Process, Process, Process.

Making art involves lots of processes, especially with something like printmaking. I made my own printing ink with Nori (seaweed) paste, ground mineral pigment, water and gin. But successful printmaking depends on so many different factors – the ink must be compatible with the printing block or plate and also with the paper. What makeContinue reading “Process, Process, Process.”

Paper Geekery

Yesterday I showed how to mix up printmaking ink with powdered mineral pigments, Nori (seaweed) paste, water and gin. But that’s just the beginning. Next I had to try the ink with different blocks and papers to see what gives the best result. My first experiment was with a simple vinyl block that I inkedContinue reading “Paper Geekery”

Seaweed And Gin

I have been experimenting with making a water-based printing ink, using a recipe from printmaker Shannon Yost published by Natural Earth Paint. There’s a comprehensive list of ingredients including Nori (seaweed) paste, powdered minerals and gin. The gin is for preserving the ink. Honest. 😀 Stage One completed. Tomorrow I’ll look at trying out differentContinue reading “Seaweed And Gin”

Taking It Further….

I’ve been thinking about how artwork develops from my original sketches. I always carry a sketchbook and have dozens and dozens stuffed into cupboards with thousands of sketches done over the years and most stay locked away. But occasionally I find something that inspires me to use some of them as the basis for newContinue reading “Taking It Further….”

Stamping!

  I’ve been trying out some experiments with commercial stamps. They can be very cheap, especially the ones made for kids, and they can be used to build up some interesting images, combined with other techniques.   I used a water-based printing ink from Seawhite’s of Brighton, rolled onto a perspex plate, some recycled sariContinue reading “Stamping!”

At The Bus Stop

I had a bit of a scribble when I was waiting for the bus yesterday. I had 10 minutes or so to kill and that’s enough for a bit of street drawing. A while back I finished all the pages in my leather steampunk sketchbook so I replaced the pages with scraps of paper leftContinue reading “At The Bus Stop”

The Sinister Skull

I thought I had blogged all the monotypes I made from my Mari Lwyd drawings but I overlooked this one. It was the last that I did that day and maybe because I was tired and hungry, it’s probably the most sinister of the series. Mari Lwyd is actually quite a fun tradition, with lotsContinue reading “The Sinister Skull”

Annwyl Kathe

Once upon a time, the printmakers of Wingtip Press in Boise, Idaho, USA were cleaning out their flat files and found dozens of little scraps of expensive printmaking papers jamming up the drawers. Realising they probably weren’t alone with the dilemma of what to do with all those too-precious-to-throw-out leftover paper scraps, they issued an invitationContinue reading “Annwyl Kathe”

The Last Mari For Now

Here’s the last of the monotypes I made recently at Swansea Print Workshop based on my drawings of the Mari Lwyd. I used a vintage paper made by J Green and Sons supplied by the rather wonderful company The Vintage Paper Co in The Orkneys. The ink is Caligo Easy Wash Relief and the chine colléContinue reading “The Last Mari For Now”

The Right Combo

Spent the day at Swansea Print Workshop making more monotypes based on the drawings I did while I followed around two local Mari Lwyd in December and January. I’m experimenting to find the right combination of ink, paper and glue (for the chine collé). I originally used Bockingford, Somerset then switched to a vintage paperContinue reading “The Right Combo”