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printmakingtechnique workshops
or mixed-media art
1 structure and color
ruth issett
2 oral renzy: combining
colors & monoprint techniquesruth issett
3 variations on a theme:
printing tissue papervirginia a. spiegel
4 roll out the
backgroundslinda calverley
presented bycloth paper scissors
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3
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if you love mark making and surface
design like we do here at Cloth PaPer
SCiSSorS, youll love what weve
pulled together for your printmaking
pleasure. Whether you like to use
printmaking as the focus of your art, or
just as an integral layer, these workshops
will offer you new techniques to try in
your next art session.
First up are two workshops by Ruth
Issett, that will walk you through the
process of printing with string, as well as
Printmaking Workshopsor Mixed-Media Art
presented byCloth Paper Scissors
editor Jenn Mason
assistant editor Barbara Delaney
creative services
division art director Larissa Davis
PhotograPher Larry SteinPj fm f p
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a great monoprinting technique using
a brayer as a no-waste printing tool. In
the next Workshop, Virginia Spiegel has
you set up a printmaking session with
hand-cut stamps and tissue paper that
will have you singing in your studio.Finally, Linda Calverley will have you
searching through your recycle bins with
her workshop full of fantastic ideas for
rolling stamps.
Use these techniques alone or partner
them with any one of the new
techniques we bring to you in each, and
every issue ofCloth PaPer SCiSSorS.
Jenn Mason
Editor
N e ed f r e sh i N s p i r a t i o N ? look inside
cloth paper scissors
Mixed-media stitch
Art journaling
Assemblage
Working with oundobjects
Surace designMetal working
Printmaking
Encaustic collage
Book making
Upcycled art
Available onnewsstands
worldwide andthroughsubscription.
where youll fnd ideas or:
Toll-free within the U.S. & Canada: 800.406.5283
International customers: 760.291.1519 (not toll-free)
Cloth PaPerSCiSSorSMagazine,
P.O. Box 469087, Escondido, CA 92046-9350
clothpaperscissors.com
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many people who work with textiles, papers, and scissors nd it quitedicult to draw with a pencil in their hand. However, i you ask themto take a thread or piece o string and arrange it in the shape o an object, they
oten manage to produce a very passable drawing or design. Somehow a
pencil or stick inhibits their fuency when creating a condent line to represent
an image.
a fomCloth PaPer SCiSSorS
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materials
A piece o oam core board cutto a reasonable size or ease inhandling
Double-sided tape (Carpet tape willwork.)
A dark marking pen
Well-twisted string (It needs toeel rm between your ngers.Butcher string works well.)
Brayer or print roller (not the sotsponge variety)
White acrylic paint (Liquitex,Golden, or Rowney System 3brands work well.)
An assortment o smooth, white
papers: watercolor paper, whitetissue, tracing paper, and dierenthandmade Asian papers, such asLokta or ne silk papers
Sti plastic sheet or protected sheeto glass or rolling out the paint
A large sheet o paper or plastic toprotect your work surace
optional
Inks, diluted Procion MX dyes,
or extended acrylic color
When developing a new series o work
I oten create a printing block or
stamp. Making a string block is very
satisying: manipulating the string
into position on a board, developing
an elegant, powerul mark that gives
structure to the images printed.
The work included in this article
was stimulated by a study o winter
treesa bare hedgerow, just the
branches, tightly packed and
silhouetted against a cold gray sky,
or even against a dramatic sunset. In
winter, the twigs are so noticeable when
walking or driving. Gradually, as the
spring comes, they change color; new
bark appears in bright reds, yellows, lime
greens, dark burgundy, and oranges.
To record these images, rst you needto make your string block. Assemble the
materials listed and ollow the directions
below.
structureand color
Above let: Background paper inked andvarnished then roller-printed with whiteacrylic, inked with Procion MX dye. Furtherblock printing in yellow and orange and thensot pencil detailing were added.
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how to useprinting torecord theseimagesmaking yourstring block
Completely cover one side o the1.
board with the double-sided tape. It
is very sticky and will hold the string
in place when you are arranging your
design.
