I finally found some time to start printing today and I printed the first two blocks. I spent the first hour adjusting my ideas about what colors I wanted to use. The original design (above left) was one I had developed digitally and, although Adobe Photoshop produces lovely "transparencies," real transparent pigments behave completely differently. In my "failed" version of this print (above right) I had used one block/one color for both the background pattern and the hands. I did that to save on blocks and also because I assumed that overprinting with blue would work like the computer. But it didn't.
Today I first tried a green color for the wallpaper pattern and a blue overprint. I didn't like it and finally I decided that I would simply use the same blue twice and allow the overprinting of Block 2 to darken Block 1. It's different than what I had imagined and different from the "original," but I like it. Here's today's printing:
2 comments:
Hi Annie,
I am really impressed with your carving now that I can see the photoshop version. The linework of the hands could be refined. If you take a small chisel you can bevel the lines quite easily to produce finer detail. When you print linework you need to ease off on the pressure.
Trialing colour combinations and print techniques is very important. I spend more time on trials than I do on the final print run. It means I waste lots of paper. But I think the print should be better than the photoshop image.
I don't think this is a failed print. I think it is much better (more expressive and much better colors) than the digital one. I really like it. Let yourself be free.
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