Introduction to Woodcut Printing with Helen Brown

This Ditchling workshop is taught by printmaker and experienced teacher Helen Brown. Helen will expertly guide you through the woodcut process from design, transfer, cutting, inking and printing.

You will also learn to use chine collé; a paper overlay technique to add depth and colour to your print. Each stage is broken down into 8 chapter films totalling 80 minutes and can be watched at your own pace as often as you like within 6 weeks of purchase.

This workshop comes with a materials pack that includes all the specialist equipment to set you on your relief printmaking journey.

There are also downloadable PDFs that accompany the workshop with information about Ditchling printmakers and woodcut prints from the museum’s collection.

Please note, this course is not available to under 18's, as a craft knife is included.

A taste of the course

Watch the trailer to find out more about what you'll learn on this course.

The Course

£60

Course + materials pack

Your workshop includes

· Access to the Teachable platform for 6 weeks from your first log in. Teachable holds all the information you need in one place.

· Immediate access to 8 workshop chapter films totalling 80 minutes to work through and repeat at your own pace.

· PDFs of artist biographies and relevant object information for you to save and keep.

· A materials suppliers list.

· A materials pack:

Japanese woodcut tool set containing 5 tools.
A practise woodblock.
2 x A5 woodblocks each with a different grain direction.
A tube of relief printing ink.
An inking roller.
A craft knife.
A plastic (biodegradable) wallet.
A glue stick.
10 x sheets of cartridge paper.
10 x sheets of newsprint paper.
5 x sheets of coloured tissue paper.
1 x sheet of carbon paper.
1 x sheet of baking paper.
A piece of worktable nonslip fabric.

You will need from home:

A pencil.
A rubber (perhaps).
Sticky tape – paper parcel tape is ideal.
A wooden spoon.
A small amount of cooking oil.
A washing up bowl.
Hot water and washing up liquid.
A rag.
Rubber gloves if you don’t want to touch the ink.
A mixture of patterned or coloured papers if you would like to use different papers other than the tissue paper we have provided for the chine collé.

Your materials pack will be posted to your billing address. Packs will arrive within 2 - 7 days.

Helen Brown

Helen is a woodcut printmaker based in Sussex, she also teaches printmaking, mainly at BIP Art Brighton. Most of her work features the South Downs, as this is her home and a great love. Helen draws directly from the landscape onto wooden blocks, she then carves into the blocks and prints from them.

All of her work is handmade and each one of her pieces is given individual life though chine collé (paper overlay) and hand colouring, just as the mood of a scene shifts with light, time and experience.

Helen spends time in the places her work depicts, returning to them so her prints are imbued with the emotion of place. Working outdoors enables her to connect with the spirit of the place, capturing the line and fluidity of scenes and localities.