Lino printing is a form of fine art printing where the printing plate is a block of lino whose surface has been cut, and/or etched away. The lino is then inked, a piece of paper placed over it, and then run through a printing press or pressure applied by hand to transfer the ink to the paper. The result, a linocut print. Because it’s a smooth surface, the lino itself doesn’t add texture to the print.
Chris Cockburn has designed a beautiful collection of wildlife lino prints, all of which are available to purchase for £70.00 each (including postage and packaging). All profits from Chris’ artwork goes to the charity Fotokids – The Original!!
Zoological Portrait Lino Prints
All measure 12″ by 12″
They are printed by hand on good quality, acid-free paper using linseed-oil-based printing inks, so, in theory they should be as long-lasting as oil paintings.
Almost all my creatures are based on photographs, but the backgrounds are largely ‘out of my imagination’.
All the prints are strictly limited editions of (usually) 26, or about this number, and are termed ‘Originals’. Each print is numbered, dated (by year), the title written on it, and signed by the artist.
NOTES ON THESE PRINTS
All my prints are produced from a single block of (usually) artist’s lino, by the ‘reduction’ process. Here, the lino is cut and/or etched, then ‘rolled-up’ with ink and placed onto the paper in a press, that generates up to one ton of pressure. The cut or etched-away areas of the lino do not take up ink, so when printed, these areas show the white of the underlying paper, or the previous colour to be printed. The whole edition is printed in one go, then the prints are hung-up in a drying rack to ‘dry’ for at least a week. During this time, the lino is further cut and etched, so as to be ready to add the next colour. If I wish a colour to blend with the previous colour, I mix a transparent gel, called ‘extender’ to the ink. For instance, if I want to produce a green, I will often print a yellow, then blue plus extender over it, or print a blue, then yellow with added extender above it. If, on the other-hand, I want a colour to contrast with the underlying colour, I will mix a little opaque white in with the printing ink.
The process of reduction printing effectively destroys the lino. In theory, one could choose any edition size, but it is impossible to go back to enlarge the edition size once the lino has been further cut and etched. My prints result from 8-13 colours being layered one on top of the other.
MAKING OF A LINO PRINT
All Chris’ Lino Prints are made by printing one colour on top of another at intervals of at least a week (to allow for the underlying colour to dry). During this time parts of the lino surface have been further cut and etched away, and these areas take up no or little ink respectively, so, after the printing, the previous colour (or the white of the paper) shows in these patches. The example below illustrates the successive stages of the Dianema catfish print.
CAUSTIC SODA ETCHING
One of the very unusual techniques that Chris uses in his work is Caustic Soda Etching, which produces very nice half-tone, water-colour-like effects that can be seen in the backgrounds to most of his prints.
Here, a dilute solution of Caustic Soda is mixed in with wall paper paste so that it has the consistency of custard. The mixture is then teat pipetted, tea-spooned or otherwise applied to limited areas of the lino surface, and left for about 90 minutes (depending on the depth of ‘bite’ required). After this the lino is scoured under a running tap, then given a wipe with vinegar (this reaction is a catalytic one, so the hydroxyl group of the Caustic Soda needs to be neutralised). Once dry, the lino can be ‘inked-up’ and printed, and the delicate (approx 1mm deep) impressions on the lino partially take up ink, so as to produce nice delicate effects after printing.
PURCHASING PRINTS
Prints are posted rolled-up in cardboard tubes, and will be dispatched within 2 or 3 days of order, unless otherwise stated. The price of postage is included in the overall print price, payment should be by cheque, made out to ‘Out of the Dump’ (the British name for the Charity “Fotokids Original”).
All prints are available to purchase for £70.00 each (including postage and packaging). All profits from Chris’ artwork goes to the charity Fotokids – The Original!!
To purchase a lino print, please contact Chris here with the name of the piece of artwork you are interested in.