Kris Chatterson

Block Printing On Watercolor

  • Two Layers of Visual Information

  • Top Layer is a Block Print
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  • Minimum 5 Final Prints
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  • Contrast between colors
Things to ask yourself:
  • Did I use contrasting colors to make the two layers of information discernible?
  • Is one layer dominate or are they fighting for visual tension?
  • Did I do something beyond the minimum requirements?
  • Did I make different choices on my under layer?

Use a Linoleum Block to Carve a Single Color Print

Design, carve, and print one test print of your linoleum block.
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Carve one Linoleum Block
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Your block print should use up half of the space
YOUR BLOCK PRINT SHOULD:
  • USE ABOUT HALF OF THE SPACE
 
  • HAVE LOTS OF NEGATIVE SPACE WINDOWS TO SEE THE LAYER OF INFORMATION THAT WILL GO UNDERNEATH
 
  • HAVE ENOUGH VISUAL INFORMATION AND DETAIL TO MAKE THE COMPOSITION INTERESTING
VIDEO OF CARVING LINOLEUM
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LINOLEUM: Half of the space should be carved
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PRINT: One color, even block print
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PRINT: Has lots of negative space windows to show watercolor underneath

Watercolor Underprints

CREATE 4+ WATERCOLOR BACKGROUNDS FOR YOUR BLOCK PRINT
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THE ABSTRACT COLOR SWATCHES UNDERNEATH ADD VISUAL INTEREST WITHOUT FIGHTING WITH THE TOP LAYER
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SOME OF THESE HAVE TOO MUCH SPACE FILLED IN. SOME ARE TOO DARK.
THE WATERCOLOR LAYER SHOULD:
  • CONTRAST WITH THE BLOCK PRINT COLOR
 
  • EITHER BE SUBORDINATE OR DOMINATE, BUT NOT FIGHT FOR VISUAL DOMINANCE WITH THE BLOCK PRINT LAYER

  • CONSIDER HOW THE TWO LAYERS WILL INTERACT
    • LEAVE SOME NEGATIVE SPACE SO THAT THERE ARE SOME AREAS OF WHITE​

    • YOUR BACKGROUND CAN BE ABSTRACT​

    • THE COLORS USED CAN BE ARBITRARY - THEY DO NOT NEED TO CORRESPOND WITH OBJECTS OR PLACES IN THE WORLD

Step One: Sketch for Block Print

YOUR BLOCK PRINT SKETCH SHOULD:

  • BE DETAILED (LIKE AN INK LINE DRAWING) - LOTS OF SMALL, VISUAL INFORMATION TO MAKE A LARGER WHOLE
 
  • HAVE LOTS OF NEGATIVE SPACES (WINDOWS INTO THE BACKGROUND ARE IMPORTANT)
 
  • WORK AS ONE COLOR

Step Two: Carve Block Print and Print One

  • RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON YOUR SKETCH AND MAKE ANY NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS, AS NEEDED

  • TRANSFER YOUR DRAWING ONTO YOUR PLATE

  • CARVE YOUR PLATE (CARVE AWAY FROM YOUR HANDS AND BODY - GETTING CUT WITH THE CARVING TOOL IS NO JOKE)
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  • PRINT YOUR BLOCK UNTIL YOU GET ONE CLEAN, EVEN PRINT ON WHITE PAPER

Step Three: Practice Watercolor

  • FLOOD THE AREA YOU WANT TO ADD ONE COLOR WITH WATER

  • THE WATER WILL SIT ON THE SURFACE OF THE PAPER, AND WHILE IT'S BEADING ON THE TOP, DROP WATERCOLOR PIGMENT INTO THE WATER WITHOUT TOUCHING THE PAPER

  • LET THAT AREA DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE ADDING COLOR NEARBY

  • PRACTICE THE WET-ON-WET TECHNIQUE BEFORE MAKING YOUR WATERCOLOR BACKGROUNDS.
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  • YOU CAN ALSO PRACTICE WET-ON-DRY BY GETTING YOUR BRUSH WET AND LOADING IT UP WITH WATERCOLOR PIGMENT AND PAINTING DIRECTLY ON TO DRY PAPER. THE EDGES OF WET-ON-DRY ARE MUCH MORE DEFINED, BUT THE COLOR INSIDE THE STROKE IS CONSISTENT AND DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME WATERY EFFECT AS THE WET-ON-WET TECHNIQUE.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION OF WATERCOLOR PRACTICE

Step Four: 6+ Watercolor Backgrounds

  • YOU CAN USE YOUR FINISHED BLOCK PRINT AS A GUIDE, BUT YOU DON'T NEED YOUR WATERCOLOR TO BE REPRESENTATIONAL - IT OFTEN TURNS OUT BETTER IF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO LAYERS IS MORE ABSTRACT

  • MAKE SURE YOU USE MULTIPLE COLORS IN YOUR WATERCOLOR BACKGROUND

  • YOU SHOULD USE ABOUT HALF OF THE SPACE WITH LOTS OF NEGATIVE (WHITE) SPACES OF THE PAPER SHINING THROUGH

  • WORK ON MORE THAN ONE AT A TIME, SO THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO LET AREAS DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE ADDING COLOR NEARBY
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  • MAKE AT LEAST 6, SO THAT IF THE BLOCK PRINTING IS LIGHT OR DOESN'T CONTRAST WELL, YOU HAVE EXTRA TO WORK WITH

Step Five: Print the Block Print Layer

  • PRINT 2+ TEST PRINTS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN EVEN, CONSISTENT PRINT BEFORE PRINTING ON THE WATERCOLOR BACKGROUNDS

  • PRINT THE BLOCK PRINT LAYER IN ONE COLOR ON TOP OF THE WATERCOLOR PRINTS
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  • MAKE DIFFERENT CHOICES ABOUT THE TOP LAYER COLOR - CHOOSE AT LEAST 3 DIFFERENT COLORS TO PRINT THE TOP LAYER SO THAT YOU HAVE VARIATIONS TO CHOOSE FROM

5+ Final Prints 

  • EACH PRINT SHOULD BE UNIQUE - MAKE DIFFERENT DECISIONS FOR EACH WATERCOLOR BACKGROUND

  • MAKE DIFFERENT CHOICES ABOUT THE COLOR OF THE BLOCK PRINT ON TOP - NOT ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE THE SAME COLOR ON TOP

  • CONSIDER THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO LAYERS
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  • TURN IN AT LEAST 5 FINISHED PRINTS