Position your design, laying the2.
string up and back down the same
line, creating a double line. Initially,
place the string lightly on the board
to arrange the design, then press
it into position once a pleasing
arrangement is achieved. The string
will twist in opposite directions
preventing it rom rolling o the
block when pressed by a brayer or
print roller. To create a strong, linear
design, let the string lay naturally in
a strong fuid line. It is important to
make sure that the string does notcross and avoid too many cut ends;
try to have one continuous line, as
much as possible.
Next take the brayer, rmly press3.
the string onto the block, and
then lightly coat the whole block
(including the string and double-
sided tape) with white acrylic paint.
Take care not to over-saturate the
string, as that will cause it to pull
String print blocks
Roller and block print in white on greenLokta paper, enhanced with dyes and acryliccolors.
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printingProtect your printing table with a1.
large sheet o paper and gather your
supplies.
Arrange your papers so that it is2.
easy to select them once you start
printing as ideas will come thick and
ast!
Squeeze out a generous blob o white3.
acrylic paint and roll the brayer in
the acrylic, evenly coating the whole
surace. This may be a little dicult
at rst, but do not press too hard. I
you press too hard, your brayer will
not turn smoothly, i at all.
Become amiliar with your brayer; do
not rush, enjoy the eeling o gently
coating it with acrylic.
Above: Images were roller- andblock-printed in white and theninked with Procion MX dye.
Let: Images were roller-printed
in shades o gray onto whitepaper and then block-printedin black.
away rom the double-sided tape. Use
the brayer to work the paint into the
string to ensure the string absorbs
the paint well. This helps to give the
block a strong absorbent surace.
Let the block dry beore printing as
this allows the string to tighten and
ensures the string stays attached to
the board.
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Careully roll the brayer, coated with4.
acrylic, across the surace o the
block. Leave an even coating on the
surace o the block; do not push
the acrylic down between the string.
Once the block is evenly coated,
quickly place it onto your chosen
paper, press down hard, and then
remove.
note: When working with white acrylicit may be dicult to distinguish the printedimage on a white paper so try a tintedcolor instead.
Repeat steps 14 and then apply the5.
block in another position to gradually
build up a repetitive image.
printing romthe brayerPrinting rom the brayer will broaden
the range o images available.
Evenly coat the brayer with acrylic1.
paint, making sure it is applied to the
whole surace. Press the brayer rmly
into the surace o the block and
gently roll it across, watching the
negative image being revealed on the
surace o the brayer.
Careully transer the brayer print2.
onto your paper by slowly and gently
running it across, not pressing too
hard, just rmly enough to allow
the acrylic to transer onto the paper
surace. But every rotation o the
brayer will remove a layer o acrylic,
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800.406.5283 (U.S. & Canada)
760.291.1519 (International)quiltingarts.comQuilting Arts MAgAzine, P.O. Box 469087, Escondido, CA 92046-9350
Quilting Arts MAgAzine explores ideas, textiles, and techniquesrelated toembellished and contemporary art quilting. Inside,youll find design inspiration,step-by-stepdirections, gorgeousphotography, and
motivationfor developing your personal style,
at all skill levels.
so increase the pressure with each
rotation.
note: No two brayer images will be thesame. The brayer can be rolled acrossthe block a number o times or in dierentdirections. Sometimes the image will evenbecome distorted.
Allow the acrylic to dry and then3.paint over the image with inks,
diluted Procion MX dyes, or extended
acrylic color. Some o the white
acrylic will absorb the inked color
giving a tinted surace.
Finally, add additional drawing using
colored pencils or pens to give extra
emphasis.tipsFurther prints can be added using
other acrylic colors to build up thedesign ideas.
Try printing on colored papers,previously decorated papers withprinted or painted suraces, oreven onto collaged papers.
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loral renzys
ummertime oers so much inspiration or color. Gardens are ull oamazing combinations: suddenly blooms appear in unexpected hues
against lush oliage o citrus greens, olive greys, and deep red russets.
