Mixed Media Printmaking Blog

Gelatin Printmaking Class at the Museum of Printing

monotype print / Linda Germain / September 12, 2017

I am pleased to invite you to join us at the Museum of Printing, Haverhill, MA.

Date: October 14, 2017
9 AM to 5PM
Full day gelatin printmaking workshop, ink on paper
Details and to register go to Workshop Page

This is the first class that I have offered local and in person in quite a few years. It will be a great day of monoprinting on paper with the homemade gelatin plate. Most of the supplies will be provide, so this is a great way to try out the process.

We will use:

water soluble ink
paper
gelatin and glycerin plate
stencils
stamping tools

Gelatin printmaking is a great way to get into printmaking without a press. Watch some videos on my YouTube channel.

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Students loving screen printing

screen printing / Linda Germain / September 5, 2017

Here is a quick look at some student screen prints, created in the last session of Pulling Screen Prints, the online printmaking class.

Class starts September 11th. Check out the details and join us today. And soon you will be screen printing in the comfort of your own home studio.

drawing fluid method of screen printing fabric

Drawing fluid method on a simple hoop screen to print a scarf.

Hoop screen, squeegee and paper stencil ready to go.

Use the 8 piece Thermofax kit to print on fabric or paper.

Check out the course schedule on the printmaking workshop page

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Learning a lot in Pulling Screen Prints

screen printing / Linda Germain / September 2, 2017

I wanted to share some of the great experiences that students have had in the online printmaking class, Pulling Screen Prints. An let you know there is still time to join this year’s session.

What a wonderful class, opening up the whole world of home screen printing and so many possibilities.

Excellent presentation of materials and so easy to follow ! Thanks.

Lisa Hermanson – US – Pulling Screen Prints

Chris Cooper from Australia says:

This was my first online class and learned a lot, would recommend to friends.

1. Specifically, appreciate the brilliant and very workable registration system that I can easily set up on my work table and use with success and flexibility

2. Organization to print easily, when I want to , so that I don’t waste time or procrastinate because I have to spend time thinking about “how” to get started

3. Being able to make many little screens with the hoops is fantastic because I don’t feel so precious and daunted about the materials. I’m more open to experimenting with images. If it doesn’t work it’s easy to try again. This knowledge is very liberating.

The videos were terrific. Clear short succinct and doable.

I just loved being able to work and experiment at home.

a wonderful experience.

Pulling Screen Prints is a 4 week screen printing class, where we explore several ways to screen print at home without needing a special studio or many fancy tools.

We will learn how to:

stretch screens and use hoops for quick and easy printing
use paper stencils to make images
use the drawing fluid and screen filler methods
try out some experimental resist techniques and
use the 8 piece thermofax kit that is included with the class

Click over to the workshop page, read the details and sign up today. Class starts September 11th.

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How to take an online ART class

monotype print / Linda Germain / August 31, 2017

Being a student in an online art class recently, got me thinking about what can be done to have the best experience from an online art class.

On the positive side, I experienced:

drawing breakthroughs
using watercolors and pens in new ways
making with new drawing skills in my own way/voice
moving beyond fears that stop me

But also I experienced:

getting behind
wanting more help
feeling lost in a big group
thinking my work was not good enough

Hey wait – this was suppose to be a fun art making experience!

I was able to noticed the things that were not working for me in the course and move beyond them and to embrace the lessons and information that did work for me.

I think this was a key decision. I could have quit or given up, because I was frustrated and had unmet expectations.

Then I realized that some of my own students probably experienced some of these same frustrations in my online printmaking courses. So I want to share some tips on getting the most from an online art course:

Tips on taking online ART course

Read the class information and supplies page to determine if the class is right for you.
Look at the supplies list and get what you might need.
Decide what your intention might be, fun, skill building, work, play, discovery….?
Get excited, set up a workspace.
When class begins, introduce yourself and “join” the others in the class.
Ask questions. If you have a question, then most likely someone else has the same question
Even if you have questions about the teaching platform, structure – ask questions.
If you “get behind,” reassess, and do what you can. Remember your excitement and reasons for signing up for the course. Contribute to the classroom community, if you can at this point. Look for something positive that you may have learned. It may not even have much to do with the course content.
Get to know your learning style. Are you…
- Visual – learn with pictures, images and space
- Auditory – like to learn through sound and listening
- Verbal – learn with words, speech and writing
- Physical – learn with hands, body and touch
Try to figure out the instructor’s teaching style and whether it matches your learning style. Do you want…
- a coach – to guide you to develop and apply skills and knowledge
- a professor – to lecture as an expert authority
- a delegator – empower you to discover on your own and collaboratively
What if you think your work is not good enough? – Remember you are the student, you came to learn and you do not have to be “good.” You learn by making and experimenting. So as long as you are making work, it is good enough. If you can share and ask for help with work that is in progress, then you will grow tremendously.
What if you are not sure about your computer skills or the social media part of the course? Ask for help.

I hope this helps get you ready to take an online art class. The wonderful part of online art courses is that you can have a world wide community right from your home. You don’t have to pack up supplies and travel to a workshop, you can set up your workspace and play at anytime of the day!

If you would like to explore a printmaking process with me, then check out the current workshop schedule.

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Shadows can be stencils

screen printing / Linda Germain / August 27, 2017

I was looking for interesting shadows and shapes as I did my bike ride today.

A photo of a great shadow can easily be turned into some kind of matrix for printmaking. For people who do not love to draw this is a great way to make your imagery personal.

Shadows are wonderful because they flatten the 3-d shape into a 2-d image that is easier to draw or trace. It is one way to trick the mind into flattening 3 dimensional shapes.

I encourage you to look for shadows.
Look at different times of the day.
Capture them with your phone or camera.
Be open to the idea of making them into a stencil or stamp or other printmaking matrix.

Sometimes you can create shadows. I placed the jar of tools on the window sill, in bright light and hung a white piece of fabric in front of it.

Shadows simplify the negative spaces. The objects become shapes rather than the things that they are. This creates a new freedom in your mind to draw the shape, rather that the tiny details of the things.

Try it!

Screen printing is a process where you can use shape based drawings to print on fabric and paper.