Puffin lino print - work in progress

Starting to plan a big flock of Puffins...
Smaller flocks will also be printed - I am just going to have a warm-up session of Puffin lino cutting to see how they come out before going for the huge one!

I went to see Puffins on the Farne Isles in June and it was amazing, totally overwhelming to spend an hour on their island and watch and draw them.  It was too early for Pufflings but the parents were busy.

I am trying to show their brilliant flappy flight in the way I draw them, so hopefully that will work out too as the drawing progresses....

I always draw my designs out on paper first before l transfer it to the lino block using tracing paper.  It can take a while for a large lino block but I love drawing so would hate to miss that stage out.  I know some people draw straight onto the block or just carve, but that is not for me!

Lino printed birds

I've been doing a lot of drawing in a Museum store, focusing on the bird scientific study skins...
It's been the best as a way of focusing on drawing skills.  The images I am making are just slightly different to the Foxes at the Disco though!

Don't worry - a few animals having a boogie are bound to fight their way out soon.

girls with unusual pets...

I like the idea if having an unusual pet.  Something to make the neighbours talk...
A small armadillo, a pelican, a tank full of leeches??

In my sketchbook I have been drawing girls with pets for quite a while and finally got round to carving three of them in lino last month.  Here is number one.  This lass has a very large cat...

There is a certain amount of silliness in setting myself the task of turning line drawings into lino prints and maybe a screen print would be the way to go, but as it is has mostly been raining this year I didn't have much else to do in May.

Next post I will probably show you some logs in the sunshine as I have now turned to sorting out the swamp/jungle/chaos of my outside habitat...

give it a try...

I always use the same pencil in my sketchbook and think everything I do should turn into a lino print at some point, but really, the only way to do something new is to give it a try - doesn't everything look great in charcoal and shouldn't we all use it more often?