Somehow these riotous combinations should be recorded and stored or the
dark and dreary days o winter.
a fomCloth PaPer SCiSSorS
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combining color& monoprint techniques
materials
A collection o simple, bold, papershapes
A selection o papers or thebackground: tissue, watercolorpaper, smooth drawing paper,Lokta, cotton rag, etc.
Lino and cutting tools, such as an
X-Acto knie, or making stampsAcrylic paints
Glass with taped edges, or alaminate sheet, or spreading paint
Brayer or print roller
Water-based inks or dyes
Scissors
Graphite and/or colored pencils
note: O course, it would beeasier to use ready-made stampsto explore color combinations,
but making your own print blocksoers the opportunity to studyin detail the shapes and lines ofowers and oliage, adding to
your creative repertoire.
Stamps hand-carved out o linooer great detail.
Building on the Structure and Color
Workshop, let us examine how we
can use printing to record these color
combinations and develop ideas or
design, drawing, and collage projects
year-round.
Lokta paper, or Lama-Li, is cultivated
rom the Daphne bush that grows high
in the Himalayan mountain region o
Nepal. Tibetan reugees create the most
exquisite and versatile handmade lokta
papers on the planet. Lokta has our
deckled edges and is a very strong ber.
This bush completely regenerates in
about our years ater being cut to about
six inches rom the ground. Thereore,
the cultivation o this tree-ree paper
is an eco-riendly resource and a reliable
revenue stream or the village artisans o
Nepals rural and urban areas.
directionsBegin by drawing or collaging simple1.
fower and oliage shapes. Petals can
be oval, angular, rilly, and trumpet-shaped, with the leaves thin, at,
curved, and serrated. I drawing is
dicult, try tearing or cutting the
shapes rom dierent colored papers,
even dividing the leaves where
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the veins come. Make a collection
o these simple, bold shapes that
combine to build an interesting
arrangement.
Take a piece o stamp-printing2.
material such as lino and cut a
simple stamp. Choose a piece about4" 6", so it is easy to hold in your
hand and a good width to ink with a
brayer (roller).
Select some o the fower and lea3.
shapes and trace them directly onto
the surace o your stamp making
sure that the lines are clear and
strong, giving a fuid movement, and
that both the positive and negative
areas read well.
Gather a small selection o acrylic4.
colors such as lemon yellow,
cadmium yellow, scarlet, magenta,
cobalt and turquoise blue, and white.
Squeeze a good blob o color onto a
fat, shiny surace such as the piece
o glass or the laminated sheet. Using
a brush, paint the color onto your
stamp, making sure that the wholearea is evenly covered with acrylic.
Place your papers onto a pad o5.
newspaper and press the coated
stamp (block) onto the paper surace.
Remove the stamp and reveal the
reversed print. Print the stamp
repeatedly, altering the color by
adding dierent paint colors to create
secondary colors.
ragpaperThe symbol o quality is still a paperthat is made rom 100 percent cottonrags. At one time, rag meant cotton
taken exclusively rom cotton textileremnants. Now very ew cotton papersare made rom rags, either entirely orpartially. The dierence between truerag papers and cotton papers maderom linters is that the rags have longercotton bers and the weaving seems toadd strength. Today rag and cotton areterms that are virtually interchangeable.
Above: Simple block and brayer printing onpaper and on cotton muslin (calico), bothprinted rst then over-inked or -dyed.
Right: Various papers were glued together tocreate a varied surace, printed with shades oyellow and orange, inked with turquoise andmagenta ink, and urther enhanced with coloredpencil.
