Ice Cream, Magic and rollercoasters!!

So since my last update I've been working on getting things rolling on multiple fronts.  This past Saturday I forged ahead with my ice cream reduction linocut by printing a tan-like color for the building.  I didn't expect this color to actually get made if that makes any sense.  I was just hoping for a light orange like color and instead discovered that by mixing white and a "warm" yellow (which is similar to a yellow orange) that I could get a very nice cream color.....not at all what I expected, but very happy that I found this out.

 

The photo on the left shows my mixed color swatches sitting on top of the last printed yellow and the image on the right is the inked up block.  I promised myself that I was not going to partially ink any part of this project, but that didn't work out.  I'm low on white and the store in which I purchase my inks will not have any white back in stock until March.  I honestly don't have the time available to wait until March so I decided to save what I could and mix a smaller amount of this color which only allowed for a partial inking of the lino block.

This is the color proof from the inked bottom half of the linoleum block.  Even though I mixed up a smaller than normal amount of ink I did wind up having some extra at the end...which leads to a new project getting printed!!

Magic - 12x16(ish)

This linocut is based on a sign at Disneyland in California.  I do not yet have a definitive list of colors for this piece, but it's probably going to be high and definitely a pain.  There is a red, yellow, golden yellow,  blue and sky blue for this piece (5) plus a shadow for each (10).  That's does not inlcude the cream area for the "magic" as well as two shadowed areas for it (13) or the grey and dark grey (15).  So perhaps somewhere over 15 colors.  I wish I could pick easier subject matter.

The first color printed is the light tan/cream from the Ice Cream linocut.  This is a detail shot of the inked blocked.  The semi-rounded out areas are the lightbulbs located within the word "Magic".  I'm very hopeful for this piece as I think it will have a nice end result.

After I make my mess printing the cleanup takes considerable time.  I have to clean up the glass desktop surface that I mix and roll the ink out onto, but I also have to clean the roller I use as well as the block.  I spent about 1.5 hours and probably another 30 getting everything properly cleaned up.

One final thing of note is that I've really taken my second large step towards getting the "Racer" rollercoaster signage prepared for printing.  I carved the block a while back and today prepared the press for printing.

Due to the size of the piece I needed to create a new registration system of the block to fit into as well as placing Ternes Burton registration pins at the very top of the print bed.  I can admit that I probably went too big for this piece.  I wanted to push the boundary of my printing ability with the press and I think that even though it can print up to 17x35", that is probably just for a single color print.  I generally prefer 2 inch borders around my image, but there is only about an 1.25" on the top and bottom of the block.

I 'm going to have to get some masking tape to secure the registration tabs are used with the Ternes Burton registration pins and then I'll be able to begin this piece.  I'm very excited to get this thing going.

#art #printmaking #linocut #reductionlinocut #reliefprint #reductionprint #neon #singage #printingprocess #printmakingregistration #Disneyland #CaliforniaAdventure #IceCream #MainStreetMagic #Racer #Kennywood #rollercoaster

New Ice Cream updates...I'm going to get this thing done one way or another!

Ice Cream - 20x16" (2nd Attempt)

So it's been a while since my last post and I always mean well and want to update this as much as possible, but with the holidays that just past which includes spending time figuring out gifts, buying gifts, spending time my wife and family, going to work and eeking out time to work on art...it's been difficult for me to get back to update this.

Anyhow, I hope everyones holidays and New Years went well.

Since my last update at the beginning of December, I have continued working on my various Ice Cream prints.  The original attempt that I tried is no longer in production.  The time that I was needing to invest in doing 3 versions of the Ice Cream was turning out to be just too much.  I still wasn't happy with it's progress and finally decided to call it quits on that piece.

The second attempt though is still being moved forward with.  The colors are a little out there, but I'm fairly happy with how it looks so far.  The picture above and the ones below are it's current stage.  I printed the first pink....light reddish color a couple weeks back.  Unfortunately, since I printed that piece I have only found the time to carve the block and not the time to print.  Hopefully I'll be able to move forward with the light grey that is to come next .

 

Here's a quick look at the current progress for the 3rd iteration of the Ice Cream print.

So far I'm two colors in...a very, very light yellow that is almost impossible to discern from the white paper and then a light yellow second layer which I just printed this past Saturday.  I promise to show a little more on my next update (which I will try to publish in the next couple days).

 

Color 2                              Color 1

#art #printmaking #linocut #reductionlinocut #reliefprint #IceCream #neon #sign #Disney #CaliforniaAdventure #yellow #testing #printingprocess