I wrapped up the semester on a good note, currently taking it easy back at home. Before heading home, however, I managed to finish the linoleum print I was working on sometime ago.
The sketch itself took a bit longer than I intended, but I really wanted the whole piece to be full of detail and meld together naturally. From there, I covered the back of the paper with graphite, facing that side toward the linoleum block. Taking a pen, I traced over the sketch so it would transfer onto the block, the graphite smudging the surface. Nonetheless, some details managed to transfer flawlessly, so I went back in with a pen and drew in the details of my sketch onto the block.
It was then finally time to carve away at the linoleum block in order to get rid of the areas of the piece that would not retain the ink. I underestimated the amount of time I needed to carve the entire piece, losing track on how many hours I spent carving away linoleum. I was in the zone when it came to this piece, the music playing in my earbuds spurring me on as I worked tirelessly. Eventually, I finally completed the linoleum block, brushing away any scraps that were stuck onto it.
The inking and printing process was the final step, which is where the problems began. It was simple enough, covering the roller with ink and applying it onto the block, and simpler enough to place a piece of paper onto it to print the design. After applying sufficient and even pressure onto the paper and block, imagine my disappointment seeing an incomplete print of my design. I went through the same inking and pressing process a handful of times before coming to the conclusion that the type of ink I was using was causing most of the issues. I was frustrated, but the experience was worthwhile and enlightening, and I’m more than excited to continue experimenting with printmaking in the future.
As for the subject matter of this piece, I was heavily inspired by Albrecht Durer’s The Four Horsemen from his “Apocalypse” series. The entirety of the piece references the aforementioned wood print, but I utilized characters from the Chainsaw Man series to make it my own. In Chainsaw Man, devils of all kinds exist who represent certain concepts and fears; the more it is feared, the more powerful it is. Without going into too much depth that would result in spoilers, there was a point in the manga where a character mentions that the Four Horsemen men of the Apocalypse truly do exist as devils: Famine, War, Control, and Death. The first three all have appeared in the manga as of now, Death being the only one viewers have not seen an actual design for.
I drew Famine, War, and Control all in simplistic dresses, but their hairstyles and objects differentiated one from the other. According to the verses from the Book of Revelations, all the horsemen rode on steeds that differentiated in color, such as red, black, white, and “pale”. Since Durer worked in a limited palette of color, the objects the horsemen held helped convey the concepts they represented: the sword of War and the tipping scales for Famine. I gave Death the typical Grim Reaper hood since they had no official design in the current manga, but did keep the pitchfork from Durer’s piece.
As for the other characters seen in my print, they are the cast from Chainsaw Man as well, including the main character Denji who is the titular Chainsaw Man. He is the figure in the bottom left corner facing the “Four Horsemen”, his Chainsaw alter-ego peaking at his side.
The piece itself was quite ambitious, taking quite a lot out of me. Still, I enjoyed the process and it was worthwhile dabbling into a medium I don’t have much experience in. I hope in the future to remake my Chainsaw Man x Durer piece, possibly digital or on another linoleum block.