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Try printing the designs adjacent to6.
each other, overlaid and inverted, to
see what variety o images you can
create. It is interesting to try printing
on colored paper; try light blue paper
with dierent shades o yellows and
oranges mixed rom the yellows,
scarlet or magenta, and add a small
quantity o white.
note: It is easy to produce a number oprints very quickly, so it is worth preparing
your papers beore you have begunprinting. Gather together a variety odierent suracestissue, colored paper,as well as good, smooth drawing paper.Collage together a number o papers osimilar weight but dierent types: smoothcardstock, brown paper, and handmadeAsian papers such as Lokta or cottonrag. Once the glue has dried, print thepapers with your stamp and be preparedor variation in the prints because o thediering paper suraces.
Finally, print onto papers that you7.
have already colored with other
drawing media such as Shiva
Paintstiks, pre-inked papers, or
commercially printed papers such as
magazine photographs. (I using the
latter, you will have to obscure the
image with your stamp in order toavoid copyright inringement.) You
may even nd that when a print is
very wet a quick contact print can be
made by lightly pressing a ne paper
onto the wet acrylic.
Once your prints are dry, the real work
begins and everything comes alive.
over-ink it
Get together some transparent1.coloring media: Procion MX dye
(mixed as an ink, roughly 14 teaspoon
o dye powder to a cup o warm
water), Koh-I-Noor (water-based
inks that come in little solid pans) or
you can use commercial inks.
Wash these transparent colors over2.
your dry prints, making sure to color
all o the background and making a
vibrant contrast to the printed color.
Sometimes the ink will rest on the
acrylic color; i you dont like this
eect, wipe it away with a paper towel
while its still wet.
By inking with a vibrant contrasting
color, exciting compositions can be
created. Try painting dark color over
light prints such as purple over yellow
and orange or turquoise over scarlet.
Areas that have been printed with
additional white can become quite
luminous when inked with a contrasting
color.
take it urtherHaving printed and over-inked yourpapers, the next challenge is to urther
embellish, enhance, and enjoy.
This can be done in a number o ways.
Select areas o the printed papers1.
and begin to cut into them using a
crat knie or scissors. Cut around
the printed shapes leaving areas o
the inked paper as a contrast. Make a
collection o cut images leaves andfowers, even copying some shapes.
Spend time arranging the pieces2.
onto a dierent background, either
a contrasting color or a dierent
printed surace. Sometimes foral
prints look wonderul when displayed
on a geometric patterned background
or a patchwork o plain, colored
papers.
Cut larger areas o the prints and3.place them with areas o other prints
that you have on hand.
Arrange areas o complementary4.
solid-color papers to rame the fower
shapes, to give contrast, or to make
connections.
tipTry using a brayer or a dierentapplication. Shade the colorswhen rolling them, thus producingvariegated bands o color. Whileapplying the color with a brayer,try creating a reverse print othe brayer; this will oten result inwonderul distorted prints, weirdlyshaped fowers and leaves, as wellas negative linear patterns.
Drawing on this cotton rag paper was done withShiva Paintstiks, over-inked, and allowed to dry.Printing rom a stamp and a brayer were addedand, when dry, over-inked.
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drawingOnce the printing and gluing is nished
you may eel very happy with the pieces
you have produced.
However, it is still possible to urther
enhance your work with gentle and
sometimes subtle additions. Amazingly,
it is quite possible to add additionalgraphite or colored pencil to both the
acrylic printing and/or the background,
inked paper.
Select a sot pencil or graphite stick1.
and gently draw into the background
paper around the printed area,
shading and emphasising the printed
pattern. Let the shading become
darker in some areas, lighter in
others.
As you work, stand back and view2.
your work, gradually adding greater
emphasis in some areas. Take care
not to cover the whole print. Be
selective to yield variety and tonal
dierence.
Select some colored pencils that3.
are slightly darker or lighter than
the original print and start to draw
into the acrylic printing. Gently
rub the colored pencil across the
print surace, gradually building the
color. You may even nd that it is
exciting to add a small amount o
a contrasting color to your piece
bright lime green to a deep orange or
a sot salmon color to a bright yellow.
As you apply the pencil coloring
you will nd that the actual print
has dierent surace levels; a ridge
along the edge o the print gives a
dened line. Draw up to this line to
emphasize the color contrasts.
