mark making

Make FREE events fit your style

book arts, drawings, inspiration, mark making, sketchbook ideas / /

I am a speaker in this years Sketchbook Revival hosted by Karen Abend. The event is packed with:

  • artist teachers
  • topics and materials and
  • Bonus resources

working in multiple sketchbooks

For me it can be a little overwhelming. But I have found a few ways to make the information manageable and to fit my learning style.

  1. I sign up for the FREE subscription
  2. I skim the daily videos
  3. Do only the lessons that inspire me
  4. Tweak the technique to my process

These approaches take the pressure off and let me experiment with new skills that I might want to incorporate into my sketchbook practice.

upside down thumbnail practice

So I invite you to join us in this years Sketchbook Revival. Click here to register for FREE. And be sure to adjust the event to your learning style.

I am teaching my upside down thumbnails technique on October 1st. Hope to “see” you in class.

upside down thumbnail practice by linda germain

Make FREE events fit your style Read More »

Just Make Marks

inspiration, mark making, masking stencils, mixed media printmaking, sketchbook ideas, stencils, techniques / /

I am learning that it is enough to just make marks. Joyful marks are even better.

mixed media journal page

Sometimes I can get caught up in needing to know why. Then I usually get stalled by the thinking in my head.

artist book page

The thing is when I just make marks and then more marks and then even more the result is a piece that is uniquely mine.

There is plenty of time in the domain of not knowing. There is some time when the marks seem precious.

When I can accept these states:

  • not knowing
  • dissatisfaction
  • preciousness
  • exploration

then I often get to a place of discovery or satisfaction.

mixed media printmaking

My new favorite mark is spraying pigment through found “stencils.” I diluted watercolor and put the mixture into a small spray bottle.

watercolor in spray bottles

If you try this method be sure to protect your table from the over spray. I love how fast it dries and how transparent the layers are.

found stencils for spritzing technique

All my classes are about mark making of some sort. See if there is one class that interests you.

Just Make Marks Read More »

Letting sketchbooks evolve

combined techniques, drawings, mark making, sketchbook ideas / /

I have been working in 6 sketchbooks at once for the last few weeks. I started working this way so I could let wet marks  dry and still be in the flow.

working in multiple sketchbooks

I  do like having multiple books going at once but it can get a bit scattered too. So I started using a theme and that seemed to help the mark making flow.

letting sketches dry

Some of the “themes” that I have used:

  • draw 30 trees
  • add 20 flowers
  • fill in with birds

loose watercolor flowers

This gave me a goal that I could work across several sketchbooks at once. These 3 subjects were easy to add to my existing marks.

stylized horse drawing

Most recently I have been playing with stylized horses. These drawings are a work in progress. It is a challenge to work through ugly renderings. I find I like the simple loose line drawings best. A horse sketch needs more of a whole page compared to birds, flowers and trees.

fill in with bird drawings

If you are looking for a little sketchbook inspiration and instruction then check out the self-study online classes available now.

Letting sketchbooks evolve Read More »

GIFTS from nature

drawings, foam plate printmaking, mark making / /

Nature has many gifts. We can simply look, listen, touch, smell and maybe even taste to receive the gifts.

raindrops on the lake

Today, my woods walk was filled with gifts:

  • Baltimore Oriole
  • Two Loons
  • Bright Blue Jays
  • Rain drops on the lake
  • Yellow dandelions

I have tried to draw in the woods and I just resist it. So today I took a few pictures and brought them back to the studio.

close up of dandelion

I abstracted the dandelion with a few sketches and then made a foam stamp. How could you bring the gifts of nature back to your studio?

abstracted dandelion foam relief stamp

weeds as stencils for gelatin printing

I always have a collection of delicate weeds and grasses for gelatin printmaking. If you like this style below, then check out the online class, Simplify.    You can sign up and be printing today! Read all the details on the workshop page. 
gelatin print, mock cyanotype

I love the monochromatic color palate of black and cyan. It is such a traditional printmaking color scheme.

gelatin print with grass as stencil

I have so many of these prints that I like to bind them into little journals. I alternate one print and one blank page, so there is space for writing. If you have a lot of single sheet prints and would like to make them into books, then you might want to check out the Bound Prints Workshop. Read all the details on the printmaking workshop page.

gelatin prints bound into a book by linda germain

I hope you find a way to receive the gifts of nature. Happy printing.

GIFTS from nature Read More »

Add a focus to your gelatin print

mark making, monotype print / /

It is easy to make textured and patterned pieces of gelatin plate printed paper. This is a great way to get started with gelatin printmaking.

textured gelatin plate monotype prints

You can learn a lot about:

  • mark making tools
  • kinds of marks that are possible
  • what happens when you layer

These patterned papers can be used for collage or as foundations for a “finished” print.

gel plate prints by linda germain

In the class, Simplify, we use simple stencils like threads, circles and weeds to learn what is possible with ink and the gelatin plate.

gelatin plate print on paper

By working in a dark blue-black color scheme, we can easily layer impressions without the need to consider the color mixing affects of plate ink.

masking stencils for gelatin printmaking

I was thinking that I could add interest and a focus to some of the simplified prints and it might be another way to create a series of “finished” prints.

simplified gelatin plate monotype prints

So today, I pulled out some old weed and circle prints and added a dark focus with a stencil. I was pleased how it transformed the print.

Join us in the online class, Simplify – gelatin prints. Class starts March 1st. Read all the details on the workshop page.

 

Add a focus to your gelatin print Read More »