I have not fallen off the planet.

Hi everyone!  So I've taken a little more time away from updating than I had hoped.  I am still quite around, but I've been spending a little more time exploring with my wife and working a little overtime at my job to help support our light travelling habit.

Anyhow, I have managed to get a couple pieces worked on since my last post.  First up is the mini, 3x3" neon "M".  I printed the 3rd color to this piece this past week.  I needed a color that was ever so slightly darker than the previous color and added some violet (purple) into the previous left over 2nd color to cool it down a bit....basically a medium light grey into a medium light grey with a blue-ish cast.

The difference is noticeable to the eye, but the camera does not notice that difference what so ever.  I tried toying around with the image in Photoshop, but to no avail.  Below is the updated image...next color up is red.  I'm excited to print that color as it will almost completely pull the little print together.

I also used the medium light grey used in the "M" to also print out an edition of 5 for the Green Street lino that I started a little while back.  This is my first attempt at doing a city street.  The original image, as stated in a previous post is just up the street from where I live.  I'm a little weary about how this piece is going to actually turn out so that's why I decided to keep the edition size rather low.  It is also the first time that I'm attempting to do a linocut while the linoleum is taped down onto a rigid board.  It's much harder to carve since the board sticks out and prevents the piece from sometimes being spun to angles that make it easier to carve.

Here is the linoleum which has been carpet taped down to this piece of thick book board.  I'm also using Ternes Burton registration pins to assist with this piece.  The block in this image has also been inked up with the grey and below is the first printed image.

There is a lot of detail to this piece and the carving seems to be going fast, but I'm constatly finding places that need carved.  Before printing the next color I plan on working from left to right on the block and making sure that all areas that I want removed have been carved away.  I can definitely say though that I am not unhappy with this piece....I'm probably looking at a good 8 or 9 more colors.

Finally!  There is also the Shake Shack mini print.

Again....same color grey.  I used it on multiple prints as to better coordinate my printing and allowing me to print multiple projects as quickly as I could.  This little guy is carved out already and ready for the shadow grey which will probably just be a much darker grey than what is shown here.  It will then be finished off with a very dark grey...one that is very close to black.

I like using black, but find that it sometimes overpowers the print due to the extreme in contrast.  I discovered this issue during the FU print.  I really wish I had not used black as the final color.  To me, the black just overpowered everything on the print.  Lesson learned....very dark grey instead.

I will be doing some printing this week so I promise to get the next update out as soon as possible.  I may even print tomorrow night....maybe the M or maybe even the Shake Shack.  Carving on the La Rose Shop has also started and should be completed relatively soon.  I'm going to do a little research on how to make a nice brick red color (though I do have some ideas).

Til next time!

#art #printmaking #linocut #lino #reductionlinocuts #linoprint #printingprocesses #shakeshack #YMCA #Pittsburgh #GreenStreet #Greensburg #PA #LasVegas #NV