Linoleum Prints

The idea behind this design and artwork is the contrast and balance between the dark lines and white space. I wanted to create a peaceful and simplistic scene. I aimed to capture the stillness and serenity of the mountain landscape and bring out its depth and movement. I also wanted to include a large sun or moon to enhance the calmness and distance the path brings. This design is also slightly guided by the look of maps and topographic maps that show the depth of mountain ranges. The piece was mainly inspired by the beauty and peacefulness of nature, and this material would be fun to use to create a scene like this. 

For this piece, I used a linoleum block to carve my design, then printed it with ink on drawing paper. Initially, I used a graphite pencil on paper to create my design and then transferred it onto the linoleum. I then used ink colors of black and white, and used white and green drawing paper for my many trials of prints. For my extended print, I used colored pencils over the ink to create a more vibrant and full composition. The green and brown helped add depth and direction to the scene.

After brainstorming several ideas, I chose this mountain scene because of its detail and movement of lines, and its balance between black and white. I sketched it out with a pencil on a large paper and transferred it onto the linoleum, and added Sharpie for clean lines. Also, because I transferred it this way, my print came out in the reversed pattern, flipping my landscape. After printing several versions to get an even layer of ink and clean edges, I experimented with adding color with the ink and the paper for more variety. For my extended piece, I continued one of my prints and added colors for a more expressive and vibrant version.