Hartlepool Festival of Illustration

Set to start on June 4th 2015, the Hartlepool Festival of Illustration is lead by none other than the university I attend (CCAD). It is predicted to be a major attraction throughout the UK, bringing major names such as Ralph Steadman, Jack Teagal, David Lucas, and many more, to the seaside town of Hartlepool.

The event is composed of many different occurances throughout the first few days, talks from leading artists, workshops (of which I have taken the opportunity to volunteer for), symposiums, and an illustration market. On my course, two students will be given the opportunity to exhibit beside the illustrators displayed in the Festival, which is a great chance that I will be striving to achieve by producing the best work I can as the year nears its end.

For this festival to take place, great amounts of funding have been awarded to CCAD to make it a truly inspiring event - Arts Council England has granted them this funding after taking great excitement in what the course has been up to recently.

This will only boost the cultural improvement of Church Square, which has recently been granted £5.4m for a regeneration as a centre of Hartlepool's rejuvenation. The event will attract people from far and wide, and finally display in full swing just how much of a creative hub the North East is.

The Pitch - Lino Printing

Lino Printing is a printing technique similar to woodcut printing in that its form comes from engraving an image into a surface - however lino is used for this technique. Using a V-shaped chisel, parts of the lino are engraved away to create an image on its surface; however it is important to note that the image will be mirrored when printed, so any text must be backwards on the lino itself. Following the engraving, ink is applied to the lino with a roller, then the lino pressed to the paper. It is important to apply even pressure when doing this to ensure a consistency with the ink. The lino achieves a smoother image than wood, remains flexible and easy to carve, however it is difficult to create larger pieces as the material is fragile.

Mass production can also not be achieved through lino printing, as the surface of this material is prone to degradation through overuse. It can, however, be used to achieve a multitude of effects, using different pressures, colours, and even different shaped chisels. I have personally experimented with lino printing, and despite its time consuming nature (originally carving the lino itself, once the lino is engraved it takes next to no time to print), I enjoyed the effect it had given. Example below.