Finally, use the colored pencils to4.
enhance the dry, inked suraces
around the print, careully adding
detailed color between the printed
areas. Shade the colors, use
complementary colors, or add
dierent tones to the colored paper.
Use the pencils to create large slabs
o color or ne detailed lines.
Embellishing and enriching the print
and the inked surace can be very
absorbing and un.
These paper ideas can be enjoyed or
themselves or can be added to a design
portolio to build ideas or uture hand-
dyed and printed abrics.
resources
Specialty papers, inks, dyes, andstamp-carving supplies
artvango.co.uk
dickblick.com
Below: Printed with a PZ Kut block and a lea block created rom oamcore board and Funky Foam. Prints were cut, rearranged, and enhancedwith colored and graphite pencils.
Above: Printed, brayer-printed, and inked papers were cut, composed,and enhanced with additional papers and drawing.
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variationson a theme
a fomCloth PaPer SCiSSorS
M/a 2007
it is ubiquitous, inexpensive, and youve been using it orart projects rom the time you made stained glass inkindergarten. Yes, tissue paper is one art material we
can all aord and nd almost everywhere we shop.
Visit the right stores and you might even get it or ree.
There are many easy ways to transorm this humble
material into art paper that can add layers odepth and translucency to your artwork.
I nd the best way to ensure an
interesting and complex pattern on
tissue paper is to spread it out on a
plastic-covered foor or circle o tables
and make marks on the individual
sheets o tissue paper in a round-robin
ashion. Put on some music and think o
printing a symphony. Move rom sheet
to sheet while repeating motis and mark
making among the sheets; you want
both repetition and variation. But keep
in mind that its important to have some
plain areas as well as a place to rest your
eye in your collage.
printingtissue papermaking yourown stampsO course, you could use commercial
stamps to print your tissue paper, but its
really quite easy to make
your own. You can also
be sure your work will be
unique i you take a ewminutes to make
your own stamps.
makingprinting
blocks
On the positive side,
making a stamp by
carving pre-made printing
blocks with linoleum
carving tools really is
easy. I carve the block
reehand, but you can
draw your design on
the block with a pen
beore you begin. On
the negative side, it
is dicult to obtain
a good print with thebyv a. spl
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4" 6" blocks I like to print. But since
Im building up layers o marks on the
tissue paper, I actually preer the less-
than-perect marks. I generally leave the
printing blocks unmounted so I can toss
them right into a dishpan o water to
soak as I nish using them.
moldablefoamstamps
I youre not ready to carve your own
blocks, an easier method is to use
moldable oam stamps. The basic
technique is to heat the oam block with
a heat gun until it is glossy and then
press the block onto 3-D objects such a
washers, match sticks, or nails. I have
discovered that you can make dierent
stamps on both the ront and back o the
block.
stampingSqueeze blobs o paint out on1.your palette. In order to have a
coordinating set o papers to use,
choose no more than 57 colors o
paint to use on one set o tissue
paper. Lay out 2 or 3 colors o paint
at a time on the palette, starting with
the lightest colors.
Take a 2" oam brush and drag it2.
through the edge o the lightest color
o paint you want to use. You want
the brush to be covered with paint
but not have big globs, so stroke the
brush a ew times on your palette (or
on a piece o paper or abric) beore
you begin.
Brush a very thin coat o paint on3.
your carved block or moldable oam
stamp. The advantage o using a oam
brush is that you can walk among
your papers and start a rhythm:
swipe the brush on the block, print,
swipe, and print. Pick up more paint
and continue. Move to the next sheet
o tissue paper and repeat. Since
you will be layering your marks,
keep printing with your stamp even
when only parts o it are covered in
paint and the layer o paint becomes
thinner. You will automaticallybe creating variation within the
repetition.
Dont worry about creating beautiul
compositions o color and pattern at this
stage; the printed tissue paper is only the
raw material or your later collages.
randommark making
As you nish stamping with each color
o paint, clean your brush by walking
around and randomly swiping the brush
or twisting it around on your tissue
papers. Make a variety o random marks.
