Block Print for Beginners is a clearly written and well-illustrated guide for those who are new to the printing arts or, like myself, are looking to renew their engagement with the medium.
Elise Young begins with an exploration of the various tools and materials which are used in lino printing, then covers (with illustrations) the basic techniques used to create and print from a block design. The remainder of the book consists of a series of consecutively more complex projects, leading the reader through many of the techniques used by print artists. Each project is explained in an accessible step-by-step manner with accompanying photographs.
The designs used through the book are relatively simple, and hence achievable by a beginner, but also really attractive, effective and inspiring for those who feel short of inspiration as they embark on a new artistic endeavour. An emerging block-printing artist could achieve an awful lot, working purely from the content of this single title and their own imagination. I believe Block Print for Beginners would also prove a valuable reference title for art schools and working artists to consult when refreshing their understanding of particular techniques.
Reading Block Print for Beginners has inspired me to dig out my tools and inks and revive my own endeavours in printing, which I've sadly neglected over recent years. I'd thoroughly recommend it to any reader interested in trying printing, and also to art teachers and working artists who are seeking to introduce printing techniques into their pieces.
My thanks to the author, Elise Young, publisher Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this fresh and inspiring title.