The Making of "Solitude" Part 3
Now we've arrived at what is a very exciting part of the reduction linoprint...the final colour. This is where we see the finished print in all its glory. Is it as we imagined it to be at the outset?
As I mentioned earlier, another name for a reduction print is a suicide print, because we carve away all the parts of the lino plate we no longer need. Now, I have removed everything from the plate that I no longer need, leaving behind just those parts I want black. Attention to detail is, once again, all important here. one false move and it could be game over and all the hard work of the first two colours could be wasted. I say could be, because as it happens, I could easily keep the print as it is before the black stage on this particular project. The black isn't a necessary part of the composition, but it does give it a finished feel.
Here's what the plate looked like ready for final printing.
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The plate really is stripped bare now, with just the foreground and the fellside left. I didn't want black to be a dominant colour in this composition, but I did want it to tighten the foreground and pull it further away from the background to create a stronger feeling of depth in the landscape. So, before I start printing in earnest, time for a test print.
Yep, I'm happy with that. I don't need to remove more from the plate as I feel there is a nice balance of black in the composition. Let's print!
The paper I am using for this print is Fabriano Unica, which is quite a thick paper with tooth, unlike the test print which was done on smoother paper, but it's not acid free so I can't use it. Non acid free paper will yellow over time.
However, the blotchy appearance of the ink adds to the overall effect I feel, and adds life to the landscape. Each print varies in the degree of blotchiness, as we discovered in Part 1, which makes each print unique and original. No two are exactly the same and I've printed 16, but only 12 have made the final grade to sell. The grey marks in the sky in 4 of the prints are a bit too much and spoil the print. All 16 prints have varying degrees of grey ink marks in the sky, but not bad enough to detract from the image in my opinion.
This piece has been done for an exhibition at The Moon and Sixpence Coffeehouse in Cockermouth, as part of the Drawn to the Lakes Facebook group. The exhibition runs from 1st February to 31st March 2019.
Here is the print framed.
I have thoroughly enjoyed creating this piece, but, as I said in Parts 1 and 2, preparation is the key. Make a good solid registration board that holds the plate and paper nice and tight and it's job done. The rest is the fun bit, but you must think carefully about each stage of the process with a reduction print. Once you've cut away from the lino, it's gone forever and you can't put it back.
Marty Strutt January 2019