Creation and Process of "Authenticity"

Earlier this year, end of February beginning of March I finished this print.
"Authenticity" is a limited edition reductive linocut print that was submitted to the Horned Toad Print Exchange in El Paso. I do have a few left over prints that didn't make it into the print exchange, which can be purchased here.

Here are some step by step photos of the process.

Layer 1

I use marmoleum which is flooring linoleum for my carving, I love it because it's a lot more durable than the battleship linoleum many people use. Also it holds up small detail much better for longer. 

As per usual I start with the lightest and warmest colour, it sets the tone for the rest of the print.
This is the inked block.



First layer printed.

Then as with all reduction prints, you have to print that first layer on every sheet, because you will carve away more from the same block, there is no going back. 

Layer 2 

After carving more detail I am ready to print the next layer.

Layer 2 is the first time when you see colour overlap, this is sort of a brain twister for everyone who first starts doing reduction. Everywhere you carve away the previous colour will be shown, everything you leave behind will cover up the previous colour with the next. Any colour layer after Layer 1 cannot be experienced as pure, because it will sit completely on top of the previous layer and as these inks have transparency any colour printed on top of yellow will have a yellow influence.

Layer 3

Carving of layer 3

Inked up block. 

Layer 3 printed overtop of Layer 1&2. 

And printed on all the sheets in the edition.

Layer 4

Layer 4 being carved. There is always a tipping point when I carve reduction. It goes from carving more and more detail into the block to eventually removing more and more of the detail that you carved. I've also established my highlights and am now at the lower end of the mid-tones.

Layer 4 inked and ready to be printed. 

Layer 4 printed and editioned below:

Layer 5

This is the first cool colour that I printed, in general I am drawn to warm colours so most of my prints have an overall warm feel to them. But it would never be a successful image for me without introducing some cool colours to create the illusion of depth in my imagery. 

There isn't much more detail that can be added in the block, so now more and more I will remove segments all together, only small areas get printed in the blues.

Layer 6

In layer 6 the block surface is shrinking pretty significantly. 

But these layers will define the detail and depth of the print the most, they will make all the other marks jump out at the viewer. 

Layer 7

This final layer is really a cleaning up of areas of the block, only leaving areas behind that I want to be the darkest. As I am using Akua inks, I find that around this time the ink starts having trouble absorbing into the paper as the paper is getting pretty much sealed up. So if I know I am going to go beyond 7 layers I will have to add dryer into the ink. 

A few details of all 7 layers on top of each other. 

Each one of these prints in this series I have also printed a few on shoji baika rice paper. 

"Authenticity" 
reductive linocut on rag paper
Edition size: 10 and II5