Lay a sheet of paper flat on a work surface. Draw the design onto the paper in the reverse of how you would like it to appear in your prints using a pen. Start off with a simple design for your first linoleum carving.
Place a sheet of carbon paper with the carbon side facing up on top of the sheet of paper. Set the linoleum block on a work surface. Lift up the paper and carbon paper and lay the carbon side down on the top surface of the linoleum block. Turn the paper over so that the drawn design is facing up. Center the design on the paper on the linoleum block.
Trace over the design on the paper with a pen. Apply enough pressure when tracing so that the carbon paper will transfer the design onto the linoleum block. Hold the paper and carbon paper in place while you trace all of the lines in the design.
Cut away all of the areas where you do not want any ink using assorted gouges. Apply slight pressure to the gouge and hold it at an angle to determine the depth of the cut. Push the gouge through the material to shave off small pieces of the linoleum block at a time.
Score lines that you want to remain crisp with a carving knife. Then carve along the lines with a gouge to remove the linoleum from around it. Carve to an even depth so that the background will be smooth. You may wish to have carving lines in the background. Carving all in one direction when removing material from the design with gouges can create an interesting artistic effect. Stand back and look at the design as you carve it. Refine the design with small gouges until you are satisfied with the end result of the design.