Making a Relief Print - continued 2

Once the soft graphite image has been traced the way I want it, I remove the tape and move the vellum (or tracing paper) to a clean work space.  If there are any revisions or additions to make, this is a good time to do that.  If there is a need to erase, great care should be taken not to smear any of the desirable graphite lines or to wrinkle or tear the shear paper.

Next, it is time to move the material to the place that you will be carving (whether it is the Speedball softcut, linoleum or a wood block.)  If possible, anchor this material so that it is stationery.  Place the soft graphite drawing,that is on the vellum, face down on the softcut block.  If possible, tape the outside edges of the paper to the surface holding the softcut block.  Using parallel pressure, very sequentially apply first vertical then horizontal pressure to the back of the graphite drawing to transfer the graphite material to the surface of the block.  Be carefully not to gouge or dig in fingernails, etc.  Any depressions pushed into the softcut material will negatively effect the reception of the ink AND the appearance of the final print.

It is possible to carefully lift the corner of the vellum to check the completeness of the transferred image.  Continue thoroughly applying pressure until all of the image has been transferred to the block surface.  As you lift the vellum from the surface of the block, the image will be symmetrical to the original sketch:  the original and the block will be mirror images.

From left to right:  block with transferred surface, original sketch (in the background,) and vellum soft graphite transfer.  Notice the symmetry of the block and the vellum images. 

Once you are ready to begin the carving process, move the softcut (linoleum, wood,) material to a location where the surface it is resting on cannot be damaged with the slip of a sharp blade.  Be sure the block can easily be rotated to the left and right - in fact 360 degrees -  to facilitate the carving process.

Most Speedball cutting sets include five blades.  Their shapes include a shallow V, an deep V, and deep U, a straight blade, and a sideways C blade.  Careful selection between these shapes will result in crisp edges for inking.  I usually begin with the shallow V blade and travel along both sides of each graphite line.  The goal is to remove everything that is pink and leave each surface that is graphite in tact.  I work to keep the line between 1/16 and 1/32 so that there is plenty of surface to catch the ink for laying down the printed image.

Close up of the correct angle of the carved line, cutting away material on both sides of the soft graphite line.  

Taking a close view at the cutting level of the block, the V blade allow the artist to carve on both side of the line leaving the line in tact.  Careful planning and cutting  maintains the narrowest portion of the carved "wall" at the top, and the widest part of the wall at the base or bottom.  The advantage of using the V shaped blade is that the blade naturally creates the strongest angle for successful printing.