelopes you printed with on the day:

 

More information about paper

I wrote a four-part blog post series looking at different aspects of paper in the context or printmaking:

BRAYERS aka ROLLERS

I prefer to use soft rubber rollers

We used Essdee Soft Rollers in our workshop:

These are the ones I like to use in the studio – Japanese soft rubber rollers

These are a collection of narrow brayers I’ve recently ordered. shop.takachpress.com/takach-specialty-brayers I love them! They feel stable and sturdy to use.

Craft Online is a great resource of a lot of materials. They have a good selection of brayers and good prices.

INK

We used Derivan water based relief printmaking inks.
Most online and in-store art shops will sell this ink.

If you want to explore a better quality ink, I know a lot of people use Caligo Safe Wash (soap and water wash up) inks. I have read from artists that they can be slow drying, but their colour range and ink pigments are great.

Speedball and Schminke are other good brands. I haven’t used either, but many lino printers do.

I use Sakura Oil ink in my practice. I love them for their very reasonable pricing, fast dry-time on the paper, but slow dry on the glass and strong pigments. I use vegetable oil to clean up, avoiding turps and solvents as much as I can. I use only the primary colours – yellow, red, blue with white and black, mixing all my colours from that base set. If you are interested in using oil inks, let me know and I can talk you through how I clean up and help get a good price for them through my wholesale supply.

BARENS

The small bamboo baren we used is available from most art shops selling printmaking supplies.

Eckersleys will sell these too.

And this is the glass Print Frog baren I use, bought from Iron Frog Press in the USA.

This link will take you to the larger white plastic baren we used, the ones I buy direct from Japan. And the cheaper black baren from Jackon’s in the UK is here.

There are many different types of barens. Don’t forget the trusty metal or wooden spoon! A glass paper weight. Do some googling to see what other barens you can find online.

PRINTING PRESSES

There are a few options when it comes to linocut printing:

  • Hand printing – what we did in our workshop using barens
  • Printing with a ‘craft press’
  • Using an etching press
  • Printing with a relief press

There is a broad price range when it comes to the press options available.

CRAFT PRESS

Craft Press printers are an economical option for small portable presses fo rhome. They are designed for embossing and die cutting for scrapbooking and crafters. I have an Xcut Xpress craft print, but sadly it is no longer available. You can find them second hand if you hunt around. Annie Day wrote a good article about this little press.

The Craft Press Printmakers Facebook group will introduce you to other options available in this press category. Pricing ranges from $80-$500, some available in Australia, others from overseas.

Craft Online is a good spot to start looking at pricing for different options in Australia.

ETCHING PRESS

Pricing will range from $500 > $5000+. If all you want to do is relief printing (like printing lino), the look at a relief press (below). Etching presses are designed for ‘intaglio’ printing and different printing requirements, hence the higher the pricing. But if you do want to look at etching presses, you can start your research here:

RELIEF PRESSES

These presses are designed specifically for printing linocut. They are a more affordable option to an etching press.

LINO

We used the VINYL relief plates. I buy from art shops, in store and online, depending on the prices when I am there. Most art shops selling printmaking supplies will stock this product

If you want to have a go at the old style SILK CUT lino, most art stores that sell the vinyl also sell silkcut. I’m starting to see other similar products (to silkcut) appear in the art stores, so have a try and see if you favour one type over the other.

CARVING TOOLS

These are the tools we used in your workshop – 10x blade Flexcut Portable Carving Set
And this is the mini 4x blade set.

The sharpening strop – Flexcut Slipstrop Kit. Occasionally these are bundled in with the carving sets on sale.

If you buy on of the Flexcut sets, I recommend buying a 2nd handle. You can’t always find it in the online Carbatec store, so give them a call and ask. They’re very friendly on the phone.

These are the Swiss Pfeil tools I use.
And specifically the 2x sets I bought:

These are other options for getting started with something a little cheaper while you think about how much you want to invest in tools:
– https://www.eckersleys.com.au/lino-wood-tools-sets
– https://www.eckersleys.com.au/micador-lino-carving-tool-sets

And this is one of the sharpening strops I use to sharpen my tools. Keep your tools sharp and this strop is all you will ever need.

Colin Blanchard shares information about tool sharpening.

MORE RESOURCES

I have written several blog posts about different aspects of printmaking. These are relevant to your linocut workshop and you may find interesting:

I may not have mentioned this is our workshop, but there are some alternative ways to transfer your image to your lino bock. Using the tracing paper is my favourite method because is reconciles the mirror-image consideration when carving, but also helps you think through the image and your approach as you trace and transfer it. I write another blog article a while ago with an alternative image transfer approach that you might find helpful – Image transfer to a lino block

LETS GO SHOPPING 🙂

Below are links to differant online stores where I but supplies and equipment form.

Jackon’s are the UK art supply store that I may have mentioned in our workshop. While I strongly advocate for buying local and within Australia where possible, there is a very big price difference for some items at Jackson’s. Have a look at their site and see how the prices compare – but make your final decision when you see the final freight cost. Smaller items have very freight costs.

CAKE RECIPE

This is the recipe I use for the cake I made for our workshop. I make a few variations – swapping oranges for lemons or mandarins, and sometimes adding dark chocolate pieces. YUM.

I have created a private Facebook group ONLY for people who have attended my workshops. The idea is you can ask me questions, we share work, and I’ll share resources and information. Click the button below to join the conversation  …

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