Steve Bennett West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

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Im a graphic designer by trade, having spent many years working in print, advertising and display. I trained in Graphic Design at the Kacob Kramer School in the late 70s. I set up Jagger Studio to promote my Lino prints. I am based in Guiseley, Leeds and currently creating lino print images.

I like the unpredictability of the Lino Print process, while you start out with an illustration or an idea – the cutting process allows for a new interpretation and only at the print state can you see the final result.

I start with a photo and using photoshop create a number of images using various techniques to create the selected image, then trace or iron this onto the Lino, I use grey linoleum - I think this suits my cutting technique. I then draw and refine the image - I tend to colour the Lino with red permanent ink to help with the cutting process.

Depending on wether I'm planning a single colour print , a multi colour print using more than i piece of Lino or a reduction print I start if its a portrait withe the eyes.

I then run a test print and if i’m happy start printing. Single colour printing is straight forward, multi colour prints are experimental as overlaying ink adds to the process, as most of my prints are hand printed the amount of pressure applied affects the look of each print.

I also like to use a number of inks on one piece of Lino and then over print with the final detail layer - this can mean that these results are sometimes more like Mono prints rather than a true set of limited editions as they are usually all slightly different.