mark making tools

Mark making tools

mark making, mark making tools, mixed media printmaking / /

Do you have favorite mark making tools?

I do. I love black gel pens that flow smooth and easy. Of course I love to use cut glass to make marks with the gelatin plate. Below you will find more of my favorites.

mark making tools

  1. Black gel pen for contour drawings and fine line doodles.
  2. Kids water based markers for “inking” small relief blocks and drawings.
  3. Soft kids crayons for rubbings and rough line drawings.
  4. Homemade relief stamps for pattern making.
  5. Small set of alphabet stamps for printing words.
  6. Cut glass for making impressions with ink and the gelatin plate.
  7. Small brayer for linear and blocky bold marks.
  8. Red acrylic ink and an eye dropper for bold colorful lines and blobs.
  9. Round and oval caps of all sizes for stamping.
  10. Plastic doily for delicate impressions.
  11. Corrugated cardboard for making designs with the gelatin plate.

Make marks book

Often a combination of marks with different qualities creates an interesting image.

The quality of marks can be:

  • thick or thin
  • bold or delicate
  • aggressive or timid
  • smooth or ragged
  • flat or dimensional
  • and so on

The characteristic of the mark convey a feeling or mood. It is fun to use a unique combination of marks and tools to tell your own story.

We explore several mark making approaches in the online printmaking classes. Check out what classes are currently being offered.

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Thinking about tools for printmaking without a press

mark making tools, tools / /

Today I am thinking about tools.  Do your tools create freedom of expression for you?Mock xray cyanotype gel print

Let’s keep it fun. Sometimes the most convenient tool is your own hand. More ideas in this post.

100 print project

My most favorite tools are found weeds, leaves, twigs and grasses. These are often very flat and fragile. They don’t last forever, but they can make lovely delicate impressions. Read how to preserve ferns in this post.

brayers for printmaking

For sure the most important tool in printmaking with out a press is your brayer. I like the soft rubber brayers made by speedball and my favorite size is 3″. I often print with easily washable water base inks, which are kind to the life of the brayer. If you use acrylic paint, be careful to not let the paint dry on your brayers. More tips on brayers in this post.

Finally, the question is to stock up on supplies or to just buy what I need? Full discussion in this post.

I like to use every last bit of ink in the tube.

ink in tubes

Want to make and use your tools in new ways? Check out the current online classes being offered.

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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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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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