Linocut in Progress: When "simple" things go cattywampus

 Cattywampus, in case you didn't know, is a technical printmaking term. It can be used to refer to registration problems, but in my studio it's just a catch-all phrase for the entire middle section of most image creation. As in, "now it all goes cattywampus."

Case in point:

Reduction linocut in progress: Step 8 rollup

In my previous post I had the audacity to suggest that I had a sort of plan (shocking!) for these tree trunks... that rolling some white ink over the top of existing color could suggest reflected light. We'll see now, won't we? 

You might note that it's not strictly white that's rolled up here... it's white with a skosh (another technical printmaking term) of purple in it. Because: complimentary color theory. Also, the color isn't rolled everywhere, as this white-over-color business is all about the tree trunks.

Step 8 printed

Hm. Sort of. It's not really the effect I am going for yet, but never fear! I honestly didn't expect it to be quite right yet. I just wanted to prevent everything from going too much darker at this point. 

So now... what's next?

Step 9 rollup

Wait, what? Yep. It's official. Sherrie has lost her marbles here. I'm sure there was some sort of logical reason for me to jump back in to this rather alarming color.... but at the moment what I was thinking eludes me. 

Step 9 rollup

Ha! Just kidding. I knew it all along. Look at that lovely, toned-down-but-too-dark, reflective-looking color in the main tree trunks. Don't mind that bright blue in the branches. I'll do... something.... about it. Later. 

Step 10 rollup

How about another layer of almost-white?

Step 10 printed

Oh, ye of little faith! (Why yes, I am looking at myself, too!) We can still pull this off, yes? 

Let's do a lot of carving in the meantime, and then start detailing these trunks....

Step 11 rollup

At this point I apparently lost track of a step, at least where photography was concerned. Here's Step 11 printed:

Step 11 printed

But there was a Step 12... more trunk/branch details and another pass of brownish gray that I didn't record except for this photo:

Steps 11 and 12 side-by-side

Getting close now, and I was finally starting to feel like I might pull the whole thing off despite myself. There's hardly anything left on the block at this point, so not much more fussing around I could do, anyway!

Step 13 rollup

And the final image, at last! 

"Golden," reduction linocut, 10" x 8"
Edition of 20, ©Sherrie York

Whew! Got there in the end. Another "simple" image of "a few yellows and some blues in the tree trunks" finally finished. (Note: insert eyeroll emoji here.)

So what's next? I think I'm moving on in the seasons and going to tackle a small snow scene. I've got a solo exhibition coming up in October and need to expand my inventory of smaller work, so I'll be sticking with this 8x10 format, or thereabouts!

Linocut in Process: So much yellow!

If you've been following Brush and Baren for any length of time you know how often "simple" images turn into complicated productions in linocut. 

Let's just call that previous sentence Ominous Foreshadowing and move along, shall we?

Color pass #4! This image, if you hadn't already guessed, is of backlit, glowy aspen trees. Lots of light above and a bit of shadow below. Easy enough to suggest with a blended roll of a sort of pumpkiny yellow to a burnt-sweet-potato orange.

Reduction linocut in progress: Step 4 rollup

As usual, the color seemed quite dark on the block, but printed over lighter, brighter yellows it perked right up.

Step 4 printed

Full disclosure: I'm not sure what I was thinking with this next step. Brighten the upper leaf shapes and darken the shadowy bottom, apparently. 

But, yes. There was some masking involved. Because believe it or not, I sort of have a plan. Well, not a plan, really. But an idea that I hope is going to work. 

The bark of aspen trees is white, but in shadowed light they take on lot of other reflected color. I'm going to try to suggest this by rolling straight white ink over the main tree trunks, but not just yet. And while I want some color under the white, I don't want THIS much color. So... masking.

Step 5 rollup

As expected, the yellow ink didn't do much to change the upper leaves... but you can see it has done a little. and the shadowy lower portion of the image is showing more contrast. 

Step 5 printed

But not quite enough! After more carving I again rolled some darker brown in the lower portion of the image, blended with a brighter orange in the upper 3/4 of the block. Subtle color shifts for the leaves, more contrast below.

Step 6 rollup

Not a great photo for this step... but you get the idea.  

Step 6 printed

After this step the prints were hanging to dry for a couple of days while I ran around taking care of other tasks. When I came back to them I decided I needed (of course) "just one more dark" in the lower portion of the image.

Step 7 rollup

And more masking....

Step 7 mask

And, finally, printed. 

Step 7 printed

Okay. That seems okay. Really. Okay. Kind of. I think. Time to move on. 

To a layer of... white? If I were a nail biter, I'd start doing so now.