{ Printmaking Series #3 : Applying Color } : Spring 2021
In this week’s Printmaking post, I will discuss the color that can be applied to your plate. Depending on your printing preference (I love grungy, multi-layered prints), color can be applied in a wide variety of ways.
Lower End Liquid Acrylic Paints
My go-to when it comes to color is acrylic. I use anything from the liquid kind shown above (the cheap kind that you can find in abundance at any craft store) to higher end paint (see image below), which is thicker and takes more effort to evenly distribute over the plate.
Higher End Acrylic Paints
I do want to mention that the type of paint that you use will impact how your prints turn out. While the liquid acrylic paints are easier on your wallet, I am not always excited about how the color dries due to the low quality of pigment used in the paint. Higher end acrylic paints may cost more up front, but I am happier with the results.
When you first start printing, I recommend using the lower quality paints. Printing is an addictive art form! You can easily spend an entire afternoon experimenting with your printing plate. This is great for accumulating papers for bookmaking and collages and you do go through A LOT of paint when you are first learning how to print.
Various India Inks
While I typically prefer to use acrylic paints, I do use other mediums to print. India Inks are some of my favorite when I want to prep papers to print. I will make various marks (such as lines, dashes, splatters). Adding marks prior to printing will add depth and texture to your prints.
Watercolors
Watercolors are another medium that I use with my prints. I use them like I do India inks. I make marks on blank paper as a way to prep paper for printing. While I enjoy using papers I found or salvage, I also use new paper when.creating covers for books that I will eventually sell. That paper is a heavier weight and can withstand several layers of wet mediums.
You don’t always need the most high end art supplies to create a beautiful print. Buying watercolors at your local grocery store will work just as effectively as the high end ones you would find at an art store. But as your learning your printmaking style, start off easy (and cheap!) with your supplies.
Are you getting excited and ready to print! I know I am! Starting in April, I am going to participate in a 30 Day Mark Making Challenge. I have done these in the past and they are loads of fun! So what do you say? Want to join me in making some fun and funky artist books?
{ Designing Artist Books : Workshop in Review } : Floyd, VA //
This past weekend, seven women gathered at the Floyd Center for the Arts for the Designing Artist Books workshop.
Group photo! All the amazing ladies that designed Artist Books with me this weekend!
Plus Grace, who had to leave early for the opera!
We explored many background paper techniques using wet-on-wet and dry processes. The end product was less important than the process. We learned to not judge what was made since the paper would be used as a piece and not as a whole. This can be a challenging concept for many people!
Using watercolors and rubbing alcohol to create unexpected results on paper
We made as many papers in 4 hours as we could. The participants could use any technique that they learned that day to make their cover paper.
MaryJo exploring art and science while creating her background papers
Spray inks are always a huge success! Being highly pigmented make them very attractive to students of all ages.
Anne LOVES her ghost prints!
Penny and Suzanne exploring spray inks…the possibilities are endless!
Using everyday items found easily, on the cheap or around the home make pattern easy to create.
MaryJo using handmade stamps on black and Kraft cardstock paper
Our books are 6 x 6” while our papers are much larger. Participants cut down their papers to he desired size. This leaves them with loads of handprinted scrap paper to use as collage within their books.
Pat using scraps of her handprinted papers to collage her pages
We had an AMAZING time creating in community. The great thing about these books are that you can add, takeaway, make pages in any size, put int ages, envelopes, pockets and fold out pages. This is a book that is never done…making it organic and endless.
{ Bookmaking with VT Industrial Design Students } : April 2019 //
On Friday, April 5th, I joined 14 VT students to create one-of-a-kind mini handmade books as part of a class entitled Mindful Makers. This was the second semester I have been invited onto campus to be a part of this class. Isn’t it funny how others see us in regards to how we see ourselves? When I was originally invited to join the class, I remember how honored I was to be thought of as ‘mindful’ in my making.
Working with young adults that know how to (and love) work with their hands is a treat!
A VT student is learning how to ‘convince’ the decorative paper that it wants to wrap around the book board.
Here the Instructor discusses with the class their final projects as we admire the uniqueness of each piece
Yes…mini handmade books are the cutest…these students nailed it!
This class has inspired me to become more intentional in my mindfulness in regards to the way I create. I try to weave mindfulness into every class, workshop and camp I facilitate. Breathe, be in the present and focus on workmanship.
{ Bookmaking Bonanza! : A Personal Dream Come True } : March 2019 //
In my mind, I had imagined this thing that I eventually named the ‘Bookmaking Bonanza!’ I wanted to gather a group of people together to see how many handmade books we could make in a day. I had tried multiple times to make this workshop happen. Third time is the charm! 11 magnificent women joined me on Saturday, March 23rd at the Floyd Art Center in gorgeous Floyd, VA to make this artist’s dream come true!
We made 5 handmade books in 5 hours—the Accordion Fold, Flower Fold, Smash Book (a variation on the Accordion Fold), Japanese Stab Binding and a 5 Hole Butterfly Stitch Pamphlet.
SO. MUCH. FUN. This group of women ROCKED it! Infinite gratitude to all that participated!
I am thinking that another Bookmaking Bonanza would be great around the holiday season?