mark making tools

How do you care for your Brayers?

mark making tools / /

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How do you care for your tools?

I love having lots of brayers available, so that I don’t have to stop and clean them, when I am in the flow of printmaking.  Since they are an expensive tool, I want to take care of them, so they will last a long time.

A good brayer spins easily and evenly.  I often check the spin quality, before I buy them if I can.  So to keep your brayers spinning for many years to come, I suggest:

  1. When printing rest the brayer on the metal cross bar rather than the rubber roller.
  2. Don’t let acrylic paint or other quick drying supplies dry on your brayer
  3. Have a bucket and rag handy while working to clean as you go.
  4. Roll the brayer on clean pages of a phone book to remove most of the ink before washing
  5. Never use hot, hot water or harsh cleaners on your brayer
  6. Get those hard to reach nooks and crannies clean on the sides and edges of your brayer.  That is where the ink likes to hide.
  7. If you share your tools, then make sure your friends know how to care for the brayer too.

Those are some quick tips to keep those brayers rolling.

If you are interested in learning more of my printmaking tips join me in a class soon. Read about the current printmaking classes here.

Happy Printing!

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Printing Tools on Tuesday

mark making tools / /

paper tube stamping tools for printmaking by linda germain I have seen these paper tube projects on pinterest and was inspired to make a stamping tool for gelatin printing.

So simple to make and yet I am thinking they will create a lovely delicate mark in the ink on the gelatin plate.

  • I used just one small tube and
  • cut it into 1/2 ovals.
  • I use the paper cutter to cut them evenly
  • Then I used the hot glue gun
  • to hold them  all together.
  • I tried not to get globs of glue on the bottom
  • because those globs will print.

I did not have time today to try out my new printing tool but I will this week and then share some images with you.

 

If you have already printed with this tool and a picture then share them with the gelatin printmaking flickr group.

stamping tool for gelatin printmaking by linda germain
Arrange the ovals and hot glue together.
stamping tool for gelatin printmaking by linda germain
ready to glue.

If you are interested in a gelatin printmaking workshop with me, then please check out the schedule here.  I keep the classes small so you get the most from you gelatin print class.

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Treasured Tools – Printmaking

mark making tools / /

treasured tools for printmaking by linda germainTreasured tools,  we all have our favorite tools right?

  • Do you always choose that special brush that fits your hand perfectly?
  • Or the one brayer that rolls just right?
  • Or the jar of ink that is the perfect consistency?

I definitely have my favorite tools for gelatin printing.  This picture shows 2 of them.  Can you see the delicate grasses  on the left?  Not all grass and weeds are the same.

I look for grasses that are:

  • thin but sturdy
  • delicate and slightly dried, (fresh and green are weak)
  • long enough for my paper
  • variety of sizes

My second treasured tool is the metal film reel and other hand held metal pieces that I can use to stamp into the ink and remove ink or apply a thin layer of ink to the gelatin plate.delicate grasses for gelatin printmaking

Today a team came to my studio to talk to me about the creative economy in Haverhill, MA.  They are putting together a video for the next Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council.  I got to show them the wonders of gelatin printmaking.  They were impressed with what was possible with a bit of ink, a slab of gelatin and some delicate grasses.

What are your go to treasured tools?

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Details, doilies and Do it! – Gelatin Prints

2010, mark making tools / /
©linda germain 2012 Gelatin printing with a plastic doily

A couple of years back I took a great class with Cathy McLaurin.  During the class she shared lots of her mark making tools.  I fell in love with an old plastic doily.  So I searched the junk stores for a plastic doily of my own and eventually I gave up looking.  Today I found one.  It is not a fabulous as cathy’s but it does make a wonderful detailed impression on the gelatin plate.

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Simple Mark making tools – Gelatin Prints

2010, Gelatin plate print, mark making tools, stamping tools / /
©2012 linda germain gelatin plate monotype tools

I am playing with some old film reels, round things,  tops from shampoo containers and a bit of thin yarn to make marks in the ink on the gelatin plate.
©2012 linda germain – gelatin plate printmaking with my favorite colors
©2012 linda germain – gelatin print  with shampoo covers as stamping tools
©2012 linda germain – just having fun with my new camera – but these are stamps
made on cd case, with double stick carpet tape and caps and round foam bits
Post by Linda Germain

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