Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Make simple layered Landscapes

monotype print / Linda Germain / July 8, 2026

The sale class for this month is Monochromatic Mountainscapes.

This class is lessons with 16 short videos. You will ink and torn stencils to create lovely landscapes. You will learn a lot about value and division of space to create strong interesting impressions.

For the month of July you can save $30. The class was ~~$75~~ and now it’s only $45. Read all the details on the workshop page.

This class will:

Help you get back to basics.
Show you how to make some predictable marks
And how to embrace, unpredictable surprising impressions as well.

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In the Studio – sketchbooks and papers

combined techniques / Linda Germain / June 16, 2026

For quite a while now I have been working in a 6″ x 6″ sketchbook. It is a format that is very user-friendly and allows me to work on several wet pieces at once.

My favorite tools are inexpensive, watercolors, children’s crayons, pencils, and gel pens.

This month I have been working large with a two-handed drawings and then cropping them down into 2 inch squares. Then I take the squares and fill in grid compositions on my sketchbooks. It’s quite fun to try to come up with different mark making ideas for the 2 inch squares that eventually make up the 6 inch page .

I work also on index cards which are 4″x 6″ and a good size for ending up with 2 inch squares.

Do you have ways that you took yourself into creating daily? I think:

Getting in the studio gets you started
Having supplies laid out, makes it easy
Lessening expectations and enjoying the process makes it happen

I hope you have fun in your studio today. If you want to explore some online classes check out the self study courses that are available.

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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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