Play and guided discovery is how new things are invented. If you follow all the rules, then it is hard to create something new.
That is why I love gelatin printmaking.
With just a few tools and a pile of recycled fabric I can explore imagery, layering, composition and mark making with immediate feedback.
- This immediate result allows for active learning and adjustment.
- I don’t have to wait for things to develop like with some dyeing processes.
- I don’t have to spend hours planning and carving one design like with block printing.
- I don’t need the planning and set up of screen printing.
My most favorite tools are found object stencils, grasses, threads and feathers. I can combine these with a few other marks and have hours of printmaking fun.
I like to use 100 percent cotton sheets, the old ones that you can find at a boutique thirft store. This makes the materials less precious and creates a freedom to explore. I can print with abandon, and if the layering idea did not work, then no loss. It was not a precious, expensive piece of fabric.
I like the exploration so much that I have piles of fabric prints that could be transformed into a finished product. Seven project ideas for monoprints on fabric:
- Stitch, mat and frame
- Stitch, piece and cover a journal
- Trim and make into and iron on patch for a tote bag
- Cut and quilt into coasters
- Rip and wrap into fabric balls
- Crop and combine into pillow covers
- Sew and quilt into table runners
What about you? Do you have fiber projects that would be transformed by using one of a kind monoprinted fabrics of your own making?
Monoprinting on Fabric - online printmaking course
- Make & modify the glycerin and gelatin plate
- Make the most of your marks on fabric
- Capture the details with mere hand pressure
- Create one of a kind fabrics
Additionally, you will receive a weekly email about printmaking, ideas, tips and courses.
Join us today and start having fun!