There is a thrilling, terrifying moment in reduction printmaking where you realize there is no turning back.
Unlike multi-block printing, where each colour gets its own designated surface, reduction printing relies on a single block. You carve, ink, print, and then—here is the leap of faith—you carve away at that very same block to print the next layer. By the time your final colour is pressed, your original block is largely destroyed. It’s an artistic tightrope walk.
During my current artist residency, I’ve been diving deep into the history of this “suicide block” technique, specifically looking at the mid-century master of the medium: Pablo Picasso.
Picasso’s Brilliant Shortcut
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Picasso was living in the south of France. He loved the graphic possibilities of the medium, but he grew frustrated by the tedious process of transferring a design onto four or five separate blocks to achieve a multi-coloured image. Registration (getting all the layers to line up perfectly) was a constant battle.
Behind this artistic evolution was a crucial partnership. Picasso’s master printer was Hidalgo Arnéra. Arnéra, a local commercial printer in Vallauris, France, originally introduced Picasso to the linocut medium. The two collaborated extensively, with Arnéra printing Picasso’s progressive proofs and final editions on his large commercial press.
Tired of cutting multiple blocks for a single image, Picasso changed the game. He and Arnéra realized they could use one block sequentially.
A spectacular example of this is his 1962 print, Still Life under the Lamp. To capture the brilliant, radiating glow of the lamplight against the dark room, Picasso had to think in reverse. He started with the brightest yellow of the light, printed it, and then progressively carved away the block to layer brilliant greens, vibrant reds, and finally, a deep black. Because it all came from a single piece of lino under Arnéra’s watchful eye on the press, the registration of those complex, radiating lines was absolutely flawless. The block evolved with the print.
Pablo Picasso, Still Life by Lamplight, 1962
Colour Linocut on Arches Paper
25 1/8 in x 20 7/8 in (63.8 cm x 53 cm)
Edition of 50Â
Published by Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris.
A Studio Breakthrough: From Lino to Foamboard
Inspired by his bold use of light and layered colour, I wanted to play with this methodology in the studio. However, I have always found traditional linocut to be a rather time-consuming process. It requires perfectly sharp gouges and a lot of physical strength to carve, and let’s not even mention the price of a sheet of lino block, which is why most of my own linocuts to date have been relatively small.
But one day recently in the studio, Ruth Barrett-Danes showed me some foamboards we had lying around and suggested I use them for experimentation.
It was an absolute revelation!
The foamboard is incredibly light and easy to cut. Instead of exhausting myself with traditional gouges, I found I could create lines and shapes using scalpel blades, pins, or even just regular pens. It drastically sped up my workflow and completely removed the physical strain of the medium, enabling me to focus entirely on image-making rather than the sheer physical labor.
Using a quick four-layer reduction process on the foam, I was able to play with shape, shadow, and overlay with total freedom. The material gave the prints a beautifully raw, textured quality that felt incredibly immediate and fresh.
Chicken Jug reduction print by Viola Wang
Viola Wang is a Chinese visual artist and author living and working in London, currently residence at Ochre Print Studio. Her practice spans fine art, murals, and global children’s illustration, with printmaking serving as the creative engine for every project. From exhibiting at the RA Summer Show to researching sustainable Kitchen Lithography, Viola combines traditional craft with modern, accessible techniques. Her work has been commissioned and displayed by institutions including the London Transport Museum and the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair.
