Hello, I’m Paulina, an artist based in Wrocław, Poland.
Though I tried a lot of different techniques, linocut is by far one of my favourites - it is a process that consists of a few steps, each of them requiring focus and attention. To me, it is not only a means to express my love for sharply defined shapes and vibrant colours, but above all, a way to detach a bit from the everyday life and simply relax.
First, I start with an idea. Something pops into my
head, and after that, I take my time to explore it
through sketching, trying out different options.
When the sketch is done, it is time to
transfer it to the linoleum matrix. For
that, I mainly
use tracing paper, sometimes I also draw directly
on the matrix.
Now is the time for my favourite part - carving. For
that I have few different chisels, each of them
allowing me to carve different types of
lines,
differing in shape and thickness.
When the whole design is carved, next step is to
apply the ink onto the finished
matrix with a roller.
After preparing the matrix like that, it is ready to be
printed.
To print out a linocut, I simply press a piece of
paper to my inked matrix. I use
a printing press to
apply the pressure more evenly, which helps me
avoid unprinted patches.
For smaller prints
wooden spoon would also do nicely.