Relief Print with Soft Plates

foam plate printmaking / /

Relief printing with soft foam plates makes printmaking accessible to most everyone.

foam plate printmaking

You can easily make a stack of plates with a wide range of marks and then start printing and layering to create unique prints.

foam plates for relief printmaking

You can combine several plates to make larger prints.

monoprint with foam relief plates

I have even printed on fabric swatches and combined the prints to make a quilt.

foam plate printing on fabric

I love finding new ways to make interesting marks in the foam. I am always hunting for tools.

relief sampler blocks

It is fun to make these sampler blocks of different textures and patterns. You can learn a lot about what works to make strong impressions in the foam.

soft foam plate relief prints by linda germain

Today, I even played with making tiny little stamps that I could ink with a stamp pad and print in my mark making journal.

tiny foam stamps

If you would like to make a pile of printing plates and explore foam plate relief printing, then read all the details about the online workshop and join us.

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Circle back to the woods

fabric prints, foam plate printmaking, inspiration, mark making tools / /

I stopped walking in the woods for the last few weeks, because I found a tick attached to my neck and I had stayed on the trail.

trees inspire printmaking

But today, I went back to my old trail in the woods by the lake and was so supported by the energy of the place. I had let that little bug, fear and frustration stop me from going on my “healing” walks.

lake walks for inspiration

I shared the trail with a big dear and a quiet blue heron and plenty of shadows.

shadows for drawing reference

I bring that good energy back to the studio and get more done.

shadow shape leaves

I always find tools and inspiration in the woods. Different seasons offer different tools. Currently I am looking for strong twigs and weeds to use in the soft plate relief class, starting soon.

soft relief plates

This is a low tech way to make relief style plates without needing to carve your design. You can use the process to print on paper or fabric.

mud cloth style printed fabric

Check out the details on the printmaking workshop page. And start collecting tools and inspiration!

 

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Excited about Back to school sales

mark making tools, tools / /

I love it when the Back to School sales hit the local stores. I like to stock up on:

  • composition notebooks
  • erasers
  • Glue
  • scissors and more

round stamps carved from erasers

This year I am hoping to find some novelty erasers in geometric shapes. I like to carve simple designs into the erasers. I found the basic pink eraser at the Dollar Tree Store and have carved quite a few fun little stamps.

stamps made from pink erasers

I am not wishing summer away, just looking forward to some new and inexpensive art supplies. I encourage you to check out the back to schools sales in your area and see if you find some interesting art supplies.

In this post, I list a few more supplies that I like to stock up on. Happy printing!

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Trust yourself – Make Marks

artist book, drawings, inspiration / /

Sometimes, I just have to begin and trust that the path will evolve.

japanese stab binding

I do this “just begin” thing a lot, and I am still surprised when magic happens, things work out and I make something that I like or learn from.

walk to fill the well

I keep it simple to begin:

  • take a photo
  • go for a walk
  • clean my work bench for 20 minutes
  • make some doodles

So I say try it, and see what happens. I think it helps to let go of any demands that it work out and just explore the present moment.

soft cover coptic stitch

Before you know it you may have a whole collection of art work! Check out the current online class offerings

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What to draw when it feels like work?

drawings, mark making tools, mixed media printmaking / /

If you are like me and don’t really like to draw, then it can be challenging to come up with ideas for drawing subjects.

sketchbooks linda germain

A few classic subjects:

  • self portraits
  • fruit and veggies
  • flowers

self portrait linda germain

I think the important thing is that you are interested in the subject matter. That will make it easier to stay committed to the drawing. Most recently I have been distilling my marks down to basic shapes.

mark making in sketchbook

I think it helps to give your self permission to draw the same thing over and over again.

A couple of more topics:

  • Studio tools
  • Jars, cups and vessels
  • Buildings
  • Birds

shadow shape inspired drawing

So if drawing feels like work to you, don’t give up. Just keep trying new approaches:

  • new subject matter
  • use small pages or notebooks
  • try meditative marks

If you would like to explore some meditative mark making and learn a few book forms, then check out the current workshops being offered.

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