Secondary Research - Linocut

Linoleum printing is a form of relief printing, one of the easiest and most direct of all the printmaking methods. Linocuts can be simplistic and graphic, or as intricately detailed as you want. It’s a subtractive process, meaning you cut away, or subtract, the areas you do not want to print. They can be printed onto almost any type of paper or fabric. You can print on top of painted or silk-screened backgrounds, or you can use watercolor paints or colored pencils to hand-color the print after it has dried.
When printing with a soft block of linoleum the edges will round a bit, giving a softer look to your image. Softer linoleum's also reduce the number of prints you can pull before the block starts to deteriorate. The harder linoleum's allow a lot of detail, but they are more difficult to cut. They also hold up to a longer print run. I like to use battleship linoleum because it is firm enough to allow for good detail but soft enough that it won’t strain my hand to carve it. You can soften it slightly by using a heating pad underneath it while carving.
There are several different types of linoleum you can use for linocuts, each with its own characteristics. Linoleum is typically 1" thick and comes either unmounted with a canvas backing or mounted onto a block of wood. You can buy it from art supply companies or your local arts and crafts store. The softer varieties are easier to carve but they won’t hold as much detail as the harder blocks.

• Plan out your design and get it onto the linoleum block in preparation for carving. Keep in mind that your image will print in reverse, so if you use any type in your design you’ll need to reverse it on the plate.
• You can draw directly onto the linoleum or you can use a transfer method. If you decide to draw right onto the linoleum, start by sketching with pencil and then use a permanent marker to go over your lines and fill in the areas that will print.
• Carbon Method: To transfer a design, sketch it onto a piece of drawing paper, cut it down to the final size and tape it, hinge style, to one side of the linoleum. Slide a sheet of carbon paper underneath your drawing, face down, and then use a ballpoint pen or hard pencil to trace over your drawing. Be careful not to press too hard; if you’re using very soft linoleum you could inadvertently leave indents where you don’t want them. Once you have the outlines transferred, remove the carbon paper and the drawing and use a permanent marker to fill in the areas that will print.
• Toner Method: You can also use a toner transfer method if you want to print your design from your computer. This will not work with an inkjet print, only a laser print. Place the laser-printed design face down onto the linoleum, and using a cotton ball, wet the back of the paper with acetone or Bestine solvent. Lightly burnish the back of the paper for a few seconds and then gently peel it back from the block. Keep in mind that you need to work in a well-ventilated area if you use this method.

 I also wanted to find something different within lino cutting. This is blending within lino cutting. I do think this could really be effective with the right work. I am going to trial this out. Above is the different parts you need to do lino cutting. And the use of different stocks also, creates different effects.