Today, I have been working on two different printmaking techniques; Linocut and Gum Arabic printing.

I am hoping to produce more of these photo litho prints over the next few weeks and have a list of print subjects as a starting point.

I need to stock up on some copperplate oil which is used to make the printing ink more loose and easily to work with. I apply ink using a brush to a carbon toner type photocopy already treated with Gum Arabic solution both sides. I then wipe off the excess ink with a sponge and water spray. I add small pieces of coloured tissue paper over the photocopy using the ‘Chine Colle’ tissue paper technique and then apply pva glue on the up side of the tissue paper. I then get soaked Fabriano printing paper, blotted and placed together with the photocopy in the printing press. If I’m lucky, I can usually get another print off the photocopy before it breaks up due being soaked in Gum Arabic and ink. I still have to apply more ink first before I attempt the second print.

The seven coloured Linocut is a continuation of the St. Georges church print I have been working on over the last few months. I printed the fourth colour today using a mixture of Lime green and Prussian blue. I still have three more colours to add and have an edition of approximately 30 prints in all. It’s been one of the most complex prints I’ve worked on so far for this project and have learnt a lot about the reduction Lino technique from my mentor Alan Birch.