Meanwhile, I tend to make small linocuts of hand-drawn animals or trees. I print these onto book covers, cards, postcards, packages. I don't create a lot of linocuts with words - letters and numbers are so small and take a lot of precision. Letters and numbers aren't as forgiving as birds or trees.
A couple weeks ago I was asked to personalize a wedding guestbook for a customer. I loved their idea, so readily agreed. She had purchased a vintage covered blank book - green with gold printed title and wanted the personalization on the cover to match the gold.
First step was the design process. What was within my skills and abilities? I know from experience that with letters and numbers, the fewer the better. I wouldn't be able to carve font small enough to fit their whole names and spelled out wedding date onto the cover. She suggested initials and numerical date. Ahhh... this I can do.
I offered three designs that I knew I could deliver on a linocut. She chose the sweet and simple third.
I looked through the fonts on my digital imaging program, found something that closely matched the original font, and printed the personalization from my computer.
Next, I filled in the personalization with a charcoal pencil, and transferred it to the linoleum, then began cutting.
It was quite a successful project and I was so pleased to mail it off to the bride and groom.
When she opens her package, I hope she is pleasantly surprised to find that I also included the linocut! Imagine a typical stamp, but instead of adhered to a little block of wood, it's adhered to a little chunk of text block.
These sorts of things are exactly what I love about being a bookbinder and artist.
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