Block Cutting, Print Trials and more Sketching

This last week there has been more sketching, first print trials and block cutting for 12 Trees.

It seems slow progress at the moment but there is so much prep to do before I can even start to cut the blocks, roughs to work out, blocks to cut and prepare and more sketching and research on the trees.
However I have started trial cutting the text headers today.


Elder and Elm, Beech, some too big, some too small. It’s trial and error.What looks fine on the block sometimes doesn’t look great when printed and next to one of the large images.

5 Part cut blocks..

More sketches while the weather is OK and there are a few leaves left.

Field Maples,who seem to like to be in companionable threes.


Ash Trees with their upturned branch ends and handsome black buds.

Last Friday I started looking at type at Logan Press and hand setting a few lines, proofing on a lovely little Albion

 

Slow .. but progress.

Some More Letters

More daily freehand letter forms for my October pen sketches.
They have been very useful in just understanding how letter forms are created, about the rules and then how rules are broken and bent.
Just as rules should be …

This second set includes some wonderful 60’s 70’s letterforms.The vibrant work, the visual track of my teens and early twenties and formative in my design thinking, really needs those incredible colours..more of that to come.

It was interesting that while working on them I found these exuberant forms were the only ones that just would not be contained within the page. Some may recognise part of the “U&lc” Upper and Lower case mag logo.

Every gorgeous issue of Herb Lublin’s magazine was stuffed with wonderful design. I used to have a few.

And a few larger sketches from a great typographical “life class”..

Next month I am going to hopefully continue this daily exploration of type… but with some colour!