You will be amazed at how much paint
remains in a oam brush.
Above: Patterning here was created using an
E-Z-Cut printing blockBelow: Stamps or this printing were createdwith moldable oam and vintage letter stamps.
materials
Tissue paper (I like Blick ArtTissue as it tends not to bleed, butI have used even the cheapest
brands with success.)Acrylic paint, such as CreatexAcrylic Colors
Foam brushes
Palette (such as a 12"-square sheeto Plexiglas)
Printing blocks
Linoleum block cutting tools (I likethe Speedball brand as it has manyinterchangeable blades.)
Moldable oam stamps
610 Thermoax screens o wordsand images
Markers (such as Sharpie orZig)
Heat gun
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I you work rom light to dark paints,you wont need to change brushes as you
will be cleaning the brush as you make
your random marks. Just pick up a new
paint color and continue with the stamp
you were using previously or start with a
new stamp.
Beore moving on to another technique,
its time to check your tissue paper. Are
there still open spaces on your tissue
paper? Good!
screenprintingThe easiest way to make screens or
screenprinting is to use a Thermoax
machine or to purchase the screens
rom a Thermoax printing service.
(Quilting arts magazine, Winter 2003,
has an article by Maggie Weiss on
working with the Thermoax
machine.) As with the paint you
choose or your tissue paper, you
want a coordinated suite o 610
screens with images and words related
to a topic.
I use a 3" oam brush or screenprinting
on tissue paper. I nd the normal
screenprinting squeegee applies too
much paint and doesnt give me enoughfexibility.
Run the oam brush through a blob1.
o paint on your palette and paint
once or twice on the palette (or scrap
paper or abric) to make sure the
layer o paint is thin and smooth.
Take your screen, lay it on a piece o2.
tissue paper, and, grasping the brush
very low on the handle, swipe it
over the screen. Two or 3 swipes willusually print the entire screen, but I
preer to print just bits and pieces o
each screen on each piece o tissue
paper.
I dont clean the screen or the brush
between colors, but try to work rom the
lightest colors o paint to the darkest.
When you are done with a screen, lay it
immediately in a small dishpan or sink
with a couple o inches o water in it.
You can then continue painting without
having to stop and clean your screens.
markersWriting always adds a layer o
inormation and mystery to a collage,
so sometime in the process o painting
I add a layer o writing using markers.I do this even i I have stamped or
screenprinted words previously
because, as in carving your own stamps,
handwriting adds a personal and unique
look to your artwork.
Start with a great big marker such as
a Super Sharpie, since we are thinking
big and swoopy in our actions here. I
like writing that can almost be read.
To achieve this, write quickly and
continuously, letting the marker fow
over the paper. Forget about being
concise and neat and dont worry about
the content.
Think about your topic and just start
writing; emphasize the downward loops
o the letters p and , the upward loops o
the letters d and b, and keep the letters
either very tight together or very ar
apart. Again, there is no need to strive
or a beautiul composition here; youare creating raw materials to use in your
collages.
Above let: Screenprinting on tissue with black and red.
Above right: Handwriting can personalize a piece. Allow it to fow across the page.
In this sample black script is over-written in the opposite direction with red.
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directionsCut a piece o mat board to1.
212" 31
2" or the ATC and 4" 6"
or the abric postcard.
Put a glob o Sobo Glue on a piece2.
o waxed paper. For an easy start to
Virginias abric postcard Tree, Wood, Paper.
materials
Mat board
Sobo Glue
1" inexpensive, natural bristlepaintbrush
Rotary cutter
Sel-sealing cutting mat
Paint or gold lea marker
Prepared tissue papers
resources
block printing tools and materials
speedballart.com800-898-7224
dickblick.com800-828-4548
Thermoax machine and supplies
welshproducts.com800-745-3255
ebay.com
your ATC or abric postcard, coat the
ront o the mat board completely
with glue using the 1" brush. Adhere
a large piece o your printed tissue
paper to cover the ront o the mat
board completely.
