Linocut Reduction Technique

This picture is called ‘Jacqueline with Glossy Hair’, by Pablo Picasso and master printer Hidalgo Arnéra (1992) using the reduction linocut technique.  In a series of steps, print areas in the same colour are carved away before a print of the colour is taken.  The process is repeated with another colour printed on top of the previous print, then repeated for every colour until the complete picture emerges.

I created a copy in order to learn the technique after watching a video by Christina Taylor, a Conservator at the Harvard Art Museum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg6FowI4h8o)

My copy is less clear and the print less even than Picasso’s.  This is because I used a very small size (6 x4 inches) whereas the original is over 7 times this size.  Larger sizes allow finer cuts and accuracy of registration which is important when using the reduction technique.  I used acrylics for speed, whereas the original was in oils.  Oils give a much more even and crisp print but require much longer drying time between prints. Even though my copy is not great, it did the job, helping me learn the technique as well as many other things along the way.