Apr. 14 – Cutting your block

Today I demonstrated how to property use the gouge to cut your rubber blocks to make your prints.  Remember these are sharp tools that must be safely handled.  You will lose marks if you use the tools unsafely!

Here's a great video that shows how to hold the gouge and where to safely place your fingers:

The rubber blocks you are using are softer than the lino block in the video.  It should not take a lot of force to cut into your blocks.  Be careful and take the time to do it right.  The quality of your carving will effect the quality of ALL of your prints!