It is fast and easy to make a series of abstract landscapes when you are printing with the gelatin plate.

Today I used the principle of range of value and dynamic division of space to pull a few monotype printed landscapes. I got several prints that I can crop and frame and turn into holiday gifts.

If you would like to make some holiday gifts, and explore the abstract landscape and you would like some help building your design and compositional skills, then you are in luck!

Check out the current printmaking workshops.

It is easy to get caught up in the process of gelatin printmaking. It is fast and spontaneous. I will often pull many prints and not really have any one print that is finished.

Add a focus to complete your print

One way to complete a print is to add a focus. Ask your self:

1. What is the print saying?
2. Does it have a feel?
3. What kind of mark would compliment and complete the print?

Sometimes it is easy to answer those questions and other times the print is just in its infancy.

This print above was just a blue and black “newsprint” pick up. And by added the black figure I created a focus and also embraced the design principles of variety and repetition.

Printing design principles

My suggestion to you is:

• notice how your eye travels around the print
• allow for surprise
• aim for a dynamic range of values from very light to very dark
• limit your tools (don’t try to do everything) in one print
• give yourself time and space to develop your design skills
• simplify, simplify simplify

If you would like to explore printmaking – check out the current online printmaking classes.

 

Today I went around my studio gathering up all the prints that I have done this year. I am getting ready to to sort through and finish a few for the holidays.

I really am a process person. I love figuring out how to make printmaking techniques work for me. There is a lot of trial and error, but that is the fun part for me. So there are plenty of less than pleasing prints in the process.

I say to myself, if I get 2 good prints out of 10 that I make then I am doing good. I think it takes time to get to know the inks, paper, and materials and how they all work together.

I try to give myself permission to fail fast and often. That way I get closer to success sooner. Now that I have my prints all together, I can sort through and put them:

1. Love it!  Done ready to mat and frame.
2. Needs a little something to call it complete
3. Paper with potential, yet needs collage, cropping  or a lot more layers.

I challenge you to gather all your art, prints, drawings from this past year in one space and sort through them. See what you discover.

Check out current classes being offered.

I love experimenting with printmaking processes. I don’t always know how I will end up using the printed papers that I make.

I tried a variety of marbling products, the Suminigashi kit, alum coated paper with waterproof india ink and thin watery acrylics on a liquid starch bath.

I found that the type of paper is very important. The best results were on rice paper and mulberry paper. Most of my other papers gave a faint impression or did not absorb the inks.

I did so many papers that I figured out a few things:

• I like a simpler modern style of marks
• Do 2 or 3 colors max
• Use a big juicy water color brush
• It holds and therefore can release more ink
• Get clean water often
• Skim of the top
• Let the water get very still
• Use very diluted detergent as a dispersant

Some of my goals were to use the papers that I already have in the studio, get a richly pigmented impression and to learn what I like. So for me it is rice paper, the suminagshi kit and a big pointed water color brush. I worked small 5 x 7 and used a foam tray as my container.

Check out current workshops.