Workshop leader Aiste Ramunaite

“In this workshop we learn how to use linocut techniques to capture the spirit and character of our subject. A portrait usually conveys something hidden in the visual sense, the history of a person, their secret or emotional life. How do you reveal and represent these hidden aspects and blend them with the mirror’s ‘reality’? The Portrait linocut workshop explores closely every angle of technique and character. We start by drawing directly onto lino…”

Workshop participant Sean Lingwood says: 

 “In my self-portrait I wanted to achieve a level of contrast to express the complexity and diversity of my own (and others peoples) personalities. The idea was to mix a very clean graphic plate with a very detailed and expressive plate, then finish off with an abstract shape that helped put the person (me) into a location or situation. I experimented with various colours to get the right level of harmony and contrast.”

Workshop participant Natasha Davies says:

“I’ve barely touched upon linocut before so I well and truly threw myself in the deep end trying to do a three colour linoprint! Before I began I had an idea of the feel of the portrait that I wanted to achieve, but as soon as I started cutting I discovered it really was something that evolves by itself! Daring to print different colours for each of the ‘plates’ created surprising results and showed me that you never know what might happen unless you experiment.”