Block Printing

Back in high school we got to do a block printing project in art class. Lately I have been wanting to try it again. This time though I wanted to start printing on clothes. I didn't get the right ink for clothes yet, so I stuck with just doing prints on paper. (I will be printing on clothes soon) After doing some reading, I thought acrylic paints would be the best choice since I was only doing a few prints with each block... and I already had them. Acrylic paints dry quicker than block printing inks, so when doing larger prints you may end up with partial prints. But to be honest I kind of like the look of the partial print.

Block printing takes a few steps. First step is to choose your type of block you want to use. There are several different options. I have seen anything from the traditional linoleum block to blocks of soap (kids), speedballs speedy stamp carving block to blocks of wood. I decided on trying both the speedy stamp and the traditional linoleum block. I recommend if you are a first timer to use the speedy stamp, I found it to be a lot easier to carve into. Next choose a design, use transfer paper to trace the image onto the block and then start carving. I used a speedball Linoleum cutter assortment which i purchased at Michaels for around $15.oo. And well, i am sure you can figure out the rest. This is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Traditional Linoleum Block and Cutting Assortment

Speedballs Speedy Stamp Carving Block