Printmaking with grey lino

This video blog reviews grey hessian backed lino for relief printmaking (sometimes called battleship grey lino) and demonstrates drawing, carving and inking the product. Scroll down to the bottom of the blog, under the video, for details of the products I used, and which brands they are.

Grey hessian backed lino can take a variety of different pen inks and pencils, and it is easy to draw directly onto the surface or trace images on. It can be difficult to see where you have carved away from the block, as it is a similar colour all the way through, so I like to apply an old indian ink brush pen across the surface so I can see what I have carved away, although you could use a light wash of any ink of your choice.

I find this lino fairly smooth and easy to carve with sharp tools, for big sections of lino as well as smaller detailed lines. However when I compare it to vinyl I find it more flaky and sometimes difficult to keep sharp clean lines. The age of the lino can factor in here, older lino can become brittle with age, and some printmakers warm their lino before use to make it more malleable. Personally I normally buy fresh lino and carve in a warm environment.

One thing to note, that when I was cleaning the block between ink testing I had to be careful not to get the surface too damp, as the lino can warp if it gets too wet. If you get the lino too wet too many times, it can become brittle and crack. This is unsurprising as lino is made from natural materials like wood pulp, linseed oil, and hessian, so it will naturally be affected by different temperatures, damp, and exposure to light.

I am normally pleased by the results I get when using this lino, as the coverage and transfer of ink is fairly even. When comparing it with other print surfaces, I would say it benefits from being biodegradable and easy to draw on, and carve, but it helps if the lino is fresh and not cold to touch when carving.

I hope this has been helpful, thank you for reading and watching my video blog below. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel for future video blog posts and to leave any questions in the comments section, or follow my blog on this website.

Products I used in the video blog include:

• Grey hessian backed lino from Handprinted UK (online printmaking supply store).

• Yellow ochre Schmincke linoprinting ink.

• Ultramarine blue Schmincke linoprinting ink.

• Phthalo Cranfield Caligo safewash relief ink.

• 46gsm Kozo natural select from Awagami Factory (yellow ochre print test).

• 70gsm Bunkoski Select from Awagami Factory (yellow ochre print test).

• 170gsm Bamboo select from Awagami Factory (ultramarine print test).

• 36gsm Kitakata Green from Awagami Factory (phthalo green print test).

• Pfeil carving tools (purchased online).

• Printing press from the Portable Printing Press Company.

• Assorted pens and pencils, the thick black brush pen is from Faber-Castell, it is indian ink and waterproof.