Tip 14: Watch the Masters in Action

Picasso with linocut, http://www.sapergalleries.com/PicassoPhotoPicador.jpg

This youtube clip gives a wonderful idea of the skill, the improvisation and the rhythmic speed that are all involved in producing a massive linocut.  David Fraser’s prints are impressive enough when you see them hanging on a gallery wall, but to see the process in action helps you to understand the extent of the undertaking: unlike an oil painting, you can’t undo your mistakes; you have to be constantly aware of the black and white balance across the whole composition; you have to use the same even pressure with your tools, so that the carved lines are consistent.

David Fraser, ‘The Deal’, Linocut, 98x69cm http://www.dfrazer.com/index.php/printmaking/linocuts#!DSC_2947_lcpc

But don’t be too daunted! Everything improves with practice, and linocuts can be adapted to every level of skill and patience. Look at these Picasso linocuts – he’s also an artist of incredible skill, but his style is much more spontaneous than David Fraser’s and might suit less patient people.

Pablo Picasso, ‘Bullfight’, linocut, 1959, http://www.skotforeman.com/Pablo-Picasso-Art.cfm?ArtistsID=613&NewID=380

You can also listen to David Fraser talking about his work on this audio from the ABC – he talks about the history of wood engraving, and how his attempts to become a songwriter led him from painting to printmaking.