Mark Hewatt

Tag: paper

  • A Hand Grinder in Five Passes

    A Hand Grinder in Five Passes

    Continuing the ongoing “Coffee” series, this piece shifts focus to an antique-style hand coffee grinder. Following the earlier studies, this was executed as a 5-color reduction print, peeling away layers of the design sequentially from the same block.

    Reduction printing always brings a healthy dose of discipline to the studio table. Because the block is progressively destroyed with each color pass, there is no backtracking—every cut has to be planned around the sequence of values. The print balances warm ochre and chestnut wood tones for the box, bold red accents on the drawer knob and crank handle, a solid black structural outline for the cast hopper and arm, and a cool, muted mint background.

    Technically, this was carved into a Speedball Speedy-Carve block and printed on Strathmore heavyweight printmaking paper using Speedball water-based inks. The pink rubber block cuts smoothly, allowing for fluid curved lines on the crank and hopper while still holding crisp architectural edges on the box. The water-based ink lays down with a velvety, slightly broken texture on the heavy paper, giving the final pull an honest, hand-crafted feel.

  • Relief Print: Moka Pot

    Relief Print: Moka Pot

    This recent piece is a sharp departure from my usual studio routine—an experimental reduction lino print of a classic moka pot. Relief printmaking is a medium I haven’t actively worked in for a very long time, making this a deliberate exercise in re-learning some lost skills.

    Reduction printing forces you to think entirely in reverse and in stages, carving away layers of the same linoleum block between color runs. For this trial, I pressed the inks onto a coarse, heavily textured handmade paper. The paper’s prominent tooth and organic surface grain deliberately fight the smooth coverage of the ink, leaving behind a raw, weathered texture that emphasizes the mechanical nature of the press.

    Stepping away from the precision of fine pens to wrestle with carving tools and ink rollers is a great reminder of how grounding it is to be a beginner again in a medium. It’s an untamed, physical process where you have to learn to embrace the friction and the happy accidents of the print.

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