Today I thought I'd experiment a little with block prints. It's a very tactile and fun way to think about positive and negative space, consider simplicity and complexity, and ultimately (if you do it correctly) have a way to reproduce a single image in multiplication.
I started by opening illustrator and making a nice simple design that I could print onto paper, tshirt, or wherever. I made sure that the design was roughly the same size as the carving block I had.
Because my design had lettering in it, it was important to reverse the image so that the final print would read correctly.
After finishing the design I printed it and then cut it to size. I applied a layer of charcoal to the back of the print out and then drew over the design with a pen so that the charcoal would transfer to the carving block.
With the design successfully transferred, the negative space was carved away.
Ink was then applied block. The block was carefully placed on the paper and even pressure was applied to the back.
Once lifted from the surface of the material, in this case paper, the print was done!
I had fun with this exercise and would love to do something a little more complicated next time.
I'm not real sure what to do with this block but I'm sure I'll think of something.