Linocut workshop

The oldest engraving method

Linocutting is one of the most popular creative disciplines. This specific technique of intaglio engraving is the oldest known engraving method, similar to wood engraving, and is practised on a particular material, linoleum.

Linoleum, which everyone knows as a floor covering, is made from natural material and owes its success to the fact that it meets both hygiene and comfort requirements.

Like a pad

Formally, linocut involves removing the blanks, or reserves, from the final result, the ink settling on the parts that have not been removed. The drawing to be reproduced then appears in relief on the plate.

The print is therefore inverted in relation to the engraved motif, just like a stamp, a result that requires a special kind of expertise, which the students from Toulouse have been working on.

Three engraved tiles for each student

Supervised by Edouard Marpeau, Stephan Mikolajczak and Marie Pujo, all three of whom teach at ESMA Toulouse, the future designers spent three days (17-18-19 December) experimenting with this fairly recent image reproduction technique, which only appeared at the beginning of the 20th century.
Each student produced three plates, three engraved tiles in a predefined format, with the ultimate aim of pooling all their engraved work to produce collective posters.

SUBJECT OF THE EXERCISE

Over three days, test and experiment with the linocut technique.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXERCISE

• Each student must create 3 engraved tiles,
• Do not exceed the required format,
• Pool all the tiles to produce collective posters.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE

To discover images in a different way, playing with hollows and solids to create a pattern.

The students were also asked to create a common motif through their own work.

TECHNIQUE(S)

Free choice of designs.

Inks, linoleum plates, gouges, paper.