What is the best way of carving clouds in a linocut print?
“Rows and floes of angel hair,
And ice cream castles in the air,
And feather canyons everywhere,
I’ve looked at clouds that way”
Clouds are captivating. There’s something so special about them, maybe because they’re (for the most part) untouchable, maybe it’s their seemingly infinite variety. My daughter and I have a lot of conversations about wanting to sit up there, and what it would feel like if our fantasy of clouds were real and we didn’t just fall straight through. A lovely daydream.
When it comes to linocut printmaking, clouds can be both a big challenge and, I’ve been told, a great opportunity for creativity and expression. I’ve tackled them in a few different ways over the past few years, so let’s take a look at some of the different ways of carving clouds in a linocut print.
Watching the Match (2020)
This was a commission from one of our neighbours, who wanted a print of a favourite photo of his parents. With the colours and style I wanted to convey the brightness of an English summer’s day, when everything seems hyper-real and the cool darkness of the shade makes sun-lit areas seem even more intense. The clouds in the photo were high and wispy, giving a nice counterpoint to the calm stillness of the couple relaxing in their chairs, watching the cricket match. Between these two points are the distant figures of the cricketers, lit up by the sun. I remember the clouds took quite a long time to draw, and to carve, with all the little trailing pieces. As you can see, I added a little grey at the base of the larger pieces, to give them some depth and volume.
Cloud forms (2021)
This is a little print that I made while trying to figure out how the clouds should look in my Florence Park print (below). I ended up going for a different approach, but still liked this one so thought it should have a life of its own!
July Afternoon, Florence Park (2022)
What started out as quite a simple idea turned into my most complex print to date! Every aspect of this print was a challenge; as I was working in just one colour there was a lot of thought required as to how to convey different degrees of shade, and how to use different marks and lines to describe different elements: grass, trees, clouds, sky. It felt like a huge achievement when it was complete! I’m glad I chose cross-hatching for the clouds, as I think it gives them a nice, contrasting lightness against the darkness of the distant trees. I suppose this is a lesson in realising that you can’t always plan every last bit of a project, sometimes you just have to feel your way along, and that with some experimentation you’ll find the answer.
Moon + clouds (2024)
I was trying out a few different ideas for clouds in a new print, messing around with shapes and lines. I’m not sure quite how this idea even arrived, it just sort of appeared. One of those moments of being in the zone, where things just flow! It’s only small, but I think quite delightful!
Cowley Library (2024)
Now things have gone really quite weird! This is a work in progress, and a bit of an experiment really. In my preliminary sketches and scribbles I’d become quite taken with a continuing line that proceeds horizontally and vertically, crossing itself repeatedly (there’s probably a better way of describing this), and decided I wanted to incorporate it into the background of the print. So I drew it, and then picked out some of the shapes to carve out as clouds. They’re not necessarily very cloud-like, but I like them, so what does it matter?
So, what is the best way to carve clouds in a linocut print? For me the answer to this is just to experiment. Take a look at approaches taken by other printmakers, and have a go at them yourself to see if you find them enjoyable, and if they work with the overall idea and ‘look’ that you have in mind for your print. Things don’t have to look real, or include too much detail. Sometimes going for quite a ‘crude’ approach can give a really good feel of movement and drama, which a cloudy day often brings. If you’ve got any questions, do feel free to send me a message.
In my linocut classes in Oxford, you’ll be able to try out different methods of mark making, and I give help and advice as you tackle the different aspects of your chosen print subject. Find details of my linocut workshops here.
You can find Cloud Forms, Moon + Clouds and July Afternoon, Florence Park for sale in my shop.
Let’s finish with a few more words from Joni:
“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down and still somehow,
It’s cloud illusions I recall,
I really don’t know clouds at all.”
