Studio B: Printmaking Courses
Throughout the year we open the workshops for letterpress, relief, lino printing, and bookbinding courses. If you are interested in attending one of our workshops please get in contact by email to: letterpressworkshop@icloud.com
We are in the process of setting out our calendar for workshops in 2024 – workshops include:
- Introduction to Letterpress Printing
- Advance Letterpress Printing
- One day Linocut workshop
- Lego Printing workshop
- Introduction to Collagraph Printing
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Introduction to Letterpress Printing Workshop
This one day workshop introduces the principles of setting type by hand and letterpress printing. You will learn the basics of composing, inking and how to use some of the antique presses in our workshop. Classes are designed for people with little or no experience of letterpress printing. We keep them small, so you have lots of support to learn and there is plenty of time to produce your own work. All material provided.
Saturday 6th January 2024 | Two places available
Workshops run from 10am to 4pm | The Fee is: £120 | Refreshments are provided throughout the day.
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Advanced Letterpress Printing Workshop
This five day workshop develops the principles learned in the introductory class into a comprehensive set of skills. In the workshop we design, set and hand print a range of documents including posters snd artist books. The timescale allows attendees to develop their own projects within the supported space. It is ideal for artists and designers and those especially interested in text and language. All material provided.
February 2024 (dates to be confirmed) | Four places available
Workshops run for five days from 10am to 4pm | The Fee is: £400 | Refreshments are provided throughout each day.
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Linocut Printing Workshop
In this one-day workshop, you will be introduced to the history and principles of linocut printing. We will practice using a broad range tools and techniques, learning through a series of exercises. We will design both a single and two-colour linocut image, transfer it to the block, before cutting, hand inking and printing. We will learn how to hand print using a spoon, Japanese bamboo baren, and compare the results to printing with a Soldan, cylinder proofing press. This workshop is suitable for beginners, or printmakers who have not done any relief printing for some time and need a refresher. All material provided.
February 2024 (dates to be confirmed) | Four places available
Workshops run between 10am to 4pm | The Fee is: £120 | Refreshments are provided throughout each day.
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Lego Printing Workshop
This one day workshop uses Lego tiles to produce figurative, abstract and pattern prints. The process embraces the modular system using Lego bricks, ink, brayers and our presses to create and print your own designs. Experimenting with different colours, overlays and the different textures that Lego printing affords. All material provided.
Please note: the ink we use for this workshop is oil based. We provide aprons, but accidents do happen and ink can get everywhere – please wear suitable clothing as ink can stain fabric.
Saturday 13th January 2024 | Four places available
Workshops run from 10am to 4pm | The Fee is: £120 | Refreshments are provided throughout the day.
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Collagraph Printing Workshop
Collagraph is a printing technique where images are created by using collaged layers of paper and card. It is a playful, experimental process employing natural and recycled materials. This one day workshop will cover designing and constructing plates, inking up and printing using the proofing press. The workshop is suitable for complete beginners or more experienced printmakers who would like to explore some different approaches to collagraph. All materials will be provided.
March 2024 (dates to be confirmed) | Four places available
Workshops run between 10am to 4pm | The Fee is: £120 | Refreshments are provided throughout each day.
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Workshop Diary: Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th August 2023
Studio B welcomed three brave attendees to our first lino printing course since the completion of the studio earlier in 2023. Three days of intensive lino cutting and printing. Throughout the workshop we utilised two areas of the studio – the printing room and adjacent breakout space, accommodating two very useful layout tables. The tables being a particularly important facility to consider, sketch and focus on final detail cutting into the lino (well away from the ink).
I had previously met and printed with Luise, Becky and Olof at Letterpress Workers in Milan where we had discussed expanding printmaking processes beyond just letterpress. I had been combining linocut and letterpress for a number of years so was happy to welcome them into my studio and provide a linocut workshop.
During the visit I introduced the process and we covered:
- Tools / Materials / Processes
- Setting linoleum sheets onto plywood blocks for printing (type height)
- Transferring image – by hand / digital print / carbon paper
- Registration techniques
- Two colour print – on two separate blocks
- Designing and printing repeat patterns
- Reduction lino process
- Printing on fabric – tote bags / cotton
The group were really pleased with the outcomes of the workshop – the following is a small selection:
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What is Linocut Printing? – a brief introduction & history
Linocut is a type of relief printing. It requires very little equipment to achieve quite complex results. As an outline the process follows four basic steps:
- An image is drawn onto the face of the linoleum (directly, traced or transferred using carbon paper or similar).
- A relief image is created by carving away sections directly form the linoleum. Leaving sections of the lino higher (to be printed) or lower (not to be printed).
- Ink is transferred from a flat plate and rolled onto the surface of the block.
- Paper is laid carefully onto the face of the block – pressure is applied, and a print is produced.
The product ‘Linoleum’ was invented in England by Frederick Walton in the mid 1800’s (finally patented in 1860). Originally produced as a flooring material (and still is) – constructed with a backing of hessian or jute topped with a layer of clay-based material combined with linseed oil.
By the 1890’s artists had recognised an alternative material quality of the product and started using it as a creative medium for print. It is very stable, easy to cut and robust enough to be used a number of times, capable of producing large print editions.
The process can also be referred to as a linocut, lino print or linoleum block printing. Like the majority of relief printing processes, the final printed image from the lino is in reverse to the original block.
Multi layered and complex prints can be produced even without a printing press. By carefully rubbing the back of the paper to transfer the ink from the block to the paper using a wooden spoon, brayer* or baren** can result in very fine printed works.
Linoleum itself is an inexpensive material, softer than traditional hardwood and affords an ease of line when cutting (without the complicated navigation of wood grain). It will accommodate fine details as well as large, solid areas of colour.
Historically linocut has been adopted by a large number of artists since its invention and is still a very popular medium today. German Expressionist Erich Heckel (1883 – 1944) and Gabriele Münter (1877 – 1962) were some of the earliest adopters and even Picaso embraced the medium. Initially seen as a gimmick it has evolved into valuable and widely celebrated medium of expression.
* Brayer – US term for roller, or inking roller. Specifically manufactured as printmaking tools used to thinly apply ink onto a printing surface. Can also be used without ink to apply pressure when printing without a press. Made from rubber, wood and urethane.
** Barren – Traditionally adopted in Japanese woodblock printing, a baren is a circular tool manufactured with a flat face used for rubbing paper to effectively transfer ink. Made from a range of materials including metal, plastic or glass.
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© Carl Middleton – December 2023.
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