tools

Museum of Printing – yard sale

I am so lucky to have the Museum of Printing in my hometown.

Museum of Printing Haverhill MA

A few times a year they have sales on type, books and equipment. Today they had a yard sale. I usually pick up a few odds and ends.

cuts for printing

You may know that I do most of my printing without a press. I carefully picked out the 2 cuts in the image above.

I cleaned the little “stamps” and inked them with speedball water based block printing ink. I was able to hand print a stack of small cards.

Hand printed cards by Linda Germain

I love the tiny tree, barn and flower image. It is so amazing how much info is created in the 1.5″ x 1″ cut. I was drawn to the simple tree shape but I did not really care for the uniform roots. So I masked out the bottom of the plate with a small piece of paper.

I think I am just in a card making mode. Below are some hand printed cards that I made with Tyvek® stencils on the gelatin Plate.

print cards with the gelatin plate

You still have time to join the online workshop, Hand Printed Cards. Read the details and join us.

 

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Print with wonderful weeds

Today as I enjoyed the one of the last sunny days at the beach, I also gathered some fall weeds for some upcoming projects.

be inspried by the beach

I found some thin, detailed twigs and branches that I hope to use in a clay project.

twigs for printmaking

If I were printing with weeds and grasses on the gelatin plate, then I would look for very strong and very flat varieties of weeds.

So depending on the printmaking process that you are using will determine what kind of weeds will work for you.
I use strong and moderate thickness to create foam relief plates. These kind of weeds need to be strong and thick enough to make an impression in the plate.

soft relief plate for printmaking

So I hope you are encouraged to see the value in roadside weeds for your printmaking practice.

weeds for printmaking without a press

This thick mess of weeds is too complex for using with the gelatin plate, but it is going to be great for one time use in making an impression in clay.
Happy hunting!

Get support from an online class. Check out the current offerings on the printmaking workshop page.

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All about the brayer

Recently, I have been going back to the basic tool in printmaking – the brayer.

brayer types for creative printmaking

Sometimes I want a nice thin and even layer of ink. And other times I let the nature of the roller and texture of the ink be a key part of the design.

drum leaf bound book of brayered prints

In the book cover above I used a modified roller to get the textured lines. And yet I love the smooth texture of the landscape print below.

abstract landscape with brayer marks

If you are new to using a brayer and you are seeking a smooth application of ink it can be frustrating. It really does take time and practice to get the brayer to do what you want it to do.

So give yourself a break. Factors that affect a brayers release of ink on the plate:

  • Viscosity of the ink
  • Pressure of you hand
  • Speed and motion of the roll
  • Air temperature and humidity
  • Size of the roller
  • Width of the roller
  • Type of roller
  • Type of ink and type of plate

brayered print by linda germain

Have you developed your own style of using your brayer to create marks, impressions and prints?

If you need a little help choosing a brayer for gelatin printing on paper check out this blog post.

drum leaf bound books of brayered prints

I have been making so many brayered prints that I am making them into books using the drum leaf binding.

The drum leaf structure opens flat and does not require any sewing. I like to make small journals for quick sketches. And because they are easy to make the books feel less precious and I am willing to fill them with notes and sketches.handmade books by linda germain

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Use tools and supplies that allow creative experimentation

One time I took an encaustic class and the teacher was known for using encaustic paints to create large 3d sculptures. And I wondered how she could possibly afford to work that way. Encaustic paint is expensive! In my mind that method of working would never be available to me.

Another time I found a video about a child who is known for large scale abstract paintings and thought to myself, “What if we all had the support and freedom to use all that paint?” Again I was limited by my belief that the art supplies were too precious to be use with abandon.

I am not saying that I wished my work was like either of these artist’s. My wish was that I could work as freely as they seemed to and to not be limited by expense or scarcity of supplies.

In many ways I think I have been able to adapt my process and give myself the freedom to create just as they do.

I use papers and inks and paints that are not precious to me. This gives me the space to make lots of “learning” prints. It gives me the opportunity to fail, discover and learn.

My most recent freeing art supply is index cards.

I use index cards for:

  • daily sketches
  • sketch book on a ring in my purse
  • test prints
  • landscape prints
  • relief prints

thumbnail landscapes from gelatin prints

I did a series of landscape prints and then cropped a few into this thumbnail study. Love it!

relief prints combined into large print

These are test prints from some new foam relief prints. I combined them into a larger print and I am pleased with the presentation.

index card sketches

The index card is the perfect size for sketches and I just slip them onto a binder ring and they are easily organized.

flower monoprint linda germain

Here I did some quick trace monoprints on a couple of index cards.

What supply could you use to support your own creative expression? What choices could you make to give your self the freedom to create from your unique voice?

traditional stencils for printmaking with the gelatin plateI even make quick stencils from index cards.

I challenge you to make a choice or decision today that supports your creative freedom!

 

 

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Use up your Art Supplies

  • Do you generously use up your art supplies?
  • Or do you hoard and save them?

speedball ink for gelatin printmaking by linda germain

Ink is one supply that I think you should use up!  As most inks age they change and sometimes don’t work as well as when they are fresh.

Monoprints by Linda Germain

Piles of prints with potential – are good things to use up rather than just save them for the perfect project.

ezscreen photo emulsion screen

If you work with photo emulsion screens, like the EZscreen above then you definitely want to use them before they expire. They have a shelf life of about 6 months and then the emulsion starts to harden and they are no good.

I challenge you to bravely use up some supplies and maybe even toss out some things that are no longer useful.

Enjoy!

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