mark making tools Archives

Make Marks Supplies List

book arts, drawings, handmade books, mark making, mark making tools / Linda Germain / November 27, 2023

You can make interesting marks with simple tools. Enjoy this quick video.

In this online class we will layer marks to reveal a visual story. Read all the details on the workshop page.

The suggested supplies:

Gelatin plate – FREE recipe here
Speedball water based ink
brayer
paper of your choice – I like
- 90 lb drawing paper 12″ x 18″
- Rice paper on a roll or 12″ x 18″
- Tracing paper on a roll or 12″ x 18″
- I like these sizes and papers because I am making a long landscape shaped book, but you could do the techniques at any size. So use what you have
- One large sheet of sturdy printmaking paper, watercolor paper or mixed media paper for the cover. I use Arnhem. But you can use what you have.
Cardboard
thin easy to cut craft foam sheets
set of small children’s blocks (dollar store)
water based markers
Variety of found mark making tools (see photo below)
glue
exacto knife
soft crayons

Hope to see you in class.

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Layers of marks – a story

artist book, inspiration, mark making, mark making tools / Linda Germain / November 3, 2023

I like to make marks with:

stamping tools and the gelatin plate. The details can be amazing.
a pencil/crayon and my non-dominate hand. The line can be raw and authentic.
small hand made stamps. The patterns can be very stabilizing.

I combine these and a few other mark making techniques to make visual story books.

If you are curious about this approach to art making, then check out the details of the upcoming class Make Marks + Books.

This 7 lesson class is about exploring mark making and using a few simple printmaking techniques to make artist books. We will use a non-linear approach to layering and responding to the images. It is intuitive and yet guided by design principles, like variety and repetition.

Join me in the online class – Make Marks + Books. Give yourself the gift of time to explore.

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Mark making tools

mark making, mark making tools, mixed media printmaking / Linda Germain / January 24, 2022

Do you have favorite mark making tools?

I do. I love black gel pens that flow smooth and easy. Of course I love to use cut glass to make marks with the gelatin plate. Below you will find more of my favorites.

Black gel pen for contour drawings and fine line doodles.
Kids water based markers for “inking” small relief blocks and drawings.
Soft kids crayons for rubbings and rough line drawings.
Homemade relief stamps for pattern making.
Small set of alphabet stamps for printing words.
Cut glass for making impressions with ink and the gelatin plate.
Small brayer for linear and blocky bold marks.
Red acrylic ink and an eye dropper for bold colorful lines and blobs.
Round and oval caps of all sizes for stamping.
Plastic doily for delicate impressions.
Corrugated cardboard for making designs with the gelatin plate.

Often a combination of marks with different qualities creates an interesting image.

The quality of marks can be:

thick or thin
bold or delicate
aggressive or timid
smooth or ragged
flat or dimensional
and so on

The characteristic of the mark convey a feeling or mood. It is fun to use a unique combination of marks and tools to tell your own story.

We explore several mark making approaches in the online printmaking classes. Check out what classes are currently being offered.

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Thinking about tools for printmaking without a press

mark making tools, tools / Linda Germain / September 2, 2021

Today I am thinking about tools. Do your tools create freedom of expression for you?

Let’s keep it fun. Sometimes the most convenient tool is your own hand. More ideas in this post.

My most favorite tools are found weeds, leaves, twigs and grasses. These are often very flat and fragile. They don’t last forever, but they can make lovely delicate impressions. Read how to preserve ferns in this post.

For sure the most important tool in printmaking with out a press is your brayer. I like the soft rubber brayers made by speedball and my favorite size is 3″. I often print with easily washable water base inks, which are kind to the life of the brayer. If you use acrylic paint, be careful to not let the paint dry on your brayers. More tips on brayers in this post.

Finally, the question is to stock up on supplies or to just buy what I need? Full discussion in this post.

I like to use every last bit of ink in the tube.

Want to make and use your tools in new ways? Check out the current online classes being offered.

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Circle back to the woods

fabric prints, foam plate printmaking, inspiration, mark making tools / Linda Germain / August 12, 2021

I stopped walking in the woods for the last few weeks, because I found a tick attached to my neck and I had stayed on the trail.

But today, I went back to my old trail in the woods by the lake and was so supported by the energy of the place. I had let that little bug, fear and frustration stop me from going on my “healing” walks.

I shared the trail with a big dear and a quiet blue heron and plenty of shadows.

I bring that good energy back to the studio and get more done.

I always find tools and inspiration in the woods. Different seasons offer different tools. Currently I am looking for strong twigs and weeds to use in the soft plate relief class, starting soon.

This is a low tech way to make relief style plates without needing to carve your design. You can use the process to print on paper or fabric.

Check out the details on the printmaking workshop page. And start collecting tools and inspiration!

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