monotype print

I love line drawings that are simple and still express authenticity. And that can be a challenge to let the line flow and not be labored.

To get some inspiration for the beauty of simple line drawings check out the one liners by Picasso.

I also love the Plant drawings by Elsworth Kelly.

If you are inspired by the simplicity of the one line drawing, then give your self a challenge.

You could:

1. Pick a line drawings by Picasso or another master and do studies
2. As a learning to see tool – you could copy it and trace it
3. Then draw it while staring at it
4. Notice if you are loose or tense
5. Remember to breathe

After doing a bunch of studies you could pick one flower or animal and do your own drawing in just one line.

It may take several steps to simplify the image to one line and still express the essence. As Picasso did with he bull studies.

Here is a quote that is attributed to Picasso that support the beauty of the one liner:

“Art is the elimination of the unnecessary .”

My drawing is more than one line, but I do feel the essence of those tangled wires.

I like to use this simplified line drawing approach when I am preparing images to make trace monoprints.

The line drawing becomes the matrix for the fuzzy lined trace monoprint. And that fuzzy line quality gives the image a whole new feel.

I made a copy of this figure drawing  and then used that to make the trace monoprint below.

If you are intrigued by simplified drawings and want to explore the trace monoprint process, then check out the details on the Draw into Print Workshop page and join us, class starts soon.

Tyvek® is great for making stencils. So what is it and where can I get some?

It  is a brand of flashspun high-density polyethylene fibers, a synthetic material; the name is a registered trademark of the DuPont company, known for their production of chemicals and textiles. Tyvek® is often used as housewrap, a synthetic material used to protect buildings during construction.

I comes in different weights and structures for different uses. Check out the DuPont site for all that info.

You can find Tyvek®:

1. Construction site dumpster – house wrap. Or if you need a lot check out a hardware store for Tyvek® house wrap.
2. Staples + Office supplies stores sell Tyvek® envelopes. This is an affordable option if you can buy them in small quantities.
3. Staples sells – JAM tyvek paper
4. USPS – Uses Tyvek® envelops for their priority mail service – You could recycle those envelopes.
5. Material Concepts – is an online seller of Tyvek® and sometimes you can get odd lot rolls – their Excess Inventory for a reasonable price.
6. Get creative, tell your friends that you need Tyvek® for your art. Look for things that are made with tyvek that you could repurpose.

Be inspired by Beatrice Coron – a paper cutting artist, who uses a lot of Tyvek®.

If you want to learn more about making stencils from Tyvek® and other materials, then join us in the online class, Hand Printed Cards. Class is starting soon.

Today I am playing and discovering the different kinds of marks that are possible with the gelatin plate, stencils, mark making tools and inks.

A lot happens very quickly when I roll out the ink and lay down stencils. The challenge is to transfer marks before the ink is too dry.

There is ink on the brayer and on the plate that can be used to make marks on the fabric. The skill develops the more I understand where to place what kinds of marks to make pleasing prints.

For example in the print above:

• the white ferns are made with a masking stencil over a layer of ink.
• the blue and yellow ferns are made with the ink left behind/under the masking stencil
• the background marks were made with brayer rubbings

So when playing with printing on fabric, skill develops as awareness grows about the actions that make certain types of impressions. This can be challenging for folks who like to be in control or make predictable and repeatable mark.

The marks above are similar but not the same. The happy surprises are what I love about gelatin printmaking. I also love:

• easy clean up
• low tech tools
• non- toxic inks
• able to print at home
• fun to share with friends!
• lovely details with just hand pressure
• no press needed
• fast and spontaneous

If you are interested in some guided discover and playful printmaking with the gelatin plate and fabric then check out the details of the online printmaking workshop, Monoprinting on Fabric. Class starts soon.

We still have plenty of time to plan and join the global community of printmakers for Print Day in May.

Print Day in May began in 2007 at the Monterey Peninsula College (MPC), Monterey, CA. The MPC Fine Art Print Club (now the MPC Printmakers) created it to encourage printmakers everywhere to create prints on the same day . . . an all-inclusive printmaking effort! Join the MPC Printmakers, and make some prints during Print Day in May!

You can get into the international event:

• Register for free on their website
• plan a print day with your print buddies
• get psyched about and share your passion on social media with the #printdayinmay