Today's workshop is 'relief printing' but more specifically starting with wood,
so I thought I'd blog about a few NZ Printmakers as examples
to discuss some diverse 'relief' styles and techniques you may want to explore further;
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| Annie Smits Sandano, Blue Birds II Woodcut and embossing, 30x30cm, edition of 100 |
Woodcuts don't have to be black & white.
This example from Annie Smits Sandano includes multiple colours
and I like the effect created by layers of transparency where the leaf prints overlap.
Also, the embossed pattern over top is great too.
(Embossing is just a print with no ink!)
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| Sam Broad, Colony Collapse Disorder, 2012 Woodcut, 63x49cm, edition of 45 |
Explore different styles of images;
The above contemporary woodcut by Sam Broad is enhanced by the variety of mark-making,
the busyness of the 'graphic' cartoon-like characters,
and inclusion of text into the design.
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| Albrecht Durer, Deposition of Christ, 1496 Wood engraving, 38x28cm |
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| Pablo Picasso, Trois Femmes (Three Women), 1959 Woodcut |
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| Fatu Feu'u, Lapita Mulifanua Woodcut, 50x70cm, edition of 40 |
Compare this to the images above of an illustrative wood engraving by Durer from 1496,
and an abstract expressionist linocut from Picasso from 1959.
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| Jo Ogier, The Huia's Lament III, 2010 Relief print, 43x96cm, edition of 5 |
I've seen one of the prints from this series by Jo Ogier.
The first thing that impressed me was the scale - almost a metre long!
Don't be afraid to play with scale, both big and small.
Consider printing on a coloured background as Jo has done.
Instead of printing straight from a tube as a solid block,
try mixing a variety of coloured/tinted/metallic inks blended.
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| Simon Kaan, Untitled (Tiki I), 2010 Intaglio Woodcut, 71x50cm, edition of 12 |
Like this Simon Khan image, consider the possibility of a custom shape
rather than just using a simple square or rectangle.
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| Emma McLeary, First Flutter (left: close-up) Woodcut, paint and pencil, 30x30cm, edition of 9 |
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| Fatu Feu'u , Viiga poula: Adoration of fertility ritual by night, 2001 Woodcut, 60x120cm, edition of 40 |
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| Iris Steensma, Heard Mr Williams Preach, 2006 Woodcut |
Don't forget to consider the composition.
Iris Steensma's woodcut is simpler and more figurative,
though it still includes a foreground, mid-gound and background.
I like that the girl with the doll extends beyond the frame of the image.
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| Ben Reid, know the price of everthing and the value of nothing, 2012 Intaglio and relief print, 44x73cm, edition of 10 |
Consider how relief printing can be useful to create repeated patterns.
In this example by Ben Reid the pattern makes an interesting companion for the intaglio drawing.
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| Sheyne Tuffery, Consortium 1, 2011 woodcut, 50x70cm |
After making several different plates, try using them in new combinations to make unique works,
use multiple layers and colours such as in these relief prints by Sheyne Tuffery.
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| Sheyne Tuffery, various woodcut prints |
If this post has inspired you to make some woodcuts,
and want to investigate options for wood cutting tools,
you may want to refer to my previous post about: Testing Woodcut Tools
Grab some MDF and a roller and get printing!!!
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