(Photo credit CFAC)
ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING (Oct. 28, 2019) — A workshop on the process of relief or block printing is being held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, November 9 at the Community Fine Arts Center.
Interested participants need to bring drawings strong in black and white designs. They will then design, cut and print an original work.
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Originally, relief printing was used to produce patterns on cloth. Designs were carved into wood, inked and stamped repeatedly.
Originating in China many centuries ago as a method for textile and paper design, the process spread throughout Asia. The earliest surviving examples from China date to before 220 AD, and from Egypt around the 4th century.
Japanese woodblock art prints are well known in both black-and-white and color images.
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Most European uses of the technique on paper are covered by the art term “woodcut”, though the method was used extensively to produce books, mainly in the 15th century.
For finer images, the end grain of a block of wood was used and referred to as a wood engraving.
Linocut is a variation of the woodcut technique. Using a sheet of linoleum, sometimes mounted on a wooden block, a design is cut to create the relief surface. This material is easier to cut and gives a smooth surface to create textures as the artist desires.
A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel, or gouge. The uncarved areas become the inked surface and the cutout areas become the white areas of the image.
The linoleum block is then inked with a roller or brayer and then impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual printing can be done by hand or with a press.
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Although linoleum as a floor covering dates to the 1860s, the linocut printing technique was first used by a group of artists in Germany from 1905-1913, as well as being used in a similar method for wallpaper printing. The artists described their prints as woodcuts, however, which sounded more respectable.
Once artists such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse started using this method, the linocut became an established professional print medium.
Preregistration is required for this introductory workshop in the process of carving a block, and printing.
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The participants will be using E-Z-Cut blocks, a synthetic rubber-like material that is easy to carve. Participants should bring their drawing, size 4” x 5 5/8” with bold lines, and simplified shapes in black and white.
A small supply fee covers the use of tools, a block, and inks. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
For more information and to register for the class, visit the CFAC.
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