Highland Print Studio

Here we go again with a new series of films. Since the last videos my life has been a whistle stop tour of interviews and media interest, reaching way beyond the small world of printmaking. Netflix, Disney Pixar and Warner Bros have all been in contact. A Mr Weinstein has been very persistent. He says he can’t meet just now, …

Another wee dip into our archive has thrown up a project with the grand title of ‘A Brief Lesson in Caledonian Antisyzygy’. We refer to it as our ‘unsung heroes’ versus ‘much sung zeros. John and I had already been thinking about projects inspired by unsung heroes, when one evening we went to a talk by the historian, Sir Tom …

Reducing Medium, Extender Base, Tinting Medium. All names for That See-through Stuff, a transparent ink which can be added to other colours. Experience in the studio shows that people have a bit of trepidation about using it and getting to know what it can do. It can be a wee bit tricky to guess or judge its effect, but it …

It has been so difficult to prevent spoilers getting out before this big finale. But here it is at last, the big reveal. The technique in this final part is unusual. Maybe through laziness, I am not cutting away everything I don’t need. Instead, there is final cutting on the figure, and local inking of the figure with a small …

For those interested in making books, Japanese stab bindings are an ideal place to start. They are simple, require only a few basic tools, and are endlessly customisable. The basic Japanese version of stab binding is called Yotsume Toji, which roughly translates to “four holes” the same as the Chinese version, while the Korean standard has five holes (a more …

Still hanging on in there? So two colours printed and with text starting to form. In this thrilling instalment, the text will be completed, and more forming of the figure is cut. Remember all the cutting is to preserve that previously printed colour. The cutting and printing of the lettering is completed in this third colour so as to not …

I was looking back through our project archive recently and I came across this one that I’m very fond of. Face to Face was a photography project that we worked on with pupils from Fortrose Academy, and also involved attendees of D-Caff, the local dementia café where the young people volunteer. The activity was supported by High Life Highland Black …

After the tense ending of the first episode, many will be asking: ‘What happens next?’ A bit like a lesser version of Who killed JR? Well, in this episode, all is revealed. Understanding reduction cutting can be difficult, so hopefully it is demystified here. All of the cutting in this film is what I want to stay the first colour …

Linocut printmakers have not been identified as key workers in this Covid pandemic. Not yet anyway. So the last few weeks have found me working from home during the lockdown. I am fortunate to have a small studio, which for years I have used to produce the commissions that I am lucky to get. At Highland Print Studio, it has …

Here we are in our strange new world. Our homes have become our prison and our sanctuary. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives and now our love affair with a chessboard of our fellow digital selves begins. We hope you enjoy our Viral Press.