WE have a great recycling store near by, called Extras for Creative Reuse. It is a membership type place and when you visit you can take pound and pounds and bags of stuff! I find lots of interesting “printmaking tools”.

This tile sample works great to make marks in the thin layer of ink on the gelatin and glycerin printing plate. Then when the ink builds up on the “tool”, I print the ink back on to a clean area of the plate and get a very detailed impression with mere hand pressure.

If you would like to explore tool gathering and monotype printmaking on the gelatin plate, then join us in an online printmaking workshop.

I alway check out rubber things at the local shop. Rubber is spongey and can make an interesting mark in the thin layer of ink on the gelatin and glycerin printing plate.

Non skid bath mats and pads come in lots of patterns and shape. I use them to lift off and then apply a thin layer of ink to the printing plate.

If you would like to explore making monotypes on the glycerin and gelatin plate with ink on paper, then join the next session of Make Monotypes, the online printmaking course. Check out the details here.