Love a little today

inspiration / /

Happy Valentines Day!

Hand printed love block

Love flows in and out of my printmaking kind of unconsciously.

block printing on paper with eraser blocks

What about your art making? Does the love flow through to your work?

Monotype print with block printing by linda germain

We can use relief blocks and wooden text as shown above. I got the old wooden type at the Museum of Printing. Check their website for the next Typeface sale.

Gelatin print with hand stamping by linda germain

I used the eraser block to add a little bit of LOVE to this gelatin plate monotype print.

studio tools linda germain

What ever you do and how ever you add a little LOVE to your work, let it be your turn expression of LOVE.

Freezer paper stencil used to print pillow covers

I even used a freezer paper stencil to create a big LOVE pillow. These kind of stencils are one time use. Learn more about making stencils in the Make Stencils Workshop – read the details on the printmaking class page.

screen printed book page

This little print was made with some custom Thermofax screens. If you are curious about thermofax screen printing check out the starter kit and some videos.

Enjoy!

 

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Line is the most basic element of design

trace monoprint / /

I think we all have our favorite types of marks. I like loose expressive lines.

bold flowers – trace monoprints

I don’t get to draw a lot of these types of lines when I am gelatin printmaking. I use threads to capture that type of expression.

gelatin plate print made with thread as stencil

One process that allows me to embrace the loose and expressive contour line is the trace monoprint. This monotype process actually requires that the artist work fast and loose.

ink left from trace monoprint
ink left from trace monoprint

In the image above you can see 3 small flowers that were trace monoprinted onto index cards. The black ink on the left is left over after the trace monotype prints were created.

I work with water based inks, so that means I have to work quickly so the ink does not dry before I can create the image. If you work with oil based inks, then you have much more time to create your print.

If you would like to explore trace monoprinting and line drawing, then join us in the Draw into Print  – the online printmaking art class. Class starts soon. Read all the details on the print workshop page.

 

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Easy Printmaking Tools – stencils and the gelatin plate

monotype print / /

I am still playing with the cityscape idea.

Stencils – simple printmaking tools

I turned to some easy printmaking tools – stencils and the glycerin and gelatin plate.

gelatin monoprint of cityscape

I cut many masking stencils from a photocopy of the cityscape drawing, that I did a few days ago.

I carefully cut them with a sharp craft knife, and then coated them with many thing layers of mat medium. It is tedious, but I do it this way because the plain paper easy to cut,and then  becomes durable after I coat both sides several times with medium.

masking stencils easy printmaking tools

I found that I needed to simplify the landscape to create a pleasing print. I experimented with using 4 or 5 stencils and then found that I liked using just 3.

monotype print on the gel plate with stencils

I think that the complex texture creates the need for fewer shapes. I liked this experiment because I printed the subject matter with several different printmaking tools.

  1. Pencil drawing and photo copy
  2. Inverted photocopy
  3. Trace monotype print
  4. Relief block print
  5. Gelatin plate monotype print

types of printmaking from one drawing

Each style of printing creates a different feel or expression of the same subject matter. The artist can choose the most appropriate printmaking tool for the desired result.

Want to make stencils like Matisse? GET the FREE Tutorial!
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Making your own Stencils for printmaking

monotype print, stencils / /

Stencils are a great way to print without a press.

They can be as simple as torn paper and as complex as the multi layered stencils used by artists like Shepard Fairey. Each color would be a different stencil and they would all be perfectly lined up (registered).

masking stencil and hole stencil for printmaking

 

I use two kinds of stencils:

  1. Traditional “hole” stencil – that ink is gently pushed through and the print is made
  2. Masking Stencil – is used to block the transfer of ink to the surface and
  3. I use the masking stencil when combined with the gelatin plate as a “stamp”

If you would like a FREE tutorial on Making your own Stencils for printmaking and mixed media art then join the interest list below and you will get the link and password to the lesson.

Want to make stencils like Matisse? GET the FREE Tutorial!
Be More Than a Store bought Stencil User!

Join today and get notice of future classes.

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

Watch the video below and get some ideas for making stencils of your own.

The wonderful thing about making your own stencils is that the imagery can be very personal and meaningful to your work. And you can just take a few moments to create the prefect image that you would like to incorporate into your work.

Stencils can last for years and be used to make hundreds of prints. It depends on the material that they are made of and how tough you are with them.

More help for making your own stencils:

Want to make your own stencils with the help of a teacher and inspiration from other students? Join us in the next session of Make Stencils, the online printmaking class. Read the details here.

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The coloring book craze could lead to drawing

drawings / /

Coloring is fun and might inspire drawing and doodling. I am intrigued by the books and the designs.

I just look. Most of the books are too detailed for me and I am not really a stay inside the lines kinda girl.

coloring books to inspire drawings

But I did  allow myself to purchase a small coloring book at the dollar store. And I used it to inspire doodles.

It is a flower and leaf book. So I looked at:

  • the leaves
  • the stems
  • the petal and
  • patterns

Thermofax screen of leaf drawing

I simplified the patterns and then I made a couple of Thermofax screens. The thermofax process is great for small designs that are basically line drawing.

  • I made a carbon based photocopy of my drawing.
  • Placed it next to the emulsion coated screen
  • Ran it through my machine
  • Taped the edges and
  • Printed on this sack cloth

screen printing fabric with thermofax screen

I did a couple different doodle leaves and then made thermofax screens.

leaf drawing as reference for thermofax screen

Check out current workshops.

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