Basic techniques for handprinting in colour

Basic techniques for handprinting in colour

The bold graphic qualities normally associated with relief printing - lino and wood - are well suited to high contrast images in black and white. This can also be a bit of a safe zone. Colour can add a great deal to an image, whether as a small splash or a large dose. It can completely redefine the work, or just add a new dimension, but in developing a print it is good to explore colour to assess all options.

There are many ways of incorporating colour into a relief print and these can be quite basic. More advanced techniques such as multi-blocks (different coloured areas are printed from different blocks), jigsaws (cutting the block into areas for different colours and reassembling for print) and reduction (carving areas away between printing in different colours) require a fair bit of planning in design. The best places to start playing with colour are through paper, ink and colouring by hand.

A good way to start experimenting is with paper. Many people feel safest using black ink perhaps because black on white is familiar. Working on a coloured background, whether a subtle neutral or pastel, or a vibrant spectrum can maintain contrast and the graphic impact through limited colour scheme. 

Printing without a press as I do means thinner, lightweight (low gsm) papers preferable to some of the heavier high quality papers if an even distribution of ink in the print is wanted rather than a fainter, sketchier image. This expands paper choice. Quality rice papers, brown paper, stationery, craft and coloured inkjet printer papers can all be used as substitutes to white with varying impact. Patterned origami and scrapbooking papers can work well as long as they allow enough contrast for the print to be seen well against it - this goes for the detail of the pattern as well as the depth of colour. Look for a matte finish on the paper, as ink will not distribute or adhere well on shiny gloss.

Black ink on various coloured papers with some hand colouring.

Printing in coloured ink can change the whole feel of a design. Block inks come in a range of colours which can be mixed within brands as well as used as they are. Sometimes the pigments used in the primaries don't produce clear secondary colours true to the spectrum, but this may not matter. White inks are also available and are interesting to use on black paper producing a negative. Mixed with spectrum colours they can add opacity as well as producing a lighter tint.

Small test pieces printing in different colours  on different papers with some hand coloured elements.

While coloured inks can be used in conjunction with coloured paper, inks can also be layered. An easy starting point is to print in colour from an uncarved block of the same or slightly smaller size than that of the carved image. The image can be printed over this once dry. Trials of different colour combinations will provide a reference for later prints as the transparency of different inks will produce results you may want to replicate later.

Basic and intermediate samples from workshop participants clockwise from top left: white over green ink, black on white paper with the addition of chine colle (collage piece added at time of printing) providing the red of a waratah, white on black paper, white on black with hand colouring in pencil, a carved block inked with a black and white blend or rainbow roll.

Hand colouring a print is simply colouring it in. This is the easiest way of incorporating many colours and adding dimension through blending and shading, although it may not be the easiest to replicate when producing multiples of the same. Watercolour, drawing inks and coloured pencils are all suitable, but it is good to test wet media on papers first as some, especially if lightweight will warp and buckle. This is also a great way to explore ideas that can be worked into an image through using multiple blocks or more advanced techniques.

Any of these easy methods can be used in combination and experimenting widely will reveal what does and doesn't work well according to each project. Be daring!

Combined techniques with green ink on brown paper and hand colouring. The black and white elements were printed separately and collaged later.

FLOWA: dive in and pop up

FLOWA: dive in and pop up

This time last year I was approaching the end of my degree and considering how I would build on it, developing my art practice outside the institution. I did know that I wanted to return my creative focus to printmaking which I'd majored in during the TAFE diploma which led me to university. I also knew I wanted to work alongside others and to try and maintain some structure in the transition from study to finding employment.

When June and my final assessments arrived, a conversation with Matthew, now part of the relocated studio, led me to visit a pop-up in Centreway Arcade where a group of glass artists from Tin Shed Studios were occupying one of several empty shops. They were both generous and enthusiastic in sharing information about the arcade, their agreement and a contact to make my own enquiry. And FLOWA happened - quickly.

The four of us - Janine Shields, Steffi Kelly, Sabrina Gibson and I - had worked alongside each other in the TAFE printmaking studio and between us we had a good range of equipment and supplies. It was a double shopfront we moved into, previously a cafe, and the kitchen with its double sink was ideal for using the space as a high volume working studio. The entrance was an ideal area to arrange individual work stations with a large trestle to share and a small etching press and screen printing jig in the centre, and ample storage cupboards along the back wall. It opened to the right into an area which could be devoted entirely to display, and the whole was exposed with glass frontage opposite the carpark entrance. It was perfect!

Day 1: view of the studio area from the entrance with some work beginning.

In the matter of days between the initial enquiry to moving in we'd brainstormed a list of ideas we could trial, decided on a name, whipped up a logo and threw together a Facebook page. But ultimately, we went in and made art, aware the space was ours only in the short term.

Working in full public view took a little time to relax into, but the deliberate layout guiding visitors first into the studio area drew interest as pure curiosity ("What is this?"), people wanting to share their creative interests and others seeking small commissions. While printmaking was the primary activity, we displayed and worked in other media, too, selling enough to cover our running costs and spend on coffee at The Kiosk two shops down.

 The working process up close: Stef's work station as seen by passers by.

Our agreement ran through July, and with no prospective tenant, was extended through August, and then September before we needed to vacate. By this time we'd established a small group of regular visitors and had engaged in conversation with a good cross section of the public, giving us some sense of what interested them and a platform for further directions. Janine and I especially felt ready to find a new studio space and we began to scout around for a place to relocate and develop around the FLOWA studio concept.

The short-term nature of a pop-up from our point of view both offered us a space to work and exhibit with maximum control but without the planning lengthy commitments require. We could trial our ideas as they arrived spontaneously and quickly receive feedback from people who didn't heavily associate themselves with art. The time factor also led us to take risks, to just dive in and work things out as we went along, and to make whatever we could without thinking too much about outcomes.

The gallery section from the arcade street.

On a personal note, the original FLOWA studio experience helped me look at different paths I could take as an artist and build enough confidence to begin Messy Press with the new FLOWA studio as its base. Janine and I now share the space with Matthew Dames overlooking St John Street from an old bay window. It's a different environment with new structures evolving, but we are still open to visitors and will be around much longer.

Some points we learned which might be useful if you're ever considering a pop-up:

• The strengths and limitations of the space will depend on where and how it is situated. The arcade was heated over winter and secured with an alarm system throughout. However, the arcade was inaccessible during certain hours, and trading was restricted between specific hours on specific days.
• Terms of agreement will vary. Our financial obligation for use of the premises was limited to electricity, but other costs could apply depending on the property owner.
• Insurance is necessary. Public liability and glass are a basic must, and personal property might be added depending on the value of items and the level of security the premises has.
• Parking fees were our huge oversight. HUGE. Locate good parking spaces and look at transport alternatives.