EASY IMPRINTING OF WATERCOLOR OR LIQUID ACRYLIC

TWO SIMPLE TECHNIQUES!

 

The first method uses plastic shapes cut from shopping bags. I made boulder-like forms by wetting watercolor paper, placing the plastic shapes firmly down on the damp paper, and painting washes around them.

Let dry before removing the plastic. Then develop the painting further. See mine below.



I have a video of making this on YouTube!

The next technique is also a resist method for imprinting a painting. I wanted a garden-y, trellis-y effect for a painting with leaves.
Fold waxed paper, open it up again, and lay it into a wet wash of vivid ink or fluid paint. Press it down with a sheet of glass on top. Let dry before removing the glass and the waxed paper.


Waxed paper texture at work! Folded examples at right.

Embellish and make marks as desired to
achieve the effect you want!

This is a detail of the finished piece.





HOW TO MAKE A COLLAGRAPH PRINTING PLATE

A printmaking plate can be created much 

as is a collage, by gluing relatively 

flat materials to a surface. 

The resulting prints are called collagraphs. 

The basic principle behind a collagraph 

is that of relief printing.

Some artists distinguish between a "collage relief print" and a collagraph, the latter of which is then termed an intaglio print. (If the collaged plate is inked up and then wiped of most of the ink on its uppermost surfaces, it is then run through an etching press with dampened paper. Recessed areas or indentations in the plate hold the ink and thus print on the paper.) Some printmakers combine both methods, intaglio wiping and rolling surface color onto the plate.

For our purposes, we'll refer to collage relief prints as collagraphs. Materials with different surfaces and textures are assembled on a flat base (called the plate). The base is often made of Masonite, wood, sheet metal, or heavy cardboard. Objects in low relief are first glued to the rigid backing. The heights of the various materials should be somewhat similar--there shouldn't be too much difference in elevation. Put down newspapers or plastic to shield the work area.

Simple collagraph printing plate before being inked up and used.

Possible Materials for Collagraphs:

Woven fabric
Lace
Doilies
Rickrack
Embroidery
Braid
Buttons
Toothpicks
Clock parts
Gaskets
Sandpaper
Coins
Textured wallpaper
String
Feathers
Washers
Flat rubber pieces
Mesh
Corrugated cardboard
Screening
Flattened plants

When the glue is dry, you can make the printing plate more long-lasting
with a coat of gesso, varnish, or acrylic medium. (Varnish is a protectant,
usually clear, that may also affect the sheen of the surface.)

When the sealant has cured, select a soft but strong printing paper.                                         

Printing the Relief Plate: 
Water-based block printing ink cleans up easily later. Squeeze ink onto a glass slab and smooth it out with a brayer. Ink up all the raised areas on the collagraph plate evenly with a brayer (an ink roller) . Varied heights require careful inking. If you miss any areas, try daubing ink on the printing surface with a brush or a piece of felt.
Quickly place a clean sheet of printing paper on the inked surface. If the paper is thin, cover it with another sheet of paper before you begin rubbing. Press over it with your fingers and the flat of your hand, gently rubbing to transfer the ink to the paper. Take care to keep from tearing the printing paper. Finish by rolling a clean brayer over the paper with as much pressure as possible without damaging the paper. Peel the paper carefully from the plate and set aside (or hang it up) to dry.

The printing plate is usually, but not always, re-inked for each impression. Sometimes enough ink remains on the plate that another print, a "ghost" image, can be made.

Variations include making a multi-colored print by inking up various parts of the plate in different colors, or printing only some elements separately on the same sheet of paper. You can even add more color by hand after the print is dry! 

The same plate was printed 4 times on one paper.

(For an interesting and unusual result, overprint several different collagraph plates to create a single artwork on the same sheet of paper.)

Short How-to Video, a Painting Technique

I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch this, thinking kind thoughts since I was soooo pushing my envelope to do it. It's an imprinting method to use with watercolor or thin acrylics or inks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6GKGH06Q8U

               This method appears in the book, Painting with Mixed Media.

HOW TO IMPRINT LEAVES WITH DYE & MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL!

This project is so easy, and yet the results can be very striking! 
Use the papers as artworks in themselves, or as backgrounds or collage elements in other works.


MATERIALS:

1. Absorbent, smooth watercolor paper
2. Liquid fabric dyes
3. Leaves with prominent veins
4. Pane of glass or plexi, and heavy books

PROCESS:

1. Arrange a variety of leaves (different sizes and shapes) on a pre-dampened sheet of watercolor paper. Add a few grasses here and there if you like.
2. Flood the paper with vivid, beautiful colors of liquid fabric dye. (Liquid watercolor paints or inks work, too.) Select a few colors, lighter and darker, that work well together.
3. Place the sheet of glass on top, and a heavy book to weigh it down. Let dry overnight. Try several of these, since results can be mixed.

Be sure to check out my previous post on how to select a fabulous colour scheme! And please see my photo blog on Tumblr, I Luv Photography!

IMPRINTING YOUR OWN PAPERS TO USE IN COLLAGE

Both these techniques are quite simple to do, and the results can be startling!

Technique #1: Soak good watercolor paper in clean water, place it on a hard surface, and apply plenty of vivid, strong liquid watercolors. Lay absorbent textured materials into it. Examples include crocheted fabric, swirls of string, or open-weave burlap. Add more full-strength paint as desired. Place a sheet of glass on top and let dry overnight. If necessary, add a book on top of the glass to weigh down your creative sandwich!

Technique #2: Buy cheap colored tissue (the non-colorfast kind!) in strong colors, tear pieces as desired, and arrange them on damp, smooth watercolor paper. Spray with more water as needed. Then cover with the sheet of glass as before and let dry overnight.

Experiment with both these methods and do try variations, too! Much luck to you.

(I'll publish your successful attempts at either of these here, with you credited, of course, if you wish to send me good quality images.)