monotype print

We are so lucky! The internet has made learning so accessible.

Here try it!

Learn how to ink your brayer.

• Put a small amount on one corner of your palette
• Pull a small amount out from the big “blob”
• Let your brayer spin around and around to evenly coat the whole brayer
• Turn your brayer perpendicular to itself to work your ink up in a small area of the plate

Trouble shooting:

• Brayer is just slipping – too much ink, or are you using acrylic paint or a very fluid ink
• Too much ink in one spot – to fix roll ink in the clean areas of the palette, this will work to get rid of some of the ink on the brayer, but wastes ink by just spreading it all over the palette
• Ink only on one side of the brayer – Lift the brayer up and let the brayer spin all the way around. Most folks roll the brayer back and forth and that only works the bottom half of the roller.

Inking the Brayer – Tips

• Put out a small amount of ink, because you can’t put it back in the tube but you can always put more or your palette
• Know that all inks act differently, so be patient and give yourself time to learn how to get the most from your ink
• Oil and water don’t mix, so know what kind of ink you are using
• Always clean your brayer carefully and don’t let permanent inks dry on it.

Want more info, videos and inspiration then join us in the next workshop. Check out the details on the printmaking workshops page.

Give yourself the gift of time to practice your art.

I love September. It is all about going back to school. So I gave myself the gift of an art class. You could do the same.

Make Monotypes is a 4 week online printmaking class and it starts on September 19th. One student’s experience:

It was the best 4 weeks I can remember ever having in February! Linda’s preparation and planning for the class were flawless, and if we still had questions about the process, she never hesitated to think of different ways of explaining it.

I loved finding that there were participants from all over the world. It was a truly rich experience! The class left me with a huge curiosity about what I can now do on my own. Printmaking will continue to be a huge part of my art-making!

Just that I’m very grateful for Linda’s consideration, sensitivity, and sense of humor.
Pru Barry – Make Monotypes

You will get 40+ videos that are designed to get you printing and making lots of impressions. The class is 4 weeks of tiny actionable steps, so that you actually do the lessons.

Here is a summary of the lessons:

Week 1 – Jump in and make the printing plate. Get to know all about masking stencils.

Week 2 – Explore Texture – find and create mark-making tools that are used to lift off or apply ink to the plate. The inspired by your surroundings and make several tools of your own.

Week 3 –  Combine and Control – This week take those marks, prints and images to a more developed a more controlled or satisfying monotype prints on  paper. Learn  to create and use a masking frame.

Week 4 – Papers and Possibilities –  Consider the substrates and surfaces that you are printing on.  We will learn about refreshing and restoring the plate. We will make decisions about finishing prints and make a plan for continuing the series of monotype prints. Make a commitment to your continued growth and success.

If you are on the mailing list, I have sent you a special discount so check your email box and join us today! I am sure that you will pull lots of prints that may even become holiday gifts.

Read the details here on the printmaking class page and register today.

This past week my art making pulled me into the present moment and even out of a grumpy mood.

I was surprised!

You may do yoga and meditation to quiet the mind and to get into the present moment. I try these activities every so often but they have not become a natural habit yet.

So maybe for artists like us, our art making is our mediation. I do use a printmaking process to get warmed up for gelatin printmaking.

I call it Yoga Printmaking.  It is all about building muscle memory and not about perfect prints.

Try Yoga Printmaking

• follow my voice and keep printing
• focus on the simple repetitive steps,
• build muscle memory,
• get to know the steps of gelatin printmaking.

This kind of warm up is good for getting into the flow of printmaking if you have been away from it for awhile.

Check out the current online workshops.

Gelatin Printmaking is

• low tech with beautiful results
• non-toxic and easy to clean up
• immediate feedback and results

What does that mean for you?

You can explore printmaking at home with out a printing press and still be excited about the prints you pull. You can even do it with your grandkids or other artist friends.

If you are interested in developing your compositional skills, then you may want to try gelatin printing. Pulling prints is so fast that you know immediately if your design and compositions are working.

You quickly learn about:

• division of space
• leading the viewer around your print
• variety and repetition of marks and images

I find there is a dynamic balance between play and guided discovery when making gelatin prints. This makes learning fast and fun.

If you have not tried gelatin printmaking yet, then do it today! Get the free recipe for the long lasting gelatin and glycerin plate.

If you would like help getting started, then join us in the an online printmaking class.

Recently I attended a Book Arts Intensive and during the usual introductions I described myself as an online printmaking instructor.

The number one question was: How is it possible to learn ART through an online course?

If you have ever watched a YouTube video to learn how to do something, then I bet that you can learn art making through an online course as well.

The way that I teach printmaking online is:

• Break the techniques into little manageable steps
• Give you short actionable videos to get you printing a lot
• Put the instructions and videos in a private website for my students
• Send you regular emails with links and encouragement
• Invite the students to post, share and ask questions in a private Facebook Group
• Give feedback and answer questions in the Facebook Group

Why this format of learning to make prints works?

• You take the class in your own home or studio
• You fit it into your schedule
• You pause and watch the videos as much as you want
• You can ask questions and get help just like in an in-person class
• You will have all the tools and supplies to continue your new skill
• It is convenient and affordable.
• You are able to get much more skill building over time

If you would like to try out some online learning you could try out my free gelatin and glycerin plate recipe for making the monotype plate.