I'm overdue for getting my Baren Forum Chinese New Year exchange print done and I finally got time blocked out to work on it. After some research I decided on a design and got it worked out. The reasons for doing a reduction print are less carving, better registration and harmonious color. I had a new material I bought from McClains that is linoleum-like and is used by Japanese schoolchildren. I bought a larger piece and cut it to size on my Kutrimmer with no problem. I even rounded the corners on a corner rounder.
I tried at first to use the Daniel Smith water washable oil relief ink but it wasn't drying and I remembered reading that it takes a long time to dry especially with layered color. Plan B was using my lithographic ink from Graphic Chemical and that worked fine. I used a LOT of the transparency medium for the first block which gave the pale blue background color. I even used a good bit of transparency medium with the second (brown) color. I liked the second stage of the print so much I almost quit but I'm glad I didn't now that I've carved and proofed the black layer.
Happy Year of the Ox!!
