I just finished editioning (23 – a nice prime number!) my latest reduction linocut. Since reduction printing is such a unique technique, I wanted to share a few of the steps of the process:

Peace Cat and Bird Linocut-$35

for the first layer, I carved the white parts of the design, then inked the block with the lightest color.

After carving away the area where I want the lightest ink to show (from the same block) I re-ink with the SECOND lightest color, and put the print through the press for a second time.

Between each color, I clean the block off, and carve again to create the block for each layer of color

Here’s layer 3. Hot off the press!

By the end of the process, there isn’t much left of the block–just whatever you need for the final layer of ink

This technique forces the print to be a limited edition, because the process destroys each color block as the print develops.

This print is a limited edition of 23: printed on a heavyweight, acid free, 100% post consumer recycled paper.

Peace Cat and Bird Linocut-$35