The best bit about running the Discworld Emporium is, of course, the admin and compliances involved in running a business in the 2020s. But of course, if pressed, we’ll admit that devising to shoehorn a little more Discworld into this world comes a close second.
We’ve long wanted to explore textiles further. They’re wonderfully tactile, practical things that can bring a little Discworld into your home in a way you can almost justify to your significant other. Art that you can take to the beach and park yer arse on.
Whenever we develop something new, we try to do more than slap an image onto an object. We want it to feel right. To make something that seems as though it always ought to have existed. Following the success of our Discworld Reading Blanket, we were keen to see what else could be done with the medium. Preferably something conducive to reading, drinking tea and avoiding anything remotely productive – except feeding the imagination of course.
Having familiarised ourselves with the intricacies of jacquard weaving (the infinitesimal adjustments to weave structure needed to balance colour, texture and stability being a topic inexplicably overlooked at most parties), we started considering which artistic techniques might suit it best.
At the Emporium, we’ve always had a soft spot for linocut printing, whether it’s been with our own dabblings, or working with Joe Mclaren of Collector’s Library cover fame for example. There’s something wonderfully honest about the struggle between the human hand and an unforgiving block of lino, particularly when one slip of the blade can ruin hours of meticulous work, or indeed a precious digit. The immediacy of the process, and the necessity of committing to every cut, encourages bold, graphic shapes and wonderfully imaginative compositions.
All we needed was another talent foolhardy enough to lend us their skill . . .
. . . Enter a new face on the Emporium roster of artistes: the wonderfully talented Kat Flint, a Scottish illustrator and printmaker whose intricate artwork draws inspiration from folklore, fairytales, curious creatures and the peculiarities of the world . . . sound familiar?
What sets Kat apart is that:
A) She possesses an uncanny ability to imbue more charm and character from an inanimate block of lino than it has any right to possess.
B) Her artwork shouts from across a room and whispers up close. It’s full of delightful details that reward a second, third and fourth look. Precisely the sort of visual storytelling that lends itself to Discworld.
C) She grew up reading Discworld, and instinctively understands the peculiar tone of Terry’s universe.
D) She was daft enough to say yes.
The marriage of linocut’s bold lines and shapes with the soft, tactile weave of a jacquard blanket struck us as a rather promising one, so we set about exploring ideas. Rather than simply reproducing familiar illustrations, we wanted to create something decorative and timeless, something that would feel entirely at home in the homes of our fellow fans. Somewhere between an intricate, characterful pattern and a luscious illustration of Great A’Tuin swimming through an unsuspecting multiverse, surrounded by symbols, characters and curious references to Terry’s most beloved creations.
We’re thoroughly chuffed to have Kat on board, and can’t wait to show you more of her handiwork on future Discworld projects.
For now, the Kat is out of the bag, so over to her, in her own words . . .
Sometimes the dream job arrives via an anonymous email, dangling vague details of a mystery project for a mystery client… usually I ignore these, because 99 times out of 100 it’s some weird AI agent dreaming it’s a person. But then comes the one instance where the words have an ineffable human-ness. This was one of those. It kicked off a conversation, and one of the loveliest and most unexpected projects I’ve worked on to date.
I first stepped into the Discworld aged 10, in the company of the Witches Abroad – the beginning of a lifelong love of fantasy, footnotes and excellent/terrible puns. I spent my teens and twenties munching my way through every Pratchett book I could find.
Adult life got busier and I put them down for a while… but it’s no exaggeration to say they had a huge hand in shaping my worldview, and I’m very happily revisting them in the company of my own 10-year old. You can imagine, then, how excited I was to discover that the mystery project would be taking me back to the Discworld.
Linocut is an incredibly versatile and democratic print form, running the full gamut from chunky monochrome to photo-real multi-layer prints, depending on whose hands are doing the carving. My hands (and brain) tend towards storytelling and character above all else – where some might use words, I use carved lines and tricksy composition to try and sneak a bit of life into whatever I make. I get a real kick out of a strategically placed side-eye. Even beautiful things can stand a bit of silliness.
I can’t tell you how much fun I had puzzling out how to present the Discworld denizens in a fresh way – less illustrative, more decorative, teasing out the key elements that make each one recognisable at a glance. Keeping the vividness of all the cover illustrations in mind, without being led by them.
My work always starts with a series of rough hand-drawn studies and sketches, progressively refined through repetition and play. I’m very old-school and work almost entirely by hand – the finalised line drawing is transferred to a lino block using pencil, tracing paper and a lot of rubbing. This is then carved with specialist tools before being rolled with ink and run through my big, clanky etching press. I love how tactile and craftsmanlike the whole process is, and the fact that there’s no Undo button. Working within human limits gives the whole thing a sense of energy and urgency – you have to commit!
Along with all the fun sits a looming sense of responsibility, knowing how beloved these characters are. It’s been a real honour to have the trust of Ian and the team at the Discworld Emporium… I just hope everyone out there likes them too…
