Linoleum Prints

The subject of this art project is the silhouette of a bicycle with an abstract background. This idea was largely inspired by my original plans for my "Sgraffito Tile" project. These four prints were all made from the same piece of linoleum, which I carved freehand with the carving tools, just to get it done quickly. To create the different prints I used different colors of ink, and printed them on different colored paper. The elements of design I used in this project were color, value, texture, contrast, and pattern.

I wanted my artwork to look a little abstract but still like a bicycle. I did this because I didn't want to have to carve detailed bike parts, as well as straight lines and perfectly circular wheels into linoleum. I like the way that my modified print (bottom right) turned out because I scribbled on it with varying colored pencils, and it turned out good. My greatest struggle during this project was definitely making my wheels round and the correct size while carving. If I created another project like this I think that I'd create a more intricate background on a larger piece of linoleum.