This is a woodcut print of @Jbsurrey. To see some of my earlier prints, click here. Its very straightforward, here’s how to do it:
1. Choose a photo you like and trace round the dark areas with tracing paper.
2. Trace the image onto wood of your choice. I like MDF because it doesn’t splinter and its super cheap to get off cuts from Homebase! Beginners might prefer to use lino which is much softer.
3. Woodcutting tools can be bought from any art shop, I recommend going for the more expensive tools as they are much sharper and sturdier and you can achieve sharper lines. If your pencil lines are too faint, use a sharpie to make them bolder. Carving out the image is very satisfying. Be sure to keep your fingers behind the blade to prevent slips and cuts.
4. Now its time to ink up your block. I like water based inks because they’re easier to clean up with water, and you don’t need solvents. Use a large roller and make sure your block has plenty of ink on it.
5. Carefully place your paper over your block. I like brown paper but you can use any colour paper you choose, there are also some lovely textured Japanese papers out there. You can print on any paper you like, newspaper, music scores, a friend of mine even prints on the leaflets you get in medicine boxes! If you have access to a printing press, now is the time to use it. For this I used a top down press. But you can also print by rubbing the back of the paper with a barren or even an old spoon. The more you rub the deeper blacks you can achieve, but do be careful not to tare the paper.
Carefully peal the paper off and voila! You have your print.
