Comments on: Linocutting and the Cutting Edge

By: Shana

Shana — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:53:23 +0000

Linocuts don’t have to be crafty. I try to use the illustrative connotation and then make work which makes the viewer think.

By: Mike Lyon

Mike Lyon — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:30:37 +0000

As I worked larger and larger and wanted to make more and more prints, the carving became physically over-taxing and my body began to wear down. Because the carving is the least ‘artistic’ part of moku-hanga (Japanese woodblock printmaking) and because I made all my block plans in advance anyway, it seemed natural to switch the carving over to machine — the machine carves exactly those areas I ‘plan’ and prints from machine-carved blocks are indistinguishable from prints from my hand-carved blocks… I make a lot of gadgets, but honestly, the ‘art’ in moku-hanga is in the printing — no press is necessary — just a baren and some practice — decent paper makes a huge difference, of course!

– Mike

By: elis vermeulen

elis vermeulen — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:59:51 +0000

I work with felt… that is a lot of craft/dead media/ creativity in one word.
Its a lot of work, you indeed have to step over your own reservations ‘wholehartidly’ and step over what people have been doing or how you are supposed to do it. The ‘whó .. said so?!’ mentality helps me a lot.
Looking forward to a 21st century lino.

By: Michael Radcliffe

Michael Radcliffe — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:59:33 +0000

Ivan, I think you’re right. And I think that’s also what I’m going to try when I start.

That woodcutting machine is quite something! I think it might be that I like the hands-on nature of it though, although I don’t want to rule anything out.

By: Ivan Pope

Ivan Pope — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:37:43 +0000

I’m sure that there is a way of taking lino cutting into the 21st century. Lino cuts don’t have to look like that illustration, all swirly Van Gogh gloom – there must be a digital approach or something? Also, you can print fairly well with a roller to roll on top of the paper – or find your local community printworks for a press … how about this for woodcuts http://mlyon.com/2006/01/computer-carving-machine-operational/

By: rambojambo

rambojambo — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:49:41 +0000

The boy is back in blog town.

A highlight of my RSS feed.

By: Michael Radcliffe

Michael Radcliffe — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:05:31 +0000

Duly noted. I am rather dependent on my fingers for a continuing career.

By: Shelley

Shelley — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:49:32 +0000

Lino tools are fun to use and are lot limited to just doing linocuts, I have used mine on woodcuts, hebel carving and lately soapstone carving.
I do recommend making a bench hook (piece of wood a bit bigger than the height of your lino piece, one bit of wood nailed to the top of one edge and one to the bottom of the other end) to save carved fingers.

By: Tweets that mention Linocutting and the Cutting Edge | artbizness -- Topsy.com

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:02:14 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by artbizness, Linda Palmer and topsy_top20k, topsy_top20k_en. topsy_top20k_en said: OK, done. "Linocutting and the Cutting Edge" my first blog post of 2010: http://is.gd/5LEJj Seems like a good declaration of intent. [...]