Creative Impressions: Relief Printmaking with Lino with Mark Rowden

Join printmaker Mark Rowden for an inspiring and hands-on lino printmaking course designed for creatives of all skill levels. Over the term, you'll explore a range of dynamic relief printing techniques, including black-and-white prints, two-block colour prints, jigsaw printing, mixed media prints, and reduction printing.

Working with both hand-printing and press techniques, you’ll learn how to carve, ink, register, and layer your work with confidence. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your printmaking practice, each session offers expert guidance, experimentation, and a supportive studio environment. Oil based with no toxic cleanup.

What's covered in the class:

1. Black & White Printing
Learn the essentials of single-block printing. Focus on mark-making, image design, and achieving crisp, high-contrast prints using black ink.

2.Two-Block Colour Printing
Discover how to carve and register two separate lino blocks to create layered, multi-colour prints with bold contrasts and subtle colour relationships.

3.Jigsaw Printing
Cut a single lino block into puzzle-like pieces, ink each with a different colour, and reassemble to print a cohesive, multicolour image in one pass.

4.Mixed Media Printing
Explore combining lino with monoprinting and collage. Experiment with layering textured papers, brushwork, chine-collé, and inking techniques to create expressive, dynamic results.

5.Reduction Printing
Learn how to carve and print from the same block in multiple stages, building rich, layered colour works through a subtractive process. A technically demanding but rewarding method.

6.Carving Techniques & Tools
Gain hands-on experience using a range of lino tools including V-gouges, U-gouges, and fine blades. Learn how to safely and effectively carve lines, textures, and detail. Discussions include sharpening, tool selection, and maintenance.

7. Artists & Inspiration
Looking at contemporary artists offering inspiration and insight into how different approaches can inform your own work.

8. Paper Exploration
Experiment with a wide variety of papers

What’s Provided

• Oil-based relief inks (core range)
• 1x small lino block to get started
• A selection of printmaking papers for experimenting on
• Mountboard and textural materials for collagraph/mixed media
• Full access to shared studio tools: printing press, rollers, inking trays, cutting mats, rags, etc.

Materials List

• 2x Lino blocks (30x30cm, traditional grey/silk-cut lino recommended). You may need more depending on the size you want to do.
• Lino carving tools (e.g. Sakura set – sharp and reliable)
• Printmaking paper (Zerkall, rice paper)
• Pencil, eraser, ruler
• Notebook (A4, for planning/sketching)
• Apron or old shirt (printing can be messy!)
• Old wooden or bamboo spoon (for hand burnishing)
• Masking tape
• Thin and thick black liner or marker
• Tracing paper
• Carbon paper
• Sharpener, scalpel/blade

Paper Suggestions

• Rice paper roll (at least 30cm wide)
• Printmaking papers (Stonehenge, Fabriano – for final works)
• Bond paper (for proofing) small pad
• Coloured or textured papers (for layering/experimentation)

Inks & Colour

• A range of relief inks is supplied in the class (oil-based)
• If there’s a specific colour you want, feel free to bring old oil paint — we can mix it with printmaking medium to create your colour

Optional Extras

• Scrap collage papers (e.g. tissue, magazines, wrapping paper)
• Yamato Glue (rice glue)
• Brush
• Reference images or sketchbook
• Gloves (optional – some provided

Terms and Conditions

Please choose carefully as fees are non-refundable. Refunds of course fees will only be given if the course is cancelled or a place is not available in the course.

Payment of course fees implies that you have read and agree to the WAC Terms & Conditions.