Friday, March 2, 2012

Hammerhead Lino Cut

I worked on my Hammerhead Lino today, as planned, but I didn't get as much done as I had hoped.  I had a bit longer of a work day than I was expecting, and so I wasn't able to start on this project until after dinner.  I used to have a hammerhead stencil I made out of thick bristol paper, and I used that guy for all sorts of projects!  I printed him on t-shirts, spray painted him on sidewalks in Long Beach, California, and I painted him on my cat carrier!  Since we (my husband and I) moved to the east coast I haven't done much printing, but today I decided I would make a more permanent version of my hammerhead stencil.  Maybe I wont lose him this time!  

I began by drawing  the hammerhead shape on a piece of paper, than I traced that onto my 4x5 inch lino block.  I like linoleum blocks that are attached to wood, they are super easy to carve into. 

Then I used my smallest speedball tip on my carving tool, and carved out the outline of the shark.  Make sure to be careful not to damage the shark while carving around it.  

Next, I used the largest tip I have and started digging out the surface area surrounding the hammerhead.  Make this area as smooth as possible, and dig deep without cutting into the wood below the lino.  

I'll finish this project tomorrow, and hopefully I'll get to printing it too.  Happy DIYing!  chris