Art Class - Abstract Lino Cut

I have got a bit behind in blogging my Art Class so will keep this brief.  We spent two weeks on lino-printing.  These are prints from the first week. The prints were made using the reduction process.  ie. Successive cuts are made in the same block and a new colour is printed at various stages. Using this method means that the block is gradually destroyed and you can't go back and print an earlier stage again. There were three stages in my cutting but I didn't print each stage on every print.   The top-right print shows all three stages.  Others are experiments on different papers and some printing upside down.

Lesley x

Claritystamp - Technique Challenge - Masking

After all those fluorescent colours last month I thought I would go more subdued for this month's masking challenge. I bought these lacy swallow stamps a few weeks ago in the Design Club sale and have been dying to try them out.

Stamps: Lacy Swallows, NDC 106 Follow You Dreams

Ink:       Adirondack Peach Bellini and Stonewashed, Archival Black

Other:    6 x 6 Gelli Plate and mount, Clarity Stencil card, Spectrum Noir Pencils

• Make some masks for the swallows by stamping them on a post-it note and cutting out. I didn't worry too much about the little curves at the front of their wings as I knew I could fill any little gaps with the pencils afterwards.
• Maybe these stamps needs a proper Clarity stamp. Are you listening Barbara.  I did have a quick look and couldn't find them on the website.
• Move the masks around on the card until you are happy with your composition.
• Stamp the birds onto your card with Archival black ink and then cover with their masks.

• Put the Gelli-plate on it's mount. Ink up the Gelli plate with some Peach Bellini and lightly brayer. I wasn't aiming for smooth here.  Take off some colour with a scrunched up sheet of copier paper. Using the Gelli-plate mount, place down onto card and take a print.
• Without cleaning the plate add some Stonewashed at the top and bottom. and repeat the above step.  
• Remove the masks.

• Go around the edges of the birds with blue and peach pencils.  This makes the stamps stand out more.  Add a bit of shading to the birds.
• I also deepened some of the blue and peach  splodges in the background with some pencil work.
• I debated whether to colour in the birds but decided I liked them as they were.
• Stamp the sentiment

• Finally, trim, mount on blue card and then onto a card blank.

A fairly simple card that didn't take long to make. I don't think I have used stamp masks with the Gelli before as I usually have a Gelli background session with no cards in mind and then browse through them when I need a background for a card. Definitely worth doing though as you end up with a lovely smooth card.

Hope this has given you some inspiration for this month's Claritystamp challenge.  Looking forward to seeing all your entries.

Lesley x