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.