MA Research - Woodblock Printing is the Holy Grail of Printing

Handmade wallpaper (Dunford-Wood Undated).

Hugh Dunford-Wood is a wallpaper designer who cuts his desings into lino before rolling onto wallpaper. He uses only two colours for each wallpaper which can create either a subtle and delicate look, a warm and inviting one or one that is strikingly bold. Dunford-Wood cuts a relief or intaglio design into the lino blocks before rolling each one is by hand with his specially mixed pigments to create stunning contemporary colour combinations.

The effect that lino gives is a mottled look almost identical to woodblock printing. The characteristics of handmade block and lino printing leaves an irregular texture and minor imperfections are are left behind making them quite unique from any other form of printing. This is my favourite look as it has a vintage, timeless look that remindes me of the old stately homes and times gone by. The craftsmanship that has gone into the work is outstanding as it is all done by eye. It almost tells a story and one cannot help but think of the old times when handprinting was the norm.

Dunford-Wood offers workshops in wallpaper, fabric printing and ipad and sketchbook tutorials. I hope to attend one of the wallpaper workshops in 2016 if he returns to Bristol.

Reference:

Dunford-Wood, H. (Undated) Handmade wallpaper (Online) Available from: http://www.dunfordwood.co.uk/handmade-wallpaper.php (Accessed 13 November 2015).