Testing....testing....1...2....3

As I start to get closer to the really dark colors on my Heinz lino I'm starting to be concerned with the transparency of the reds that I have.  I currently have 3 different reds and I'm considering buying a 4th.

I have a Speedball oil-based red, Gamblin Relief Napthol and Quinacridone Reds as well.  I'm considering a Daniel Smith red to go along with these, but I want to see what happens first.

I created this piece above with some greys that I've recently used and a total black.  These strips are about 8 inches long and my next step will be to ink up the same strips of lino and place them over top of these ones perpendicular so that I can see how each color affects the color of the red due to transparency.

I wasn't sure how I was going to handle this problem when I started this piece and then noticed while watching a video of a printmaker that he printed red over top of black and it appeared to not change the color of the red what so ever.  I have never tested any of the colors that I currently have, but have had experiences in the past where an underlying layer altered the red color that I was using.  The printmaker in the video was using a Daniel Smith red so when in doubt I may just need to buy one of those to get what I want, but we'll see.  These strips are almost dry so hopefully by Wednesday or Thursday I'll be able to print my red strips on top of this.

Other than that....just carving.  I appear to be closing in on being ready to print the next Heinz color and I'm slowly working on the FU lino as well.

Working before work!!!

  

Fuel and Fuddle - FU Neon - update

Printed the first color for this print.  This yellow represents the actual painted letters on the sign.  The neon, which is also a yellow will be added later on.  The picture of the block is the beginning of my carving away this yellow layer (lower left).  The carving for this area shouldn't take too much time.

Heinz Field Logo - update

Since my last printing of the 3rd grey color I've been slowly carving those areas away.  They are considerably smaller than anything on the Fuel and Fuddle block above and seem to be taking forever.  Almost there though...was hoping to print the next color tomorrow, but the prints are still fairly wet so I may need to just hold off until sometime next week.

Heinz Field - 3rd grey added today.

Heinz Field Logo - Grey 3 Color Proof

Heinz Field Logo - Grey 3 Print

Above are both the 3rd color proof and actual printing that was completed today.  So far so good.  Registration has been precise for the first time ever!  I also used some Cobalt Drier for the first time in an attempt to get this print moving faster.  Just a dab and hopefully it works.  I've heard horror stories about the stuff and have heard just a small amount is all you need.  Guess I'll find out in 2 or 3 days.

Hope everyone is having a good day. =)

#art #printmaking #HeinzField #PittsburghSteelers #412 #PittsburghPA #Heinz #NFL #Grey #linocut

Something new, something old

 

A couple of updates for you today.

Making a simple 5-6 color OT block.  It comes from a mOTel sign that I took a picture of while in Vegas this past September.  Started it yesterday and have made significant progress on it, since it's an easier design.

Heinz Field has had the areas removed that were for the last color I printed.  Next up will be a darker grey than the previous one printed.  The ink is still slightly wet on the paper so this one may have to wait another week until it dries.

I've also been scoping out additional signs in the western Pennsylvania area.  Hoping for a really bright sunny day so that I can go out and take some pics.

Heinz Field Logo - Color #2

Mixed up and printed the 2nd color to the Heinz Field logo this morning.  This is a print I'm nervous about because the red has a fair amount of transparency...so the more greys I print the darker the red becomes.  If I print red now, the transparency of the grey I mix will enhance the blues that are hidden in the black and will create a purple.  Sigh...the issues of inks.

Oaks Theater - Final Print

Oaks Theater - Final - 8x10 - 8 Color Reduction Linocut

I am happy to announce that I have finally completed this print.  I added the black yesterday and they currently on the drying rack.  I'm very excited that I've finally completed this particular print.  I've learned a lot from it and look forward to the other pieces I currently have started and others I'm just starting.

Fuel and Fuddle update - Marker tracing of plate

 

F U - Fuel and Fuddle linoblock line work inking.

Since it's been too cold to properly ventilate the room that I work in, I've decided to continue working on the F U block that I started a couple days back. The following images are the inking of the transferred pencil lines.

The third image is a very close to being finished image.  There is a single line in there that I'm unsure as to what or where it's supposed to do or be and it's difficult to identify on both the tracing and source image.  Since most of the block is inked over in marker I've started going in and turning it into a sorta-color-by-number image.  I identify areas with color abbreviations so I know what color is supposed to go where.

I'll be tearing paper for this print tomorrow sometime and once I give the Sharpie enough time to dry completely I'll start to print (probably a week or so...the last thing I want is for the Sharpie to eventually wipe off in between colors.)

F U - Fuel and Fuddle - New Linocut!!

F U - 8x10 reduction linocut preparation.

Wanted to finish printing the Oaks Theater today, but it's very, very cold outside (it's 13 degrees right now) and since I usually open a window and use a fan to draw the fumes out I figured today may not be the best day to do do.

Instead I started working on a new reduction print.  Not sure what it'll eventually be titled, but for now it's just referred to by myself as F U.  I printed a cropped 8x10 version of a neon sign for a Pittsburgh restaurant called Fuel and Fuddle and traced it.  I also use my computer screen with the original image to help me decide where shadows are placed and where different details that don't always show through tracing paper are.

Below is a detail of the tracing process as well as a photo of the original sign for the restaurant.

 

#art #printmaking #pittsburgh #fuelandfuddle #neon #universityofpittsburgh #412

Oaks Theater update #4billion!

Oaks Theater - Start to Finish

I finally have finished carving away the block for the Oaks Theater.  A final layer of ink on a couple of the prints is currently drying and once they are done then I will print the final color (black)!  I'm excited to finally finish this print up and it looks pretty good I think.

Started this project in May 2015 and it'll be exciting to finally finish it.  When working in the reduction method and being fairly new to printmaking there is no going back when mistakes are made.  The fear of messing up has cause me to procrastinate a lot on this particular print as well as the "B" neon print which is almost done as well.  Glad I've finally managed to push through that fear and work on this print fairly consistently.

Zion National Park lino - Alternate color schemes

 

Finally finished the Zion National Park linos today.  Wanted to add some color to them so I created a roll of multiple colors to do so.  It was my first time rolling more than one color together at the same time and it was an interesting learning experience for me.

Image on left is a 4 color roll.  It includes red, orange, yellow and a tan-yellow (which all but disappeared).  The image on the right is red and a red-orange.

Had some issues with the ink being to thick when rolling it out.  Some of that thick ink worked it's way into the detail areas of the block and removed a good bit of them.  I tried cleaning out those areas in between prints, but in cases it was well entrenched.

Very happy to have finally finished this particular block and to have tried something new.

Zion National Park - 8x10 - 3 Color reduction lino

This is the final piece for the first edition of 6 for this print.  The colors are simply, blue, grey and black.  I initially made 12 of the blue and grey backgrounds and decided to print 6 black and print the other 6 at a different color.

I still also have to print the alternate orange and blue background as well.

Very happy to have a final piece though.

#art #printmaking #lino #linocut #zionnationalpark #nationalparks #landscape #mountain #utah #reductionprint