Elise Young - Block Print for Beginners: Learn to make lino blocks and create unique relief prints

LEARN TO MAKE LINO BLOCKS AND CREATE UNIQUE RELIEF PRINTS

ELISE YOUNG

I remember vividly the moment I pulled the printed paper from my very first small linoleum block three years ago. It was full of mistakes and far from perfect, but I still felt the joy of creation and accomplishment.

I grew up watching my mom always at work on various crafts: sewing, quilting, pottery, and many others. Surrounded by my mothers artwork, it felt natural to spend much of my free time in childhood drawing or crafting something with my hands.

Despite the fun I had with arts and crafts growing up, I majored in physics at university and, year after year, found myself making a career away from art. Like some of us, my life took a turn with marriageI quit my job to follow my husband to the United States and embraced my life as a full-time mother with kids. Nevertheless, my curiosity and love for crafts and art inspired me to keep a small corner of my life open to explore different art forms and making objects with my own ideas.

When I stumbled upon some art pieces by a printmaker, I instantly fell in love with the boldness and the unique natural way in which the prints are createdsomething I had forgotten for a long time. It inspired me so much that I had to try it on my own. The craft was not as easy as I expected, but the experience gave me pure joy. Since then, I havent stopped carving.

In my experience, the most fascinating parts of a block print are its uniqueness and accessibility. You have to work hard to finish every detail, but the reward is priceless. Once a block is carved, it can be printed as many times as the condition allows, yet no two prints will ever be the same. So many subtle differences make each one different: how much ink you apply, how much pressure you put on the block, what kind of paper you use, and so forth.

Best of all, block printing doesnt require any fancy materials. All you need to get started are some small inexpensive blocks, beginner-level carving tools, and printing ink. How convenient and accessible it is to everyone! Once you are satisfied with your initial work and ready to move to the next level, you might consider investing more on materials and advanced tools and techniques.

For myself, I see a long road ahead in learning and improving my skills and artistry. Nevertheless, I am happy to share with you all my knowledge as an intermediate learner. This book contains basic techniques for beginnersor anyone who wants to try block printing but doesnt know how to start. If you have just started carving but are uncertain how to achieve the next level, this book is also for you!

Just as it happened for me, I want you to find that happy moment with block printing, and I truly hope this book will help and guide you along the way.

When I first started carving, I was neither fully equipped nor knowledgeable about block printing. I just went for it with basic tools and simple materials. Each and every time I tried, I learned new lessons through practice. Experimenting with different materials, tools, and styles, I built confidence in my own way. I hope this book helps you find confidence too!

Block Print for Beginners is divided into four sections. In the introductory section, youll learn about the essential ingredients and basic rules of block printing. Ive kept this information simple and practically approachable, because in my opinion, the most important thing at the beginner level is to explore and experiment with as many materials and approaches as possible. This will help you not only find techniques that best suit you, but also discover particular styles and unique ways with which you can express your own artistic inspiration.

Once you are familiar with the basic rules of block printing, youll take a step further to produce block prints in various ways using specific techniques and methods of expression. In the second and third sections, I introduce a series of step-by-step block-print examples, each featuring particular techniques, including basic block prints and prints using block and stamp. The projects are designed to help you learn the basics of each technique, but are by no means meant to limit you or set boundaries on your skills. Feel free to explore any other possible techniques you may think of!

The final section is dedicated to creative applications of block printing in daily life. A distinct feature of block printing is that your work is not only a great art piece in its own right, but it can also be used to customize everyday objects or household items such as textiles, stationery items, decorative material, etc.

Ultimately, it is up to you how to use this book. I encourage you to explore anything you discover on these pages in any way you like. In the end, I hope this book helps you find joy in your own world of block printing.

Have you ever experienced the exasperating moment of just staring at a blank piece of paper? To be honest, that silent and hesitant moment happens to me very often. Getting started is always challenging. In my opinion, for someone who pursues a dream or career of creating artwork, it is especially important to put an emphasis on what rather than how. You will often find yourself asking the most crucial question: What should I draw to transfer to the block?

For me, my inspiration mainly comes from daily life. I often draw and carve blocks with botanical elements. It wasnt my original intention to focus on flowers, but for now, making blocks with flowers makes me happy and satisfies me the most. When I see flowers in real life or in botanical art books, I feel a strong desire to draw something.

You may find inspiration in unexpected ways, such as through the numerous beautiful images you can find in museums and libraries. Or perhaps reading and searching through books of entirely different areas of interest may be a good practice to help shift your perspective. Traveling to places where you can be visually stimulated by magnificent sceneries may also spark your creativity. On the flip side, instead of looking around in search of inspiration, look inside yourself to discover your own vision of the world around you. Through exploring and experimenting with the feelings, ideas, and perspectives within you, you may gradually find what gives you joy and motivation to create.