Why I am learning Block-Printing (part i)
Linocut Block Printing is the first Special Project of 2026. Special Projects are learning journeys and curiosity explorations that I undertake in collaboration and consultation with paying subscribers of my work. I invite paying subscribers (aka SneakyArt Insiders) to join live Zoom sessions while I work, ask questions, offer suggestions, or even simply watch. Each session ends with a review and light Q&A.
The most common question I get, during the live sessions, and in the Substack posts afterwards, is - Why?
Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?
These are, all things considered, legitimate questions. So, here is a reason.
I want to be a better person.
I am impatient, temperamental, and my clinically-diagnosed ADHD brain will work hard only to slack off at the 80% mark. I describe myself as an 80-percenter. I need to be a finisher.
The traits of my personality feed into my art. The art style for which I am famous is a result of tapping into my impatience. The art is the way it is because I let my easily bored mind dictate the page.
Most of the tiny people I draw are drawn in under 20 seconds. What would happen if I put an hour into the creation process instead?
You cannot rush linocut. You cannot go merely by instinct. Every line matters. Even the negative space matters. I have to see it, understand it, deal with it. I have to work at the same pace, with the same diligence, for the entire period of time. Else, I risk a shoddy job which will require more steps to complete. Else, I risk literal injury because it is not good to be distracted while using sharp blades.
The original drawings were made on a 15-minute stroll in my neighbourhood with a 3x4” sketch-pad. This took nearly 2 hours to get kinda right.
From a drawing on a translucent sheet, transferring to the block, making my first cuts, and spending double the time on all the negative space, it took me 2 hours to do a pretty bad job of my first linocut. The original drawing took less than a minute.
Should I change myself if who I am is so closely linked to my art style?
During one of the live sessions, an Insider asked if I was at all afraid of losing my art style if I went down a very different path of creative expression. I am not, I answered.
The practice of art is a journey. It is not being static at one spot, doing the same thing forever. We evolve and change and grow every single day. Like the Ship of Theseus, we renew ourselves constantly. But just like the Ship, we are always who we were.
The other thing important to the practice of art is courage. You cannot be afraid of what you make. You cannot believe it is bigger than you. To have the audacity to create something, you have to believe you are bigger than the page and anything you put on it. To give into fears regarding change is to become a slave to the best drawing you made. You will never, ever get better than that again. You will never even be as good as that again. To be afraid of change is to live in your own shadow.
There are more reasons that come to mind. Maybe I should make this into a series of posts. Stay tuned.
I recommend this starter kit to get started. In Vancouver, I bought it at my trusted local OPUS Art Supplies store.