Learning lino print: Practice makes perfect, ish
Updated: 4 days ago
How often do we think we need to be an expert at something the first time that we try it?
I've been reflecting on this while out on long walks. Two years ago, I did a two-day navigation course in the Yorkshire Dales. I think I should be an expert at navigation and happy in the mountains now. But I’m not. I live in the Vale of York. I don’t get up mountains very often. So I won't be super confident the first time around. It’ll take practice, and it’ll take time. I need to stop giving myself a hard time if I feel anxious or take a wrong turn.
A reminder that we don’t always get things right the first time around. A reminder that we learn as we go. A reminder to myself that we don’t become an expert on day one of learning something new.
And the one thing to remember most of all? Enjoy the journey rather than focusing on the end result.
So if you are doing one of my online courses, have been to my workshops or are teaching yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’ve been practising and making linocut prints properly for nearly 6 years and still have a lot to learn!
Perfectionism
Hands up. I am a perfectionist. Or, as the way I prefer to frame it, I have high standards. That’s all very well and good, but if I’m learning a new skill, whether that’s baking bread, woodturning, or yoga, I won't be an expert after just one lesson or course.
But how many of us really do think that? We try something new. In our minds, what we’ve made is rubbish, or we’re no good at it. It doesn’t meet our very high expectations, and we are disappointed. Maybe give it a few more goes, then we give up. I was a bit like that with mountain biking. I’m technically not very good. Risk-averse and a bit timid. I used to berate myself for not whizzing down a steep, rocky trail when my friends could. But maybe I just needed the right lessons and a bit more time. Don’t we all learn at different speeds and in different ways? Maybe it was just about having fun. Maybe it was about finding people to cycle with who were at a similar level.
Lower your expectations
Teaching linocut workshops has taught me many things. One of which relates to the above. Some students come along saying “I can’t draw” or “I’m not creative”, while others have an array of crafts and creative hobbies. What I absolutely love is seeing how the first students blossom throughout the day. Their faces when they peel back the paper to reveal their first lino print are priceless. I confess I often have a ‘proud mum’ tear in my eye. I suspect their joy, in many ways, comes from having low expectations for what they’ll make. They booked a workshop to try something new, without the pressure to become an expert in one day.
Enjoy the process
And there lies the secret. The joy of making isn't in the finished product. It’s about the process. I could quite happily carve and print linocuts until the cows come home. I get completely absorbed in what I’m doing in the state of creative flow. I’m the same with baking, sewing, upcycling stuff and DIY. In fact, anything I can do hands-on, making something. That’s my meditation, my switching off, and my happy place.
Learning to linocut - my 1st linocut print
I first tried lino printing in July 2013. A craft fair at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall in York. One of the makers had a 'have a go' table. I’d always liked the style of linocut and thought I’d have a go.
This is the hedgehog I carved and printed there. Does anyone know who it might have been? I have a hell of a lot to thank them for giving me the linocutting bug!
Photos
Hedgehog lino print - July 2013
Hedgehog lino print 2013 Hedgehog lino print 2013 Hedgehog lino print 2013 Hedgehog lino print 2013
At the time, I was design manager for the cook and dine range for George Home at Asda. My job was quite full-on, and I often thought about ideas at home. It left little headspace for my own creations. Any spare time I had went to getting away from it all, gardening, walking, or cycling. I did a bit of lino cutting for some tableware designs at work and a few lino prints for myself, but not much.
Time to play
I didn't find the time to play with lino properly until I was made redundant in January 2016.
I’ve been having a spring clean and sorting out over Christmas and the New Year. I realised that I’d carved and printed a lino print of Holgate Windmill five times before I was happy with it. Yes five!
This is what prompted me to write this blog. Firstly, it takes time and practice to learn a new skill, and secondly, to reflect on how my skills have developed over time.
I thought you'd find this progression useful, too. The linocuts my students make are far better than any of my early creations! You’ll also see how my methods have changed as I’ve learnt. Apart from that first ‘have a go’ session, I’m self-taught. I think crafting is in my DNA. I bought a few books on stamping, and off I went, making it up as I went along. The joy of that is the huge learning curve I've had. Some things have worked, and some things haven’t. Learning by mistake is one of the best ways of learning.
You’ll also see how my methods have changed as I’ve learnt. Apart from that first ‘have a go’ session, I’m self-taught. I think crafting is in my DNA. I bought a few books on stamping, and off I went, making it up as I went along. The joy of that is that I’ve had a huge learning curve. Some things have worked, and some things haven’t. Learning by mistake is one of the best ways of learning.
Learn by mistake
Spot the deliberate mistake below? I forgot to reverse the design before carving the first lino print. Over the next 2 years, I learnt to carve straight lines and rectangular shapes more accurately. You can see how each design has evolved. The close-up images make me cringe, but I thought you’d find them useful!
Holgate Windmill lino print 1 Holgate Windmill lino print Holgate Windmill lino print 3 Holgate Windmill lino print 4 
Holgate Windmill lino print 5 Holgate Windmill lino block
Photos
Holgate Windmill lino print 1 - October 2015
Holgate Windmill lino print 2 - October 2015
Holgate Windmill lino print 3 - April 2016
Holgate Windmill lino print 4 - December 2016
Holgate Windmill lino print 5 - October 2017
Lino print 1 detail Lino print 2 detail Lino print 3 detail Lino print 4 detail Lino print 5 detail
Photos
Details from each Holgate Windmill linocut print, in the order I made them.
