Prepping Your Lino Block in 3 Easy Steps

Welcome back my printmaking nerds!

I am excited to announce that I will be celebrating 31 cycles around the sun this August! It is also week two (2) of the Birthday Sale! You can use code: INKYFRIENDS for 25% off any item in my online store - valid until 8/14/22. Many thanks for your support. 🎂

In this week’s issue:

• Prepping a Linoleum Block

• We talk to Irenka Pareto  

• Question Time!

Picture of the Week

You may have noticed the I have not shared a sketch in some time. To tell you the truth , with school back in session and my studio makeover, I have had very little time to work.

So this week I wanted to share with you a sneak peak of the new studio space. I have been faking the process and plan on sharing a studio tour soon. Hopefully, I can finish this make over this week and get back to work!

Story Time!

Have you ever had a bad experience when purchasing linoleum? The first time I bought battleship linoleum from Blick Art Materials, it was the mounted type. Not only was shipping crazy expensive due to the added weight, but when I measured the blocks, I realized they were slightly smaller than advertised. The second time I ordered some, I bought a package of 12 unmounted 8” x 10” battleship linoleum. I was amazed at the differences in sizing. The third time I ordered another pack of unmounted linoleum – which came out to be 12” x 12”. All were not perfectly squared or efficient enough to be used for printing.

I realized that complaining about the sizing did indeed make it a #FirstWorldProblem, but my entire registration system relies on my block actually being cut straight to size.

After the third order, I was done purchasing pre-cut linoleum. I now buy in “bulk” by buying the precut battleship linoleum in 18” x 24” sheets. This allows me to cut them to my preferred size.

After measuring the lino, I use a straight edge to score the lino with a knife. You don't need to cut it all the way down as a nice even score will suffice.

I then fold the lino to break the piece. This is why I don’t cut too deep. Once you have broken the lino, flip your sheet and cut the burlap with the knife. You can also use scissors to make sure the little stray strands of burlap are gone. These can get inked and transfer onto your design. Sometimes I skip the cutting of the burlap as it can be the most annoying when it transfers to my test prints.

Sand It Off!

Sometimes linoleum is not completely smooth. When you come across an uneven sheet, you can flick off small clumps that get stuck on the surface with your nail. On rare occasions, you will run into a piece of linoleum with a funky surface that you need to sand it. To solve this, use sandpaper and give it a good rub. You do not need to shave off too much - only enough to give it a nice and smooth surface.

Another benefit of sanding your lino, is that the ink will transfer smoothly onto your sheet of paper. This happens because linoleum is coated with a sealer or varnish to prevent it from drying. Although most sealers dry smooth, they can occasionally leave a textured residue.

When you sand your lino, use a sanding block or stick a sheet of sandpaper to a small block of wood (this is what I do). You want to make sure you are sanding evenly and not create minuscule hills and valleys on your lino. If you sand too much in one area, it will not print well.

Tinting Your Block

A few weeks ago, I shared a reel describing how I tint my linocut blocks in seconds. My method is pretty simple. I put 4-5 drops of pure India Ink on the lino and then rub it all over with a cotton pad before the ink dries. That's it!

You most certainly do not need to tint your blocks as you can carve without it. However, I am no spring chicken any more, and I can see better when there’s a contrasting color on the block. This allows me to get an idea of how my finished block will look which becomes an added bonus.

There are many other ways to tint a block such as coloring it with a marker, making a mixture of acrylic and water and doing washes, or using oil paint. If it is diluted with mineral spirits, it can create a wash. All of these methods will work but I avoid them because I find them overly complicated. Not to mention that markers tend to smell and mineral spirits release fumes.

If you like the contrasting colors while you carve you can most certainly work with Golden-Cut Linoleum which makes it easier to see pencil and transfer lines. Readycut Blocks are also great as these blocks have a thick white layer under a thin gray layer.

Check out this reel where I work with Readycut Blocks. One downside to this material is that it is really soft, comparable to an Easy/Speedy Carve and is not always suitable for fine lines or details.

So before you get started on a new project remember to measure/cut, sand your lino and finish with tinting! Three easy steps to get a project successfully off the ground!

Artist Highlight:  Irenka Pareto

This week we talked to Irenka Pareto. We chatted about how she arranged her compositions, the ways she removed her creative blocks towards drawing, and defining success.

Instagram: @the_wonderstruck_printmaker

Location: Berkeley, CA

Printmaking Since: 2016

Daniel: You capture a moment of silence and peace amidst what could be a very chaotic day. How do you capture those fleeting moments in your compositions?

Irenka: I love that you say that! So, I am happy that you say that and see that in my images. My business name is The Wonderstruck Printmaker. The ideas behind that name were my attempts at capturing what you just described. Before I became an artist, I always paid attention to the little moments that occurred throughout a day. The moments that make life worth living. As you said these are moments of quiet, stillness. You are with your partner on the couch, watching Netflix and your feet touch. To me that is what is worth living for. It is what makes life beautiful.

I started drawing in 2019. After that I did not do art at all whatsoever, and I had been craving to make art. I have this book by Danny Gregory, Art Before Breakfast, and others about how to draw every day. I had that book with me, I would flip through the pages and never pick up a pen. No, this is not my life. This is only for people who are born artists. At that point I had a career in education, but I was clearly craving the arts. I started becoming more aware that I was feeling frustrated.

In 2019 I decided that I would draw one drawing every day for 30 days. I was also craving printmaking, but I did not know how to carve, because I did not have an image to carve, because I did not know how to draw. With all of that combined, I went ahead and worked on my drawings for 30 days. In those days I was working until midnight, and I would work on my drawing around one in the morning. 

You can read the full interview here.

Check out this amazing resource Irenka wrote about Commissioned Work!

Question Time!

Do you have a printmaking or artist-related question you want me to answer?

Let me know here!

What's your social media marketing plan? It seems you live and breathe for it. Tips for a non-techy? -Anonymous

I post at a level I can sustain and you should too.

A while back I wrote a whole piece about Social Media Coaches and how they scam people. You should go give that a read if you have a chance. I say that because that is my first tip: do not buy a course or service from these coaches as most of them are just a scam.

Pick the social media platform you actually enjoy using. Don't like Twitter? You don’t have to be there. Dislike making TikTok’s? There is still Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Youtube where you can post short format videos. You don't like your feed on a timeline like on Instagram? Then join Pintrests. You have options. Use them.

Streamline your posting. Most social networks have a ‘drafts’ section or a calendar where you can schedule and automate posts. I streamline my posting by always creating a video on Instagram. I then download the video before it's published, then use that same video on TikTok and Youtube Shorts. One video on three platforms. Engagement varies, but that’s to be expected. For me Instagram gets the most traction, followed by YouTube and lastly TikTok.

I schedule photos on Meta Business Suite, which then posts them automatically and simultaneously to both Instagram and Facebook. I tend to set this up once a week and forget about it. If you are able to create batch content, do so. This will take out the hassle of coming up with fresh ideas every day.

Take a break when you need to. Burnout is real. I often see people complain over how “the algorithm will punish” them if they take a break but that's just a bunch of malarkey if you ask me.

My most recent break was from June 20th to July 6th. When I returned, I posted a reel that reached 20K people. My most successful post, organically reached over 100K people after not having posted a picture in eight days. Relax, it’s just social media.

Hey Hold Up!,

Do you have a printmaking or artist-related question you want me to answer?

Let me know here! Was this email forwarded to you? Sign-up here.

Thanks for reading. See ya next week.

-Daniel