Learning at Book Arts Workshop

Last week I had the opportunity to be a student for 7 days of printmaking and book arts at USM in portland, ME. I unpacked all my creations and experiments today and am pleasantly pleased.

Book Arts program at USM

We had 8 different instructors and covered things like intaglio, relief printing, coptic binding, long stitch, hand drawn fonts, paste papers, poetry writing, accordion folds and altered books. WOW! A lot to pack into 7 days.

Altered book with coptic binding

Above it the the book that I made with the guidance of Anna Lowe of the Purple Bean Bindery She made learning fun and easy.

Long stitched book

This long stitch bound book was made on the last day, under the skillful guidance of Martha Kearsley of the Strong Arm Bindery.

Learning to draw a font

Walter Tisdale, book artist from Bangor, ME showed us how to learn, tweak and modify the Neuland type face. We practiced hand drawing, cut a set of letter stamps and cut a complete stencil of letters to build muscle memory.

Foam Relief prints - hand printed

I was pleased to learn another approach to the low tech form of relief printing, from Pilar Nadal of Pickwick Independent Press. I treated myself to  working big and embracing her ideas.

Three take aways as a book arts student:

  1. Bring plenty of supplies but don’t limit yourself to using them
  2. Embrace the approach that is being taught
  3. To really remember the new technique, teach it to someone else right away.

I will be sharing more about my process and discoveries in the next few days.

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Free Drawing Tutorial with Matisse

If you struggle with liking your drawing skills, then get the FREE drawing tutorial with the sign up below and start to build your ability to draw what you really see.

draw with matisse to build your drawing skills

In this tutorial you will use tracing paper and the line drawing by Matisse to:

  • Slow down
  • Look at what you are drawing
  • Train your eyes to see
  • Get your eyes and hands to work together
  • Have some Fun
  • Let go of judgement
  • Stimulate ideas to practice your new drawing skills

Drawing is the most basic art making tool and if you can learn to like your drawing skills, then you will be more confident in your overall art making methods.

You can use your own style of drawing to:

  1. Make printing plates
  2. Design stencils
  3. Cut stamps
  4. Create complex compositions

You will not need to buy tools and images that are made by other. Think about the possibilities!

GET the FREE drawing with Matisse Tutorial
Build your skills and confidence in your ability to draw

Join today and get notice of future classes.

You will also get weekly emails about printmaking, tips, tools and classes.

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Drawing is the most fundamental mark making

Very soon I will be offering a weekend Drawn to Print online art course. I have been examining and thinking about how drawing feeds all of my printmaking processes.

drawing and making a screen for printmaking

I actually started printmaking because I did not like to draw. Printmaking plates, stencils and tools can give life to a simple drawing. It can make all the hard work of drawing live on and be bigger than the original sketch.

Making printing plates from your drawings is great if drawing feels like a struggle or burden to you. You can spend some time drawing and then a lot more time using that printing plate to make your artwork.

I challenge you:

  1. Expand you idea of what a good drawing is
  2. Look to some Master artists for study and inspiration
  3. Draw even just a little bit each day
  4. Consider accepting the idea that 75% will be practice drawings and you might like 25%

Here are some of the masters who I admire for their drawings, line quality and expressive marks. Do google image search of each name for quick visual of their style.

 

  • Alice Neel
  • Ellsworth Kelly
  • Paul Klee
  • Robert Motherwell
  • Henri Matisse
  • Kathe Kollowitz

Image Search for Alice Neel

Here is a great article about the importance of drawing. The Art Supply Store – Written By: Laura Spencer

It is wonderful when you get to a place in your art making that you realize that your unique differences are what make your art so special and powerful.

Love your wiggly lines and warped perspectives! They will help others to see what you see.

GET the FREE drawing with Matisse Tutorial
Build your skills and confidence in your ability to draw

Join today and get notice of future classes.

You will also get weekly emails about printmaking, tips, tools and classes.

Drawing is the most fundamental mark making Read More »

Embrace your drawing skills

You can try to avoid drawing and there are lots of tools that you can buy to make art with out drawing: stencils, stamps and coloring books.

sketch to make better monoprints

But if you have the urge to make your own unique art, to express your voice in the world, then the tug of drawing is there. I know because I am not natural lover of drawing. I judge myself too harshly and I often resist the process.

Now I know that:

  • drawing is an essential tool.
  • the more I draw the more I like what I draw
  • drawing can be a scribble (google Cy Twombly drawings)
  • kids drawing are moving because they are raw and real

block printing gives your drawings life

Try this:

  1. Get 10 sheets of copy paper
  2. Stand up, wiggle, breathe and stretch
  3. Arm out stretched and soft pencil in hand, scribble with abandon
  4. Just keep making marks
  5. Get a new sheet when you feel like it


How did it go?

  • Did it feel fun? Foolish?
  • Were you judging or allowing?
  • Did you trust yourself?
  • Do you feel looser, freer?

 

 

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4 found tools for art making

Try this:

Pause in your day and see the awe that is right before you.

Found tools for printmaking

My goal is too notice the awe in the everyday and let it inform my art practice.

I think that is the magic of living creatively.

To do it daily,

even if it is only for brief moments.

These things above are probably trash to most people. But to me they are:

  • a stick with an intricate pattern that I would love to print somehow
  • a smashed twig that might paint some cool marks
  • used tea bags that would be great for transparent prints and books
  • delicate dried flowers that inspire simple line drawings

I challenge you to pause and notice the inspiration that is right in front of you.

Could it inform your art?

One tool I use to help me pause is daily journaling and a bit of meditation. Here’s a free Meditation Experience with Oprah and Deepak Chopra No affiliation, just sharing what works for me.

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