Wow. You’ve given us valuable information. A Master Class. I’ll treasure and rewatch. I had multiple printmaking classes as an Art Major not one out of three Professors taught us how to use our tools. Until this class, I didn’t understand even the difference between lino and woodcut tools. I was trying to find out if woodcut tools can be used on linoleum. I found you video for this reason. Thank goodness for your help.
Today I did my first carving on a soft carving pad. You are a very informative teacher. It was enjoyable to listen and watch your video. Thank you, Sandy.
what a great video thanks you . I leaned wood cutting and printing from my father. never did to much through the years. since i retired started up and during the pandemic went all in just love it and learning so much on you tube . thanks again jane
I also do wood carving have you tried the small size electric chissel its like a miniture jackhammer very easy on your hands and many carving /cutting bits can be adapted to fit,much easier than driving a chissel by hand and much more precise.
I have found that the traditional Japanese "wood carving" techniques are the better of the two, and it can in fact be used exactly the same on the linoleum block. It is just more precise than the usual Linoleum carving methods. You are right about the Linoleum techniques not really translating very well over to the woodblock though.
"Shina" is some kind linden like (Tilia sp.) plywood? It's pretty pricey. If working big, baltic birch ply might probably work as well for most people. You can size it with a dilute wood glue mixed with blue wiper fluid and/or pink glycol RV antifreeze. That's if you're printing with oil based inks. You can size with dilute boiled linseed oil or even dilute epoxy if printing with wb ink. The sizing helps fill the cellular structure of the wood making it cut cleaner, especially at the surface, the part that counts. If you are really are serious about woodblock printing try to get some fruitwood--apple, pear, plum, some cherry species. Holly is good. Basswood and its relatives (Tilia species) might be over-rated for fine work, but the US versions are the softest, therefore the worst. "Lime wood" as the European type is often called is pretty awesome for sculpting. Traditionally Japanese printers use a type of cherry (prunus sp.) that is quite commonly planted as a yard tree in the US, think Cherry Blossom parade, Washington DC. And you need to know how to get your tools sharp. Even softer wood needs sharp tools, sometimes sharper than harder woods.
Lots of different materials and different ways to approach relief printmaking, for sure. I find baltic birch too hard, especially for beginners. I try to keep away from any toxic stuff like antifreeze or epoxy, when possible. Best!
@@sarahwhorf Point taken. I'm just being a know it all with the hope that something I say will benefit somebody who's frustrated with technical problems. 1. I mean non-toxic pink RV antifreeze, propylene glycol. 2. Forget the epoxy, it's just common, and you're right it is toxic. There's other resins which can serve to bulk up the wood fiber and make it amazing, anywhere in-between wood and plastic depending on the amount of impregnation. Holly wood soaked with some kind of dilute acrylic will act much like boxwood on the end grain, but not as hard as box.* Try finding boxwood for "engraving" in any kind of size. The only place that has it is McClain's and it's very expensive. Endgrain carving is cool because the wood has no real grain direction, no 'along" the grain vs. "across" as in plank grain cutting (the usual meaning of "wood block" printing). 3. Hardness in wood can actually be good. First, the whole point of wood (other than tradition) is that it holds up for many more prints. Tilia sp. is prized because it's one of the lower hardness woods that actually cuts well. But generally, soft woods (not necessarily 'softwoods" aka evergreen needle trees like pine and spruce) cut poorly due to crushing of the grain. The test for wood "carvability" is how easy and how cleanly the end grain is severed, common boxwood (buxus sp.) being the gold standard. Generally, the softer the wood, the more difficult it is to "carve" (cut cleanly in all directions). Think balsa: one need sharp, sharp tools to sever balsa end grain cleanly. Every kid who tried to build those old model airplane kits learned this lesson. 4. Enter linoleum the first substitute for wood, but there's others, for one, all the mountains of free vinyl flooring that's available. Some, not all by any means, can cut and print like a dream. Try flooring samples from the big box stores. Often a rubber layer backing needs to be pulled off/scraped off first, the juicy vinyl is in the middle. Linoleum is circa 1900 technology! 5. No shade to linoleum or shina ply, all good materials, just expensive, something we can say about all materials geared toward "artists." I avoided MDF, a very useable material for large block prints because it's toxic and because the glue in it dulls tools. 6. Tool sharpening is one of those PITA things that no one likes, but it will take the frustration out of carving for a lot of artists who have hit a wall. 7. The methods of cutting a block are borrowed from woodworking in general, so all the basics of using wood as a material, gluing it, keeping it flat, keeping it stable (avoiding shrinkage and swelling--something the Japanese control very carefully by constant humidification) and cutting (by which we really mean severing the grain, which itself has 3 axes--longitudinal, radial, and endwise), all this stuff starts to apply. Hope this helps some geek who is interested. Keep making and teaching art for the revolution that's coming. Spiel over. *Come to think of it, those basswood end-grain plaques that are sold for woodburning could work as well, though I haven't tried them.
