Creating a Linoleum Print Portrait

• Lino printing is a form of relief printing
• Artists carve out textures and shapes from a piece of lino using special carving tools
• It is the same in process as woodcut, the lino is simply softer and easier to carve
• The lino is then printed onto paper with the help of a rolling press.
• A popular lino printing method is called reduction printing.

Around 1939, Picasso was probably the first person to experiment with a reduction method by cutting and printing each colour from one block until only the last colour portion remains. This is known as reduction printing.

• Your task is to research, plan and create a lino print portrait.
• It can be a self portrait or a portrait of someone else, maybe an Olympic athlete?
• It should use colour and expression to communicate ideas and meaning
• See the next slide for a nice example!

Key questions:
How many colours or tones are used?
How would you describe the texture?
How are these textures created?
How do the expression, colours and textures communicate meaning?

How to structure your sketchbook:
1. Write your early intentions using the 4 headings
2. Investigate and Research – Character & expression
/ colour / artist examples
3. Experiment with reduction printing, poly printing
4. Final design & experimentation
5. Final lino piece and stages

• Use the 4 headings to write down the task in your own words and what you hope to create
(your intentions)
Creating a lino print portrait
TOP TIP:
You could include some small thumbnail drawings to show your idea visually
Content
Process
Meaning
Purpose

• Investigate facial expression and character
• Investigate colour and it’s meaning
• Link to your intentions for the lino print
TOP TIP:
Create a number of double pages using images, annotations and thumbnails of your ideas.

3. Experiment with reduction printing
• Present your poly printing experiments in your sketchbook
• Annotate using key vocab
• Link to your ideas and intentions for the lino print

• Look at the list of adjectives that can be used to describe character or expression, can you add to the list? Use a dictionary to find definitions of those you do not know.
Aggressive
Defiant
Nonchalant
Sad
Happy
Thoughtful
Reflective
Angry
Calm
Passive
Submissive
Dominant
Distracted
Confused
Focussed
Tired
Exhausted
Energetic
Elated

Categorise the adjectives by organising them in the circles below:
Positive Negative

Choose 3 words to investigate further:
Collect 2 portrait images that communicate each word
Describe how the CONTENT of each image communicates that word
Extension: investigate more words considering a wide range of sources
See the examples:
Defiant: open resistance, bold disobedience
This portrait looks defiant because the face of this man is very rigid and firm set, like it will not be moved. His brow is squeezed and his eyes look very focussed, like he has a task or a goal

• Choose a character / expression / mood that you want to communicate in your lino print.
• What colours will you use, what do they represent?
• Use watercolours to produce a colour grouping in your sketchbook.
• Make notes about what the colours mean
• Include the cultural meaning

• What do these colours represent in western culture?
• Red, green, blue, yellow, green, grey, black purple.
• What do they represent in other cultures? E.g.
Chinese, Indian.
• Use the word doc on the website to help and do your own research.

• Investigate and analyse at least 2 images from artists who use relief printing.
• Kathe Kollwitz and Pablo Picasso.
• Use the 4 headings CONTENT, PROCESS, MEANING, PURPOSE
• Compare the culture, purpose and meaning of the artists
• Extension: extend by investigating another artist:
• Contemporary - Stanley Donwood,
• 1800’s Japanese woodcut - Katsushika Hokusai
• The images do not need to be portraits, you can still analyse the process.

Self portrait 1923, woodcut

Woman with a necklace,
1959, linocut

• Draw out a design for your linoprint using pencil
• Consider composition and the option to zoom in
• Use watercolours to show the 3 colours you will use
• Use polyprinting to experiment with colours, textures and the reduction process.

• Printing plate
• Carving tools
• Printing ink
• THE 3 Rs
• Roller
• Rolling press
• Registration

• Experiment with using the tools to create texture and tone
• Keep and present your experiments with short annotations
• Print each stage of the lino print at least 4 times.
• Select your favourite print as the final piece!