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.