More Gelatin Print Practice!

I made another batch of prints yesterday from the same gelatin plate I used before, only I managed to turn the gel over for a smoother side to print these. However, one of the places where I imprinted with a wooden ring on the first side came all the way through, and in pulling the prints it kept coming out, so I finally just left it out and let it be a white disk.

These are made playing with two different strands of fun yarns, a stencil, and a feather. Again, I used what was within easy reach. I can't wait until I get my workspace organized, so I can find what I need or want to use. I may, or may not, add to these prints sometime, but for now I'm just enjoying the process. I love the process!

Wish the feather quill had picked up! I may have to add one! This print is on Speedball printmaking paper; the rest are on rice paper. The rice paper is more absorbent than the printmaking paper and looks duller. I think I prefer the printmaking paper with the brighter colors, but I guess it depends on my mood, plus a mat will do wonders for any of them, I'm sure. :)

Ghost print left from the first print...

First print...

Ghost print pulled and flipped...

Ghost print after I rolled some paint over the yarn and feather...

First print...

Ghost print...

First print...

Ghost print-Doesn't the hole look like a medalion?

I retired the gelatin plate after this batch, because it was beginning to come apart anyway. I'm thinking I may try a round container for the gelatin plate next, kind of like a mandela. I'd like to try some smaller ones than these 9x12" ones. and some different papers, too, so we'll see what turns up next time. Be back later...

First Gelatin Prints

Hello out there! I have not abandoned my blog. Life just took over for a while. :)

I haven't done much creatively in a few weeks, but a few days ago I saw gelatin printmaking on Utube and thought I'd give it a try. I think it was Linda Germain demonstrating. These are my first attempts. Unfortunately, the gelatin wasn't set in the middle when I put the tin foil cover over it to set it in the fridge, and when I pulled it off it pulled a chunk of gelatin off with it, thus my gel plate wasn't smooth, as it should have been. Rather than start over though, I just went with what I had. I found a wooden ring in the junk drawer and impressed it into the gel three times, then took a fork and ran the tines along the edges and made a few jabs around, just for added interest.

I used only what I had within reach, bottles of yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, and magenta Golden fluid acrylics, and my roller and plate still had some black on them from the last time I used them, which mixed in. Four of them are on Speedball printmaking paper and four are on rice paper. They are 9x12". A couple of them turned out a little dark and muddy looking, but, hey, I'm experimenting here. :)

The one above was pulled from the gel plate with only paint rolled on. The marks are from the torn gelatin.

This one was pulled from the plate after I rolled paint on it, added magenta paint drips, a handmade stencil, and layed some wild turkey feathers on it.

Another one pulled from the plate with only paint rolled over the torn gelatin plate. This one is a little too blue for me, but if I look, I can see all sorts of images in it, which I love.

This is a ghost image off the blue print, meaning I pulled a second print before adding more color.

I layed turkey feathers on top of the paint and pulled this print. The circles are where I pressed the wooden ring into the gel. I love the imagery, but the background colors got a little muddy as they dried.

Paint, paper I had cut a heart from, and feathers.

Mostly magenta paint, paper I had cut a butterfly from, and turkey feathers that already had paint on them from other prints.

Paint, stencil, and feathers; the feathers already had paint on them, so I layed half the feather on the white paper, causing half the feather to be in reverse color. Pretty cool! I think I'm beginning to get the hang of this!

So this is my first batch, and I can't wait to do some more! I love printmaking, and this was so much fun! Maybe I'll pull a few more off this plate while I wait for a smooth one to set!

Have fun with your creative experiments! :)