When I started exploring gelatin printmaking, I just played with the process and found methods by trial and error.
Making prints with the gel plate is so fast that learning can happen very quickly.
These 2 gelatin plate prints are what I call the detailed impression. It is the print that is made by the ink that is left under your stencils. Generally this print shows the details and texture of the stencil.
For example if you were to zoom in on the thread you would see the tiny fibers.
I think that the yellow and blue print is stronger and more interesting. They are both very similar to make but I made a few small changes to create the yellow and blue print.
Stamping tools are one of the 2 main tools that I use in gelatin printmaking. The other is stencils.
Watch the video and get a look at some of my favorite stamping tools.
I use stamping tools to lift off ink and apply in to the gelatin plate. Delicate marks can be made with these tools because of the malleability of the gelatin plate.
We will find stamping tools like, caps, bubble wrap and cut glass.
And we will make tools with cardboard, foam and string.
I have been purging my studio and tools. This has made me aware of the tools that are important to me and the ones that I take for granted.
1. Lots of Newsprint
I use to be frugal with newsprint and use it over and over until it could not longer pick up ink. This often results in a beautiful piece of paper that has a rich and unpredictable history of mark.
I tend to work 8″ x 10″ or smaller and often embrace the uneven brayer marks that result from using smaller brayers. I have 2″ to 4″ brayers. The 3 ” is probably my most use size. It is nice to be able to apply ink to the gelatin plate in specific and small areas of the plate with a smaller brayer.
3. Speedball inks and retarder
We all have our favorite ink, mine is the speedball water based block printing ink. It is non-toxic, easy to clean up and works well with the homemade gelatin plate. I use the speedball retarder to keep the ink alive and workable longer. It can also be reactivated with a spritz of a few water droplets.
I love the cyan. That is a speedball printmasters ink. It is the same binder as the block printing ink. The 5 oz tube is my favorite size, because it does not dry out as quickly as a can and it is easy to squirt out a small amount. This makes for less waste.
4. Rags and a squirt bottle of water
These are essential to my printing process. A damp rag is used to keep my inky fingers clean, when handling the print paper. I periodically tear up old t-shirts and always have plenty of rags. The squirt bottle of water is great to reactivate ink that has dried on the palette.
