After creating her first lino print in 2016, Rachael Abbott became hooked, using printmaking as a form of therapy, as well as a creative outlet. At the time she was studying an undergraduate degree in Graphic Design at The University of Salford, specialising in Illustration, enabling her to develop her design skills whilst still incorporating her love of drawing. Rachael is currently studying for an MA in Illustration at MMU, where she has also had the chance to learn new techniques such as animation, encouraging her to reinterpret her lino prints in a new and fresh context.
“I found linocut animation to be challenging, not only is carving a bit of a laborious task in itself, but the added difficulty of carving each individual frame out and keeping the lines consistent throughout so it doesn’t look too distorted is hard when your hand has a tendency to slip and cut out the wrong section” explains the artist. Rachael begins her animations by using Procreate to create animated GIFs. From here, she draws out the image separately and converts it to lino. “A lot of the time, I don’t know how the prints are going to look once they start moving, it’s a bit time consuming but all you can think about from start to finish is how this is going to look and pray it’ll actually resemble a person walking or an egg cracking” describes Rachael.
Her prints can be identified through her use of a monochrome colour palette, which are “not only for convenience but so I can edit the images later on Photoshop and add colour later” states the artist. Rachael creates her prints using a hand made relief press designed and created by Netherlands-based Woodzilla. The press is portable and really easy to use, allowing Rachael to take it into schools to host workshops.
When not at university or printing, Rachael works as a barista and volunteers for Cotton On MCR, a non-profit organisation which supports local artists and events in Manchester. “I’m lucky enough that a lot of the people I work with are creative in their own way, whether that be through music or fashion, so a lot of what I do is inspired to tell stories about these interesting people around me” explains Rachael.
During quarantine, she has had more time to experiment with animation. Her latest animation reflects the feeling of isolation and social distancing, whilst also relating to our sanctioned daily walks. In the future, Rachael hopes to continue her work with animation and collaborate with more musicians following a recent commission where she created a vinyl cover. “I think reflecting their genre of music and identity as a musician through one image is a really interesting, yet challenging task” she concludes.
www.rabbottillustration.com
@rabbott_illustration
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