monotype print

Today for my 30 day challenge I cut a stencil out of a manilla folder of my sister’s dog. I reduced the size of the image to fit on a 3 inch wooden ornament.

I cut is slowly with a sharp blade, being careful to keep all the interesting negative shapes in the ears, tail and legs.

I used a circle cutter and cut some circles from my gelatin plate monotype prints. Then I stenciled the dog on the papers. Then I glued the papers to the wooden disc. I drilled a hole in the disc and threaded some ribbon through he top.

Want to learn how to stencil the “JOY” ornament get the FREE tutorial below.

I have extra time to print and play, so I did a few drawings of some stylized leaves and turned one into a thermofax screen.

I think the SEE part of my 30 day #SEEdrawPrint challenge is about seeing the everyday stuff with artist’s eyes. I hope to notice things that I would not normally.

A thermofax screen is created by placing a carbon copy against the emulsion coated screen mesh and running it through the Thermofax machine. The machine “burns” the emulsion away where the carbon is and creates a screen for printmaking.

It is a great way to get a detailed line drawing matrix. I bought the machine about 4 years ago and thought I would use it a lot more than I do.

I did a random all over pattern of this abstract leaf on a flour sack. FUN!

It is fast and easy to make a series of abstract landscapes when you are printing with the gelatin plate.

Today I used the principle of range of value and dynamic division of space to pull a few monotype printed landscapes. I got several prints that I can crop and frame and turn into holiday gifts.

If you would like to make some holiday gifts, and explore the abstract landscape and you would like some help building your design and compositional skills, then you are in luck!

Check out the current printmaking workshops.

It is easy to get caught up in the process of gelatin printmaking. It is fast and spontaneous. I will often pull many prints and not really have any one print that is finished.

Add a focus to complete your print

One way to complete a print is to add a focus. Ask your self:

1. What is the print saying?
2. Does it have a feel?
3. What kind of mark would compliment and complete the print?

Sometimes it is easy to answer those questions and other times the print is just in its infancy.

This print above was just a blue and black “newsprint” pick up. And by added the black figure I created a focus and also embraced the design principles of variety and repetition.

Printing design principles

My suggestion to you is:

• notice how your eye travels around the print
• allow for surprise
• aim for a dynamic range of values from very light to very dark
• limit your tools (don’t try to do everything) in one print
• give yourself time and space to develop your design skills
• simplify, simplify simplify

If you would like to explore printmaking – check out the current online printmaking classes.

Today I went around my studio gathering up all the prints that I have done this year. I am getting ready to to sort through and finish a few for the holidays.

I really am a process person. I love figuring out how to make printmaking techniques work for me. There is a lot of trial and error, but that is the fun part for me. So there are plenty of less than pleasing prints in the process.

I say to myself, if I get 2 good prints out of 10 that I make then I am doing good. I think it takes time to get to know the inks, paper, and materials and how they all work together.

I try to give myself permission to fail fast and often. That way I get closer to success sooner. Now that I have my prints all together, I can sort through and put them:

1. Love it!  Done ready to mat and frame.
2. Needs a little something to call it complete
3. Paper with potential, yet needs collage, cropping  or a lot more layers.

I challenge you to gather all your art, prints, drawings from this past year in one space and sort through them. See what you discover.

Check out current classes being offered.