Tea for Two - Setting

Just for fun, I wanted to try a mini scene.

Tea for Two -Setting relief block - Speedball carved block, inked with Black Ranger ink to check for needed modifications.

Filling the block in this way completely avoids any concerns about stray ink lines made by random high- points; most open areas are less than a half an inch from an intentional line.  I am not sure this will be an interesting print, but it does provide a good reminder of the use of space in relief printing - it is about much more than composition - it is also about function of the material.

Tea for Two - Setting - Proof print.  Black Ranger ink on 300 series Strathmore printmaker paper.

After pulling the first print, I see that with so much of the relief block raised to collect ink, it will be essential to ink thoroughly.  Because this is much more ridge dense than many of my pieces, using a wide brayer and tube ink will probably create the best results! Notice on the right hand side, minimal ink is NOT enough to cover the image.  there are also some stray cut lines that need to be removed; because they create a pattern, they are highly noticeable.