Smooth down the tissue paper3.
and then turn the mat board over
and, using the rotary cutter on the
sel-healing mat, trim the edges o
the tissue paper even with the mat
board.
Add additional layers o tissue paper4.
to the mat board by coating the back
o small pieces o tissue paper with
glue and placing them on top o the
previous layer.
Finish by using a paint or gold lea5.
marker to color the edges o the ATC
or abric postcard.
www.virginiaspiegel.com
artist trading card or fber art postcard
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materials
Recycled items to use as rollers:anything cylindrical (such as hardcardboard paper towel tubes ora plastic soda bottle) or wheelshaped (round with a fat edge)
Found objects to use as patternmakers, such as heavy lace, string,
or open-weave abricFun oam (unky oam), availablein sheets
Scissorslarge and small (Forsmall ddly bits, curvy nail scissorswork well.)
All-purpose adhesive such asUHU (It must be a strong glue,or the shapes will come o whenwashed.)
Crat knie
Pinking shears/decorative edge
crat scissors
Revolving punch pliers or dierentsize holes
Roller paintacrylic, poster, inkpads, etc.
Background paintsacrylic wash,watercolor, Brusho (pigmentpowder), dye solution, abricpaints, etc.
Paintbrushes and/or paint rollers
Paper and/or abric to print on
Tape or pins
Plastic to protect work surace
roll out thebackgroundsmake your own rollingstamps for paper and fabric
ihave been making fat stamps or some time, but the rolling ones are airlynew to me. It started when I bought a cheap set o tiny rolling stamps orchildren. I thought I might be able to alter them by xing my own designs on
them, but I admit I ailed. However, it did get my creative juices rolling, and
I came up with ideas using recycled items, bits and pieces rom my treasure
drawers (junk), and un oam. Be prepared to get your ngers dirty...and be
warned: it can become addictive.
directionsun oam
Measure the amount o oam you1.
will need by wrapping it around
your selected roller and marking
it. When measuring the width, be
sure to leave a space at each end o
the roller or your ngers. Measurethe circumerence and
cut. Double check to be
sure the oam ts the
roller beore doing
anything else, and
make adjustments as
necessary.
note: Fun oam is very easy to cut. Stripso un oam can be cut with pinking shears,a crat knie, or ancy crat scissors, andholes can be made with punch pliers.
Draw your design directly onto the2.
oam, or draw it on paper rst and
then copy it onto the oam. For a
repeating pattern the design will
need to matchat the same
place, top and
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ideas forrollers& patternsrollers: plastic bottles; denturetablet tubes; wine corks (rubberyones); thick, strong cardboard romrolls o tape; cylindrical polystyrene;containers rom gravy granulesand salt; empty thread spools; toyrolling pins; sponge crat rollerswith handles; spongy tube pipeinsulation; wooden dowels; tins;empty aerosol cans
patterns: lace and trim (the
thicker type works best), zippers,curtain heading tape, netting oundon the back o small ceramic tiles,patterned textured abric such asdish cloths, wallpaper, sinamaymesh or other open-weave abric,jute, cord, string, purchased oamshapes, knitting, doilies (crochetrather than paper)
bottom, where the ends meet. To
do this, old over the 2 ends or hold
the oam in place around the roller,
matching the edges together, and
mark the oam where the pattern
needs to join. Place a join in the
most suitable place. Some patterns
dont need to repeat, they look ne as
blocks o pattern.
Glue the oam to the roller, matching3.
where required. Allow to dry.
Cover your fat printing surace with4.
plastic, then tape your abric or paper
to it.
Using a brush, apply color to the5.
patterned area on the roller or just
to selected parts. (I your design is
large, a paint roller will give youmore even coverage or applying
paint.)