Wood grain flows in one direction only carving with the grain you feel less resistance, carving 180° is carving against the grain you feel more resistance and can lift the grain and carving 90° from the grain is carving across the grain you feel resistance but have more control.
Great tips! I wish I could have seen what you were doing-maybe zoom in? I just started a linoleum block and needed a refresher course since it has been a few decades since high school 😅. I bought a piece of linoleum that’s always supposed to be soft and has a long shelf life. I find it very easy to carve. I also like the Speedball tool I bought that has storage in the handle for the interchangeable blades. Less to store and I can always find them. Thx 👍🏼😊
I am loving this in depth lino vs wood carving!! I am a newbie in the lino medium, what are your thoughts on essdee cutting and printing starter kit? I can't wait to explore it!!
Hi Alma - The Essdee materials are great to begin carving. I would also recommend the Speedball Speedy Carve material or the Blick Blue Easy-To-Cut as it is 'almost' like linoleum but cuts a bit easier. Both and more options are generally available from art supply vendors. Try the Essdee, and then move on to trying the other products out there! I use all sorts of material, but always come back around to Shina and Battleship linoleum.
Hi - Yes, sure you could seal it with shellac. I wouldn't really put the acrylic on lino or wood to begin with, actually! Thanks for your nice comments!
Here is a secret when carving wood always make a stop cut at the end of the line to eliminate the jaggered edges at the end example if you are carving with the gouge at the end of each line drive the tool straight into or drive it at a desired angle no go to the start and guage toward the stop cut and when you get to the stop cut the chip will fall away and leave a smooth edge.
Linoleum, or even trying some of the softer materials like Speedy Carve blocks. You would not have to buy woodcarving tools but could have excellent results with the Speedball lino carving tools. Best to you!
The Japannese micro carving tools are made from horse syringes ,simply gring the needle tip to the relief you want than sharpen the bottom edge ,drill a tiny hole (a little larger) into the stick of wood along with some superglue and away you go a gouge ,for a V gouge you need to grind the desired angle onto the edge of a piece of steel ,now once you get the relief you desire put the ground edge of the piece of steel into the relief and close up a vice on it ,than sharpen and away you go .
Nice video, thank you! I'm just starting out - Q - can I paint all my lino together? All videos teach to paint the lino before cutting, but I'm thinking it would save time if I painted 5 or 6 pieces together. Or does it get too dry if you leave it a week or more? Thanks
Hi and thank you. I never paint the linoleum. The only time I have ever done that was for this video. However, I would think that acrylic paint would be fine on the lino for awhile and wouldn't chip, but I don't have first-hand experience with doing that.
Hi - Sorry, but I'm not sure what sheet material you mean. It's been awhile since I made this video. Could you be more specific? I'd like to help you out. Thanks.
Yeah, I tend to say it both ways. I hear people pronounce it both ways. Maybe it's become a West Coast pronunciation thing, or I've been saying it wrong for years...or both!
