Many times I have been trying to create a drawing of someone specific like my husband or my children and as well as I try, their facial features do not seem to come out correctly.
Have you ever tried to draw someone and it did not go as planned?
It can be very frustrating. However, I can tell you not to give up at this point. There is an option especially for linocut.
It is not unheard of to use a photograph to get the dimensions correct when preparing for any kind of art. I use this technique many times and have gotten excellent results.
Printmaking is a great art form where something simple can turn out fantastic and using a photograph to help is a wonderful tool.
What You Will Need
To start you’ll need to find a photo you would like to use for your linocut.
I am assuming that this is a digital photo you are using. But if you are using an actual printed photograph, just snap a photo of it and follow these next steps.
Flip The Image
You will need to flip the image around so that the image comes out the correct way when you are printing.
- One way to do this is by using a light box or tracing paper. Directions can be found here.
- Another way is by using Photoshop or another photo app to flip the image.
Photoshop Elements 11
a. Start with a photograph image or a digital image with words and open it on Photoshop. (I am using Photoshop Elements 11, so no new and fancy equipment is necessary for this, just use what you have.)
b. Then find the option on your program to rotate the image and have the image set to flip horizontally.
C. The result will be something you will be able to print out and transfer onto a linoleum.
What if I don’t have Photoshop?
If you do not have Photoshop Elements you can use their app called Photoshop Express for your phone or tablet.
Once you download the app and create an account it takes less than a minute to flip an image from your phone.
- Open your image from your photo files
2. The red highlighted areas need to be selected in order to be able to flip the image.
3. Select Flip Horizontal circled in red to flip your image.
4. Don’t forget to save your image to your phone. You will have an option to save as a copy. I would select that option because you will want to have the original option available for reference once you print your final image.
Print your image from your printer.
Now you’re all set to transfer the image onto linoleum.
I will write an article about the different transfer methods in the near future.
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