Start rolling at one end o your6.
abric or paper and work toward the
other end. Some o the rollers can
be used like a rolling pin. Most need
to be guided with your ngers, quite
rmly: with each hand, use your
index nger above, middle nger to
the side, and your thumb guiding
rom the back. I there is no space on
the edge or your ngers, you may
have to place them on the painted
area. It is quite messy and sometimes
nger marks are let in the painted
area, but these look like part o the
pattern when a topcoat o color is
applied. I the roller is hollow in the
center, you can guide it by inserting
your ngers there.
Ater rolling is completed, and the7.paint or ink has dried, a colored
wash can be applied over the top.
Alternatively you could start with a
colorwash beore you do any rolling
on o color.
For an all-over pattern, roll rom end8.
to end with the stripes o pattern
side by side until the
sheet (abric or
paper) is lled.
Most rollers can9.
be rinsed under
the tap ater use.
I it is a cardboard
roller, just wipe it
with a damp cloth.
textilepatterns
You can use lace, trims,
textured abrics, cord,
knitting samples, etc.,
or even embossed
wallpaper.
Look at the lace (or1.
other patterned material) to
determine how big the repeat is
and nd a roller that it will t. (I
not 1 repeat, try 2, 3, or 4 repeats.)
Wrap the lace around your selected2.
roller and mark where it should be
cut.
Cut it to size and recheck that it ts3.
beore gluing it to the chosen roller.
Use acrylic paint to make your rst4.print, and then let the roller dry with
the paint let on. Once dry, the paint
will act as a coating on the textile and
the roller can then be washed ater
the next use. This only works on a
non-porous roller.
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tipsAcrylic paints can be used with thestamps, but i youre printing onabric, use abric paint, silk paints,or dyes or the background colors.Acrylics can leave the abric quite
sti. Thickened dyes are anotheralternative.
I some areas dont print well,you can cut the best areas out orcollage, or disguise the bad bitswith more stamping on top.
The paint will last longer on thebigger rollers as they cover a largerarea. The paint will become lighterthe arther you roll, but there aresome nice eects when the paint is
quite light. Apply more paint to theroller i it becomes too aint, even iits halway across the page.
Experiment on scrap paper to checkthe amount o paint required or
your chosen roller and eect. Addwater to the paint as required; itmay need to be a little runnier orabric.
Build up layers o pattern by usingone roller on top o another aterallowing the rst one to dry.
I you really dont want to get painton your ngers, make all yourrollers using kids crat rollers withhandles. Remove the sponge andreplace it with un oam, buildingup the layers to make it atter andrmer, but dont overlap the oam.Decorative paint rollers, wallpaperseam rollers, or lint rollers couldalso be an option, although Ihavent tried theseyet. Or, justwear gloves when you paint.
Some o the rollers leave a betterimpression than others. Forinstance, a pattern made in unoam using punch pliers can createa pattern that looks more like lacethan real lace.
Some rollers will last longer thanothers. Use them as long aspossible and then discard.
I you want a section withoutpatterning, mask the area withpaper beore rolling.
Roll some patterns with a deeppaint color, allow them to dry, andthen scan them into the computer.They make wonderul backgroundsor your digital work.
note: Knitting becomes soggy whenwashed and takes too long to dry, so itsbetter to leave the paint to dry on the rollerater each use.
wine bottle corksCorks can be cut (careully) with a crat
knie. Simple marks can make a nice
pattern. A simple, long, thin triangle
rom the edge is an example.
Rolling a pattern with a cork is time
consuming as the cork is small
so you will have to roll it many times.
Also, corks cannot hold a lot o paint
so you will probably have to apply
paint or every roll.
I you want a bigger roller, glue unky
oam onto the cork. Let the edges o the
ends meet, but dont overlap them. (I
used this system on an old crat sponge
roller: I removed the sponge and glued
un oam in its place. I used 2 layers o
oam plus a layer with a oam pattern
3 layers in
total.)
spongy tubepipe insulationThis is really easy to cut with a crat
knie and it is easy to use.
Draw your design on the tube with a1.
marker.
Careully carve out the pattern areas2.
with a crat knie.
Apply paint and roll as above. These3.
tubes can be rinsed under tap water
ater use.
linsart.co.uk
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