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This page offers you a guided tour of the fascinating
relief printing process used to illustrate
our premier literary offering Small Graces.

Once the text has been chosen, the illustrator sets to work. I start with sketching out ideas, preferring to get the images carefully worked out on paper before starting to carve the printing blocks.
Often the sketches go through many iterations before it is clear which is the final version.
 

Oftentimes I will make a quick print from the block after the carving is nearly finished to check for any adjustments that might be necessary. I sometimes repeat this step several times, reworking the carving until the image is just right.


After transferring the design to the linocut block the carving begins. It can be slow and painstaking work, but with sharp tools it is also a pleasure.

When ready to print, I place the linocut block on the bed of the printing press and using spacers called furniture and quoins, lock it in place.

It is important to roll the ink on a very smooth surface, like a sheet of glass, until the ink is smooth and even.
The ink is carefully rolled onto the block.
After laying a sheet of paper over the inked block and layering some sheets of cardboard on top of that, the printer’s roller is pulled down over the block, pressing the ink into the paper.
Carefully removing the paper, we see a beautiful mirror image print of the carving on the block.
We are considering offering limited edition, hand printed copies of some of the beautifully illustrated pages in Small Graces. If this is of interest to you, please click on contact us to let us know.

Thank you for visiting the Studio.