Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Making collage papers

collage, mark making, stamping tools / Linda Germain / April 3, 2026

I have been making a lot of collage papers in preparation for my grid collages. I think it is important to have a variety of types of marks and papers to create interesting collages.

So to do this, I use the several different techniques. Nothing too complicated. I have been incorporating my tiny little foam stamps into these collage papers. That makes the process very fast and easy. I have been using 2 inch squares to make these collages.

The squares above were all printed with tiny foam stamps that I made. Some fit nicely on the 2 inch square and some are a little oversized. So that encouraged me to make new stamps that are small enough to be affective on this 2 inch square.

If you are interested in making these foam stamps I do have a course that is on sale for this month of April. Check out the details on the workshop page.

It is possible to create several new stamps in a very short period of time. The process is fun and can be quite addictive. It is one way to make unique marks, papers, and prints.

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Fun with grids

collage, combined techniques, sketchbook ideas / Linda Germain / March 17, 2026

Most recently, I have been making lots of grid collages in my sketchbooks. Grid making seems to be an easy way to get into creating without having to think too much.

I have a couple of steps that I take to making grids. I like to make my own collage papers with different mark making techniques. So that’s one step all on its own. That’s quite fun and easy and accessible.

For this step I use stamping, watercolors, scribbling, and various mark making techniques. I like to have papers with a variety of marks and line quality.

In my most recent collages, I have been using index cards that I cut down to 2 inch squares so they fit into my 6 inch square sketchbooks.

Another thing that I like to take into this sketchbook process, is to embrace the studio rules that I have outlined for myself.

Enjoy the process
Be gentle with myself
Pause often to recharge
Approve of the choices I make
and play

As you develop your studio practice, I encourage you to make your own set of guidelines or rules to support your creative growth.

I would like to remind you that the sale class for March 2026 is the 100 print project. Check out the workshop page for all the details. Enjoy.

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simple mark making

combined techniques, mark making, sketchbook ideas / Linda Germain / February 19, 2026

Sometimes simple tools work best. I like to use tools that help me to create with freedom. Often that means inexpensive markers and paints and crayons.

I don’t really worry about archival qualities or needing to please a buyer. I make marks and art for myself. This creates a bit of freedom and a lot less pressure.

I really love the combination of waxy crayons and watercolor washes. I love the resistance in the way the colors often complement each other. I like how the crayon captures and repels the watercolor at the same time.

Magazines and old book pages are tools that I like to use as well. I can start a sketchbook page with a bit of collage and watch it evolve over time.

This combination bits and pieces creates a unique story that might mean something to me alone.

I have used watercolor, circles and squares as starters for many pages in my sketchbook. But I’ve recently added a new technique, which is a watercolor scrape. This is just using an old credit card to scrape the watercolor across the page.

I love watercolor drips and spatters as well. One recent challenge that I am facing, is to find a new paper for my monthly sketchbooks. I used to use to 90 pound Pacon, heavy weight, drawing paper. And it worked well for a little bit of water in a lot of mixed media. But the formulation has changed, and it’s thinner than I would like. So I am experimenting with other mixed media papers. Hopefully, I will find something that I love just as much as the old paper.

A new supply that I want to try out is tempera paint sticks. They seem to be a quick way to get some color. And they do not require much drying time, which I love.

A fun addition to a mixed media sketchbook is tape transfer. This is great for hiding words, here, and there throughout your sketchbook, that can convey meaning or not.

Checkout the online classes that are available now.

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100 Print Project – Sale Class

monotype print / Linda Germain / February 4, 2026

I’m excited to offer the 100 print project gelatin printing class for only $75 for this month of February. That is a $50 savings on a wonderful comprehensive gelatin print making class.

I am looking forward to making 100 prints on my own as well. It has been a while since I have pulled out the gelatin plate and played with my stencils and mark making tools.

This class is great for beginners and for experienced printmakers as well. One of the goals is to learn how to get the most from your marks and tools. We will layer images, make stencils, and find tools.

In this class, we work in one size so that the layering is somewhat predictable. Gelatin printmaking by its nature, is experimental and unpredictable. But the more marks you make, more prints you pull, the more predictable your outcomes may be.

We will learn how to retrieve prints that I’ve gone to far in are in the yucky pile. You will learn when to stop and when to keep going. So check out the details on the workshop page and, consider joining the 100 print project.

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Staying motivated, random approach

combined techniques, mark making, mixed media printmaking / Linda Germain / January 23, 2026

I am having brain challenges. These challenges make it hard for me to focus on much for very long. So I have adapted my journaling and art making approach to include short specific challenges.

I work in a book form that I keep the signatures separate until the end and then combine them to make one solid book. This allows me to do a lot of random mark making. It seems like it doesn’t make sense as I am doing it, but in the end, I think that I am getting in touch with a more intuitive creating and the books are cohesive.

I often take one approach and work on one page at a time in each signature. So I have six signatures going at once. They will be glued together in the end to form a book. I keep the signatures separate because it allows me to work in wet media without having to wait for everything to dry. If I have a wet page, I can just move onto another signature while that page is drying.

I love to make marks as I go, I love to make patterns with my handmade foam stamps. One of my most recent approaches is to use a trace monoprint kind of mark with a simple drawing, and a sheet of homemade transfer paper.

I do have my favorite motifs, which include trees, birds, other animals, faces, and houses.

I am also including Bible verses in this months book. I am trying to get in touch with the faith and healing, and it seems to help to write them out.

Collage is a another great approach as well for this layered journaling process. I can collage a piece here and there, or a word here and there, and then let the page develop as the month goes on.

I definitely still use my timer to get me through the lack of motivation. So I set a timer for 20 minutes and usually I get into the 20 minutes. Keep refreshing the timer and before I know it, I’ve spent an hour or two working in my sketchbook, which is always makes me happy.

Repetitive marks and crayons scribbles are another way that I connect disparate marks in a journal spread. It is very freeing to scribble with a crayon, and it can be mindful to just make random dots and lines.

My favorite tools for this process very simple markers, watercolor, acrylic, markers, crayons, homemade stamps, and magazine bits for collage. So I encourage you to gather some simple supplies that you may already have and set a timer for 20 minutes and see what happens in your sketchbook.

If you need some encouragement or ideas, you could check out the creating habits workshop that is on sale this month for only $45. In that class I offer 20 different techniques to play with in your sketchbook.

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