Block Printing Take One

As previously noted, I recently purchased some supplies to try out linoleum block printing. Let me tell you, I'm more of an instant gratification person so block printing seemed like a good alternative to screen printing. Not that screen printing is necessarily hard... but there's lots of steps... and waiting. I have no patience for those things. Linoleum block printing basically has three steps: 1. carve 2. ink 3. press and DONE! The carving was the hardest part and ended in me stabbing my fingers with the pokey-carvey-tool (technical term) more than I care to admit.

So here's what I made...

This was the basic block and the first attempt. After this I cleaned up the relief a bit with the carving-scraping-finger-poking tool. Then I started experimenting with some patterns and different color inks...

Kevin also got in on the block printing action. He was determined to make his first attempt as hipster as possible. He plans to make other prints including mustaches, birds and plaid shirts. Isn't his bike so cute?!

Have you ever tried block printing? Are you clumsy like me and stab you fingers 43 times? Would you admit it if you did? Stay tuned for part two when I scan these suckers in and play with them in Photoshop. Oooo. It's gonna be excitin' y'all.