Here are the results of my reduction print. The boats in the original sketches were actually in a lake but as we chose colours it felt right to have a rusty mustard and pinky pigment around the boats suggesting sand rather than water. I was quite overwhelmed by which areas to cut and which to leave at each stage but Paul was extremely helpful all the way through the process so I managed to get quite a nice result for my first 4 colour reduction print. It was quite liberating to explore the process of reduction printing and I spent more time printing than carving which is just what I wanted.
I also had extra time to carve and print another image. This time carving abstract shapes directly on to the block being more aware of my carving technique rather than worry about the composition. With the first print I accidentally printed the second colour the wrong way round but it was a happy accident as it showed me what can happen when over layering different colours.
Boats in the Sand - Japanese Woodblock Print
I recommend this wonderful Japanese woodblock printing course with Paul Furneaux. He has a wealth of experience and a brilliant tutor. A fantastic weekend! Thank you Paul and the team at Edinburgh Printmakers. Oh and I also picked up this lovely guide to Edinburgh written by locals for visitors and locals from their lovely shop.
