A few weeks ago I announced that I was joining in iHanna's 2012 postcard swap. I'll take you through the process I used to make my entries, something fun and completely new to me, linoleum print reduction!
Although the finished product looks rather simple, this was a long intensive labor of love with many days of drying time between each application of color.
First I began with a block of linoleum that was already mounted onto wood that is exactly print height. (In Germany the linoleum is unmounted).
Next I took cardboard boxes and cut them down exactly to the size of the print block.
I sketched out the rough outline of my design.
After carving away everything except what I wanted to print, I went to the print house and inked up the block with my background color, white.
Next I set my block into the Showcard or "Poster" press. This machine is basically a glorified rolling pin. It has one cylinder with a handle that can be moved to adjust the pressure. You manually set each piece of paper or card over the block that you have manually inked with a brayer and then you roll the cylinder over the job.
All the cards were printed in the run.
The cards were left on racks to dry and I came home and started carving away the same block, getting it ready for the second color, red.
After a few days of drying time, I took my block back and inked it up again. I printed the entire run of cards with the second color. Everything I had carved away from the block remained white this time, and everything left on the block changed to red...
At this point I hated the "shading" under her neck! It came out looking like a slasher film...
There was nothing to do but let all the cards dry and hope that with my third color, things would improve.
I set the 2-color cards out on racks to dry, cleaned up, and came home to carve away the final changes to the block.
My last color was black. I had no idea how much to carve away. How much makes definition and how much makes drama? Once it's carved away it's gone and there's no going back...
A few days later I went to print all the cards for the third time. As you can see there was very little left of the printing block at this point.
Here are dry cards "before" applying the black:
And below: Wet, freshly printed cards with the 3rd and final color, black. I had hoped the slasher look would disappear, but instead it just looks like older blood to me! That's OK because I understand what creality is...
Not bad for my first time reduction printing! I'm already contemplating more projects with this old and clever technique.
*Special thanks to my friend Goog over at Journey of a Mermaid who helped me with the first run of color and all the awesome photography! It was her idea to try printing the cards on both the FRONT and the back of the cereal boxes. I love you g'friend..! xx
For those of you in the swap who like my cards or want to follow my creative journey, please visit the Studio Mailbox Facebook Page, for more regular TJ news and info.
These are brilliant TJ!!
I quite like the slasher movie look, but then I am a horror fan :)
I don't suppose you got my address did you? that would have been cool :)
Sarah
Posted by: Sarah (Flo) | March 17, 2012 at 05:27 PM
Yay!! They came out so fun and I LOVED going to the print house with you!!
Posted by: Goog | March 17, 2012 at 05:30 PM
Sarah I screamed out loud when I saw YOUR NAME on my list of ten. It's going to arrive late though because you're getting a little tiny bit of extra hockey love tucked into yours...xx tj
Posted by: TJ | March 17, 2012 at 05:34 PM
Awesome.Awesome.
Posted by: Linda | March 17, 2012 at 05:43 PM
Thanks for sharing this fun process of some seriously awesome postcards! You put a lot of time and -love into these, and it shows. Thanks for sharing + lots of great photos!
XOXO
Posted by: iHanna | March 17, 2012 at 06:13 PM
What are the odds??? Chuffed to bits that I am getting a TJ original :) :) I have been SO lucky with this swap so far!
Posted by: Sarah | March 17, 2012 at 06:24 PM
Absolutely gorgeous! Would love to try my hand at this! Well done!
Posted by: fiona | March 17, 2012 at 06:30 PM
Thanks for sharing your process with us. I love the final cards! Anyone would be thrilled to get one of them in the mail.
Posted by: Janet | March 17, 2012 at 07:00 PM
TJ - these are very cool! THanks for sharing the process and heloing us understand what print reduction is with your terrific visuals!
Posted by: michelle ward | March 17, 2012 at 08:54 PM
you are doing great things girl!
Posted by: Robin Norgren | March 17, 2012 at 10:17 PM
That is quite the process-Thanks so much for the great post! I love how your cards turned out - beautiful and charming!!
Posted by: Emily Lagore | March 17, 2012 at 11:44 PM
I love the idea of creality. Print reduction is pretty complex to attempt. (I haven't tried it, but I've heard of it and understand the process in theory but in practice it makes my head hurt a little.) But this looks so much fun! And I didn't think slasher blood when I saw the pictures, either. :)
Posted by: amy | March 18, 2012 at 01:45 AM
aMAzing. I read an article about this in CPS last year and wanted to try it with cheap eraser stamps, but it's hard to wrap my head around what to cut away. I just need to stop thinking about it and actually DO it to understand. thanks for sharing the process with those gorgeous pictures! -Karen
Posted by: iamrushmore | March 18, 2012 at 04:23 AM
Hi TJ...you smart thing! What a great technique and here I thought I was a smarty pants for carving a few stamps...lol. I'm glad you have a friend there that you can artify with. Take care (and I hope my name was on your list). I've received two cards thus far.
Mary
Posted by: Mary | March 18, 2012 at 06:23 AM
I love linoleum. They´re great! Thank´s for sharing your process TJ.
Posted by: Madde | March 18, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Love them... slasher or not, they turned out great! xo
Posted by: Skytimes | March 18, 2012 at 01:52 PM
I am so glad to see you still doing your fabulous work! I hope life is treating you well and that spring has come where you are : )
Posted by: Anne | March 18, 2012 at 02:22 PM
Those look awesome!
Posted by: Jenny | March 19, 2012 at 07:15 AM
This looks like a lot of hard work but you look like you're having so much fun :)
Posted by: Veronika | March 20, 2012 at 10:54 AM
Wow thank you everybody for the fantastic words of support! My cheeks are red... xx tj
Posted by: TJ | March 20, 2012 at 05:28 PM
your cards are awesome, even more so when you see the process. thanks for sharing. glad you got one of my cards, this is such a fun swap and a chance to meet other artisans. i'll be checking back to see what you are doing next.
Posted by: cynthia eloise | March 20, 2012 at 07:19 PM
Oh, I love these! And the process. I hope I'm on your list!
Posted by: Dianestaudt.wordpress.com | March 21, 2012 at 03:38 PM
Whaaaa!!! I want one!!! These are great!
Posted by: Dreaming Bear | March 21, 2012 at 10:55 PM
got one, yeah!!! thank you. i couldn't believe after seeing your website and following your process i found one in my mail box and then you got one of mine. awesome. i love this swap. enjoy your time in germany. i'll check back.
Posted by: cyndee starr | March 26, 2012 at 12:02 AM
I just got one of your postcards in my mailbox, and I am so happy to see that you have written about the process here. It looks great! Thank you!
Posted by: Elin Folkesson | March 28, 2012 at 01:29 PM