Embrace your mistakes

Gelatin plate print, monotype print / /

Mistakes can be frustrating if you are working hard and put a lot of time and energy into a print. But I try to make art in a way that mistakes are not so painful. I try to see mistakes as a normal and necessary part of gelatin printmaking.

abstract gelatin plate monotype print

Things I do to embrace my mistakes:

  • I use paper that is not too expensive or precious
  • Adjust my expectations, I am satisfied if 2 out of 10 prints are awesome.
  • Recycle and repurpose those less than perfect prints. (this can create a rich printing surface that hopefully draws the viewer in.)
  • Try to identify what is not working and adapt my approach next time
  • Notice what I do like and carry it into future prints

gelatin plate monoprint

How do you feel about mistakes? Are they a friend or foe?

If you have a pile of “mistakes” and would like to rework them, check out the Gelatin Print Project part 2.  You can join us in part 2 if you did not take part 1 as long as you have some experience working with stencils and stamping tools on the gelatin plate. Or you can still take part 1 as well.

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Speedball block printing ink for Gelatin Printmaking

printing inks / /

I use speedball water soluble block printing ink for gelatin printing with the homemade glycerin and water plate.

ink and brayers for printmaking

I know a lot of folks use a variety of acrylic paints with the commercial plates that you can buy. One of my mottos is to “use what you have.” It is more common to have acrylic paint than block printing ink, so it makes sense that a lot of people would print with acrylic paint.

I have tried gelatin printing with:

  • inexpensive craft paint
  • Golden open acrylics
  • gouache
  • Akua liquid pigment
  • Akua intaglio

They all work to produce a monotype print. The important question is can I obtain the kind of marks, impressions and layers with any given ink/paint.

When trying a new ink, I like to buy a small tube of black ink and print with it and see what is possible. That way I have not invested a lot of money in supplies before I know if I like them. (Believe me I have done that many times)

I wanted to share why I like the speedball water soluble blocking inks when printing with the homemade gelatin and glycerin plate.

  1. They are water based and the plate is water based which means they roll up nicely and should not bead up on the plate.
  2. They are non-toxic.
  3. They are super easy to clean up with water.
  4. A little goes a long way. One dollop of ink can last several printing sessions compared to a dollop of acrylic paint.
  5. It is important to me that the ink stay wet and workable. Speedball inks can be reactivated with a spritz of water and a drop of glycerin.
  6. The have the proper viscosity to roll up with a brayer.
  7. But the most important factor is that I like the type of impressions that I can get with the speedball water based block printing inks.
    • I can get light transparent layers
    • Lots of ghost impressions
    • Lovely detailed impression from the ink under my stencils
    • The ink sticks and transfers from brayer to plate to stencils/tools a finally to the paper.

Of course the ink has limitations and draw backs, but for the kind of printing I do, I can accept them.

100 print project

The biggest limitation is that the ink does not dry fixed. So if it gets wet with water or glue the image can smear. I overcome this by working quickly and with light pressure.

ink in tubes

I use every last drop. I cut the tube when the ink gets low and scrape out ink as needed.

speedball water soluble block printing ink for gelatin printmaking

I hope this helps you when you go to buy and test out a new ink for gelatin printmaking. If you would like to explore gelatin printmaking with speedball block printing inks, then join us in the online printmaking class, Gelatin Print Project. Class starts soon.

 

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5 helpful printmaking posts

gelatin print tips, inspiration / /

I wanted to share a few posts that I think will help your gelatin printmaking process.

1. Printmaking and papers

stack of tissue paper prints

Paper choice is very important. Choose papers that support your creative spirit. More details here

2. Value Matters

mountains scape by linda germain

A range of value from very light to very dark is often overlooked. Color is so exciting, but value matters more. Read more and think about your prints.

3. Tweak your found stencils

Delicate grasses make great stencils

I love using found weeds as masking stencil and sometimes I have to give them a haircut to get the delicate impressions that I like.  Read more about preparing found stencils here.

4. Three uses for glycerin

glycerin as a retarder

Glycerin can be hard to find, but I have found it very useful in the water based printmaking process. Get the details here.

5. “Save” that gelatin print

thumbnail image print

In this post I share 3 ways that I use imperfect prints. Enjoy!

 

 

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Listening to your intuition

inspiration / /

With the busyness of today’s world, it can be hard to hear the voice inside you. I know I go to my phone constantly for answers and ideas.

Gelatin plate monotype print

This does not have to be a good or bad thing. It is just a way of finding answers or information.

I would like to trust myself a little more and be better able to move forward without needing to check the weather or the surf cam first.

gel print by linda germain

To help me quiet the outside world and be able to hear my intuition, I go into the woods. But even there I have my phone to measure my pace or photograph a shadow.

Writing helps release some of the chatter. I often do stream of consciousness writing, as described in The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron.

Willingness to not know the answer yet and be in a state of uncertainty is helpful. It takes time and practice to hear and listen to your intuition. Little by little you will get better at knowing what is right for you.

What does this have to do with printmaking?

Well, I think much of art making is learning to play with tools by learning to listen to your intuition. Of course there are physical skills and maybe even design principles that are necessary.  But the magic happens when you trust yourself to try it and see what happens.

As a teacher, I am always trying to foster both the physical skills and the trust in one’s self. I think of learning as a cycle of hard skills and experimentation. And only the student knows if she is ready for hard skills or it’s time to play.

If this approach to learning sounds interesting to you, then check out the Gelatin Print Project. It is a 3 part online printmaking class that starts soon.

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Try something new

inspiration / /

One way to infuse your art practice with new energy is to try something new, and maybe even seemingly unrelated to your usual art making habits.

view Mt Major NH

A few “new” skills that I have played with are:

  • Clay play – this was so addictive and fun. I learned I like to see results fast and that a lot of printmaking techniques can be used in making clay objects. I took a local class.
  • Photography challenge – This one is so easy to do with digital phones and cameras. Just stop and capture what catches your eye. I use shadow photos all the time to make drawings and stencils. I just set challenges for myself.
  • Sew, knit or crochet something.  I have made quilts, aprons and bags with my monoprinted fabric. Threads, yarns and fibers always work their way into my prints.

The key is to embrace the beginner’s mind, open, curious and willing. So I encourage you to find something new to try. It doesn’t even have to be about making something.

Sometimes a class helps to learn a new skill. Maybe the Gelatin Print Project is just what you need. Read all the details about this class on the workshop page.

gelatin print project part 3

 

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