Linoleum Block Printing

Event Info

Course code: 25SPM004I

This two-day, in-person workshop takes place at CBA on Saturday and Sunday, February 15th & 16th, from 11:00 am–5:00 pm ET.

• Saturday, February 15th, 11am – 5pm ET
• Sunday, February 16th, 11am – 5pm ET

Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on February 1st, at 11:59pm.

About the Workshop:

This in-person class at Center for Book Arts is taught by instructor Sarah Nicholls.

Students will get an intro to relief printmaking, including transferring images to your block, carving techniques, markmaking, color mixing and layering, ink choices, registration on press, and editioning tips. We will talk about both reductive and multiple block techniques. This class will be taught in person and we will use the Vandercook proof presses in class, but your lino blocks can also be printed by hand at home.

Block printing is the oldest form of printmaking, and is an enduring way to make bold, graphic illustrations. Linoleum makes this process an affordable and approachable medium. We will talk about transferring images to your block, carving techniques, markmaking, color mixing and layering, registration, and editioning tips. We will talk about both reductive and multiple block techniques. Linoleum is an excellent way to bring images and color into your prints. Students will leave with a small edition of prints, and the skills to work on their own at home.

No previous experience required.

Required Materials:

• Pencil and paper for taking notes
• Tracing paper
• Speedball basic carving tool set with blades
• An image, idea, or drawing that you would like to make a print from
• Gloves for cleanup
• Please wear closed-toed shoes and clothes that can get stained or dirty (CBA will provide aprons, but the ink used on press can stain)

All other materials will be provided by Center for Book Arts at no additional cost.

About Sarah Nicholls

Sarah Nicholls is an artist, printmaker, and writer whose work combines language, image, visual narrative, and time.

Her ongoing projects on climate change, urban ecology, and the history of science and technology include a series of letterpress pamphlets as well as participatory programs like guided urban/nature walks.

Nicholls’ limited edition artist’s books are in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, Columbia University, and Stanford, among others.

Her work has received support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and the Puffin Foundation, and she has participated in residencies at BRIC House in Brooklyn, the Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, and Guttenberg Arts in New Jersey.

Nicholls teaches letterpress and book arts at Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design in New York City.

All images courtesy of the instructor.