Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

3 tools for gelatin printing fabric tote bag

gelatin print tips / Linda Germain / November 19, 2018

I like using a tiny gelatin plate and a spongy brayer to print fabric totes.

I use:

pre-washed cotton tote bag
acrylic craft paint
soft spongy brayer from Hobby Lobby
small homemade gelatin plate – Recipe

I stick the gelatin plate to a small piece of glass and hold it in my hand like a stamp.

If you want to learn all the ins and outs of gelatin printmaking, then join us in the next session of the online printmaking class, Make Monotypes.

Read all the details on the printmaking workshop page.

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Let Go – to create an opening

inspiration / Linda Germain / November 18, 2018

Even a little bit of letting go makes space for something new.

It is challenging for a mixed media artist to let go of things. Because we think, “Oh I could use this for something.”

Yes but, how long have we been saving it?

Months?
Years?
Decades?

I challenge you to experience the opening created by letting go.

Try one of these approaches:

Sort through one box and trash 1/2 of it
Tackle one small table and let go of anything you don’t use right now
Get rid of old work – (it might be weighing you down)

It is hard to let go.

But I always feel lighter and ready for something new when I create an opening by throwing out something that no longer feeds me.

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Help others to SEE

inspiration / Linda Germain / November 17, 2018

I think our job as artists is to help others to see differently.

So often I something catches my eye and when I try to photograph it, the essence is not captured.

For example this solo beech tree looked striking and beautiful to me, but that is not so in this photo.

But what I could do is make a painting or print or drawing that captures and conveys what my eye selectively sees.

I encourage you to look and see differently today!

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4 tips to make gelatin printmaking more satisfying

monotype print / Linda Germain / November 16, 2018

1 – Simplify your palette to 2 or 3 colors.

When you limit your choices you have to get creative to make your prints work. A limited color palette will quite the chaos and enable you to create focus more easily.

Try it for a week! Make sure you include a very dark value color like cyan or black.

2 – Leave your palette out and set up.

This works for me. I use the speedball water based block printing inks, so I can “refresh” them and a more ink to the palette as needed. If you use acrylic paint you could leave the tools out, but you would have to clean up the paints each time.

The goal is to leave things set up, there by removing any barriers to beginning.

The more you print the better your prints become.

3 – Work in a standard size paper.

This one took me a few years to figure out. I would end up with a few pleasing prints but they would stay in the flat file because they could not be easily framed.

If you would in a standard size then it is easy to find a mat and frame that completes your piece. I cut my print paper to 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″. Try it out for a while and see how this works for you.

4- Embrace the idea that it is a very experimental monotype printing process.

Play with printmaking. I try to remind myself to embrace the unpredictable characteristics of gelatin printmaking.

I remember that this method of printmaking is great for texture and shape. And that delicate line can be a challenge.

So if you are struggling with your gelatin prints, ask: “Am I expecting something from the process that is incongruent with the nature of gelatin printmaking?”

Then make it easier and more enjoyable and get back to the nature of gelatin printmaking

If you would like a little help with your gelatin print process, the check out the current workshops.

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Art by Design – Book inspires

drawings / Linda Germain / November 15, 2018

I found the book Art by Design by Bill Oakes in a thrift store for 50 cents.

I was in love with the compelling black and white images on the cover.

I must confess I have not read the book, but I do flip through it and skim the pages for inspiration.

I like to embrace the elements of design in classes that I teach and take. For example, I am playing with simple landscapes, right now in a class with Anita Lehmann.

I feel like I practice and play with line, value, color, texture, shape and space. And eventually the principles sink into my bones and will be second nature.

I think as artists we focus on different design principles differently and that is what makes our art unique.

I think I am about texture and shape, but I am always chanting to myself to save whites and add blacks. This way I have strong and interesting value changes.

Value changes from very light to very dark is often over looked. And just reclaiming some bright whites or adding a pop of very dark and instantly transform a piece.

If you would like help with art and design skills, check out the current classes.

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