One-colour lino prints
The best way to get to grips with lino printing is to make one-colour prints. These are some of the one colour prints I made when I first started. Some are carved in traditional lino, but most are SoftCut or easy-carve lino. I used a beginner's set of Essdee lino tools for all of them. Although I had an inexpensive Essdee roller, I liked using my late grandad's old wallpaper roller. Most of the time, I printed on cheap wallpaper lining paper because it didn’t matter if I made mistakes. Expensive paper can give you creative block! Bear in mind it isn’t acid-free and gets darker over time when exposed to light.
Robin lino print 2013 Deer lino print card Deer lino print card Hedgehog lino print block Hedgehog lino print Sea Days lino print block 
Sea Days lino print Christmas tree lino print Christmas tree lino print
Photos
Robin lino print Christmas card - December 2013
Deer lino print Christmas card - December 2014
Hedgehog lino print - July 2016
Sea Days lino print - September 2016
Tree lino print Christmas card - December 2016
Hand-coloured lino prints
The easiest way to make a multi-coloured lino print is to hand-colour it. I used my old college watercolour set. The designs were printed in Hawthorn’s oil-based ink, which meant the printing colour didn’t run or smudge.
Bird hand coloured lino print Kingfisher lino print Hand colouring Long tailed tit lino print Hand coloured tree lino print hand coloured lino print
Photos
Birds hand coloured lino print - May 2014
Pom hand coloured pom tree lino print - August 2016
Tree hand coloured lino print - April 2016
Printing with more than one colour: Jigsaw lino prints and printing with SoftCut lino shapes
I soon wanted to make multi-coloured prints with my oil-based inks. I’d bought a couple of books on stamping and printing with found objects. They used foam, rubber, or easy-carve lino to make cut-out stamps.
This inspired me to try the lino print ideas below. They all use SoftCut lino and are hand-printed. I carved the design details first, then cut out the shapes. I carved the jigsaw linocut designs into one piece of linoleum, then cut it apart to form a jigsaw. This process means you can ink the lino blocks, arrange them, and print in one go. This technique works best with SoftCut or easy-carve lino. Be careful that the pieces don’t move as you hand-burnish them with a wooden spoon or similar (hand-burnishing means rubbing the back of the paper to transfer ink from the block to the paper). I needed several hands and more fingers than I have to print some designs!
Teal Blooms lino print blocks Teal Blooms lino print Dales jigsaw lino print block 
Dales jigsaw lino print Blooms lino blocks Blooms lino print Trees jigsaw lino print blocks Printing jigsaw lino print Autumn Trees jigsaw print Partridge lino print 1 Partridge lino print 2 Partridge lino print
Photos
Teal Blooms lino print, using cut-out SoftCut lino shapes - July 2016
Yorkshire Dales 1 'jigsaw' lino print - July 2016
Blush Blooms lino print, using cut-out SoftCut lino shapes - August 2016
Autumn Trees 'jigsaw' lino print - December 2016
Partridge lino print, using cut-out SoftCut lino shapes - January 2017
Printing with more than one colour: Multi-block lino prints
In July 2017, I bought a Hawthorn Printmaker Supplies etching press. I discovered that SoftCut, or easy-carve lino, is prone to movement on an etching or roller press. In August, I bought high-quality Pfeil lino cutting tools, which let me carve the harder, traditional grey hessian-backed lino. It’s more stable and prints better with a press.
My earlier designs used 2 lino blocks. Now I use up to 6 lino blocks. The fewer blocks, the easier registration is. Registration means lining up each colour as it's printed.
Hole of Horcum 
Moon Gazing Hare 
Robin Hood’s Bay 
Curlew Curlew lino blocks 
Whitby Steps Swaledale II lino blocks 
Swaledale II 
Langdale Pikes
Photos
Hole of Horcum multi-block lino print - September 2017
Moon Gazing Hare multi-block lino print - December 2017
Robin Hood’s Bay multi-block lino print - January 2018
Curlew multi-block lino print - September 2018
Whitby Steps multi-block lino print - August 2018
Swaledale II multi-block lino print - May 2021
Langdale Pikes multi-block lino print - August 2021
Linocut and printmaking tools and materials
Find out more about the tools and equipment needed to create linocut prints in my 'lino cutting equipment' blog.
Would you like to learn how to make a linocut print?
Whether you’re completely new to linocut or ready to develop your skills, I offer online linocut courses and hands-on workshops in York to help you learn at your own pace.
Linocut Online Courses
Learn from home with step-by-step video lessons, guided projects and online support.
Beginner’s Guide to Linocut Printing: Learn the basics and make your first one-colour linocut print.
How to Make a Multi-Block Linocut Print: Build your skills and learn how to create colourful multi-block prints.
Linocut Workshops in York
Join me in my York garden studio for a relaxed, hands-on linocut workshop. Classes are kept small, with a maximum of four people, so there’s plenty of individual tuition and time to ask questions.
Level 1: Introduction to Linocut Printing
Level 2: “Jigsaw” Linocut Printing
Level 3: Multi-Block Linocut Printing
My book: Printing Birds and Wildlife in Linocut
Printing Birds and Wildlife in Linocut by Michelle Hughes is a practical, step-by-step guide to creating your own linocut prints. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced printmaker, the book covers everything from simple one-colour prints to jigsaw, reduction and multi-block techniques, with plenty of guidance to help you develop your own ideas and confidence.
Keep in touch
Sign up for my VIP list
for news on my latest releases, workshops and creative inspiration
I only send monthly (sometimes bi-monthly)
About Michelle
I’m Michelle Hughes, a North Yorkshire landscape artist and printmaker based in York. My original linocut prints are inspired by the Yorkshire Coast, Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and the wider British countryside.
I gather ideas and take photographs while walking and cycling, then bring them back to my garden studio in York. I simplify my photographs into bold, stylised designs, carve them into lino blocks and hand-print each limited edition on my etching press using oil-based inks.
Thank you Michelle. This is both reassuring and inspiring!