Reduction Prints
By far the most complex and challenging relief printmaking technique is reduction, where one mistake can ruin an entire edition. The reduction process uses one block of lino, which is carved into and printed, then cleaned up, carved and printed again over the top of the previous layer. Layers of ink are build up on the paper to create the final image, but one slip of the gouge, one mistake during registration, one poor choice of a colour, and everything is wrecked.
I adore making reductions, and plan each one carefully before I begin to make sure I get an edition at the end (albeit sometimes a very small one). My simplest reduction was four layers, whilst my most complicated is 14, after which point the ink tends not to dry for a very very long time…
Click on each image below to read more about it
