Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Repetition and Variety in Printmaking

foam plate printmaking / Linda Germain / July 5, 2016

Composition is important to the success of a piece of artwork. And yet sometimes the concept seems so hard to get a handle on. It is abstract and subjective.

Collage is one way that I create pleasing compositions from less than perfect prints.

Today, I am working with soft block plates. I pieced together some soft block relief prints and thought about the principles of repetition and variety. I put together several pieces of some original prints to make one pleasing relief print.

A couple of ways that I embrace the ideas of repetition and variety are:

I allow myself to use simple circular shapes that I like
I play with making those shapes with different tools
I make a lot of prints and that way the elements reveal themselves

For example:

I like circles, so I use wire, caps, pencils and other tools to make circles with different quality of line. This way I repeat the simple shape and create variety by the different types of lines. This helps compose a pleasing print. It helps bring it together and make sense.

Want to learn more?

Check out current online classes.

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Make a Baren for Relief Printing

relief prints / Linda Germain / June 30, 2016

A baren is often used in relief printing to make a crisp even transfer of ink to the paper.

a baren for printmaking without a press - linda germain — Underside of a Speedball baren for printmaking

You can find barens made of bamboo and more modern materials at online stores and big chain art stores.

I like to use what I have before I go buy a new art tool, so I have tried:

medium sized jars with flat bottoms
a nearby paint bottles
and a porcelain door knob

Some folks recommend a wooden spoon. But I like to have a bigger surface.

a handmade baren for printmaking without a press - Linda Germain — a homemade baren for printing without a press – Linda Germain

I made a simple baren with some simple tools that I had in the studio. You will need:

clothesline rope
double sided carpet tape
scissors, knife
an old tube sock
small piece of sticky vinyl
maybe duct tape
5″ circle of rigid foam core

You may be able to substitute some of the supplies with things that you have in your studio. Look around and think outside the box.

The goal is to make a hand held tool that will slide evenly over the paper and help to apply even pressure to the paper. And help you make beautiful prints!

This is what I did to make a homemade baren for printmaking:

Cut a circle of stiff foam core
Cover the foam core with 2 sided carpet tape
Tightly coil clothesline rope on top of the tape
Craft a cover. I used an old tube sock, put the base about 1/2 way through, stretch tight and tie the ends together to create a handle
Finally, I added a sticky vinyl to the bottom, so it would slide more smoothly.

Interested in more history about barens then check out McClain’s. They have some great info.

If you are interested in relief printing and want to learn more then join us in the next class – check out the printmaking workshop page.

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Keep printmaking simple

foam plate printmaking / Linda Germain / June 23, 2016

Soft block relief printing is a great way to get started with printmaking.

In the print above, I used black and white ink and 3 foam plates. I played with design elements like value, repetition and balance.

This printmaking process is good for folks who want to explore printmaking but do not have access to a press. It can be done very easily in your home studio.

One thing I have done with all the printing plates in the picture above is kept them all the same size so I can layer and combine them to make interesting larger prints.

If you would like to explore drawing, pressing and printing with soft block relief plates, then check out the details on the printmaking workshops page.

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Three ways to use Relief Plates

foam plate printmaking / Linda Germain / June 16, 2016

As a mixed printmaker, I like to combine techniques to make unique prints. I also like to use non-toxic methods that do not require a printing press.

One way I use a relief plate is to lift ink off of the gelatin plate. It gives you a monochromatic impression on the plate, that can then be printed on to paper. In the print above, I used the relief plate to make the impression in the ink on the gelatin plate and then I printed the impression on to paper and collaged it into a small book.

The second way I like to use relief plates is to directly stamp a focal image on to a mixed media print. The black figure is a carve relief plate and was printed several times in 2 different directions to create the focus of this print.

The third way is to repeated print the plate to create a patterned background, or a textural layer. In the fabric print above, I used 9 different relief plates to create this textile print. There are 3 layers of printing, a yellow, an orange and the dark orange on top that unifies the whole print.

Check out current online printmaking classes.

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Top tools for making foam relief printing plates

relief prints / Linda Germain / June 13, 2016

I have gathered my tools for making printing plates with styrofoam trays and sticky back craft foam.

It is low tech and non-toxic but you can still get some awesome results.

These are my favorite tools:

Pattern wheel makes dotted lines.
Cd case is great for a see through foundation for sticky back foam
Small masking stencils can be combined with the foam plate
Ball point pen is good for drawing strong recessed lines.
Elastics make cool wiggly impressions in the foam
Caps and covers make great round and oval impressions
Metal springs and wheels make strong impressions in the foam
Scissors small and large are needed for cutting
Two strong plexi glass plates make a good see through “foot press”
Soft felt pad makes a good printing surface.

Check out my gallery of some soft plate relief prints – CLICK here.

If you would like to make a bunch of printing plates and learn all the tricks for layering and getting the best impressions from this low tech process, then join us in the next printmaking workshop.

Class starts August 7th through the 18th
6 short, clear and actionable video lessons
Private Facebook group for sharing and Q and A
Instructor support, guidance and encouragement
Ability to download for lifetime access
All for Only $97.00

Registration is open. Go to the printmaking class page to sign up.

This is what people are saying about printmaking courses with Linda Germain:

If you think that you can’t learn in an online environment, think again!

You will be amazed at how much you learn from Linda. Each day she shows you techniques, through her very informative videos. You can play the videos again and again to further understand the process.

I learned the basics – making a plate, rolling ink (this took some practice!) and pulling a print. I am pleased with this. I feel that I can really move on and explore this technique in greater depth on my own.

Marsha Hardin Reske – Make Monotypes

Linda is a clear and thorough teacher, who is even open to suggestions. I would recommend this class to a friend.
Barbara Gould – Make Monotypes

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