Bicolor Vivec (Patreon)

This design was the runner up in last month's voting, so I wanted to do it as the Oathman print this month. 

Translating the sketch to a drawing went well, but that was about the last thing that did. Instead of using transfer paper as usual to get the sketch onto the block, I used a gel transfer technique which resulted in a much lighter impression, and also wore off as my hand rubbed against the carving. This resulted in a less accurate translation over all, even if the original drawing was technically transfered 1:1. 

The first round of printing didn't go smoothly either. Turns out that the lovely yellow ink I'd purchased some months prior had dried up in its tube. Even when mixed with medium and another ink, it printed chunky and uneven. It also largely refused to dry, remaining tacky or even wet 24 hours later, and forcing me to varnish the whole print, which eliminated the nice contrast between textures in ink and paper. The gray background I'd chosen also turned out to be too light to properly read with the gold (though it looked lovely with the blue-black). 

After struggling with it for several hours and not getting a result I was happy with, I decided to just abandon the attempt and went back to the art store for all new materials. Armed with brand new waterbased inks (rather than oils) and a darker shade of paper, my second attempt worked like a charm. 

This print, as well as the Moons over Elsweyr card, should be arriving in your mailboxes soon. Hope you guys enjoy them!