Multicolored Linocut

I've recently rented a book on relief printmaking, to get some inspiration and to learn methods to do colorful linoprints.

There are two basic ways to go about making a colored linoprint by layers: either use the same block and progressively carve out each color (reductive method) or do one block for each color. I've tried to use the first option before but it is quite difficult and you cannot go back in the process. So this time I opted by making a lino for each layer.

Set up to make the prints.

Since this was an experiment I decided to just copy one examples provided in the book (above), and check if I am able to get more or less the same result.

First layer printed.

I forgot to capture the second layer (yellow) which basically included just the fish. The green was the third layer, the red the fourth layer and the last layer (black) is the key block that brings everything together.

Printing the third layer

Printing the fourth layer

The final result was a bit disappointing but as an overall exercise it gave me a good idea about how to make a multicolored linocut print. This method however also implies a precise registration, so all layers sit perfectly on top of each other. In addition the size of the blocks also needs to be precisely the same, I definitely missed this part since in some prints the green layer visible exceeds the previous blue layer for example. Next time will use pre sized lino, instead of cutting it myself (as I did here).

Final prints