Relief Printmaking
Relief Printing involves carving lines and marks into a smooth surface, before inking up the block and printing using a press or a baren to transfer the ink to your paper.
There are a range of surfaces you can use for relief printing, including the traditional linoleum used in this image on the left.
These days, I prefer to use a medium known as Japanese Vinyl, because it can hold very fine lines and lots of detail while still being soft enough to carve smoothly.
I have some Pfeil tools in a few sizes which allow me to make detailed cuts and to remove large areas too.
To begin with, I printed all my relief prints by hand, using a metal spoon to burnish the paper until the ink was evenly transferred to it.
I used this method to make this print, in several layers and colours. Printing by hand is still an effective method, but using a press is kinder on your wrists!
This video shares my method for printing small relief blocks in my studio using an X-cut express as a press.