"Mono Printed Rice Paper Over Text"

March 23rd Posting Using Todays Techniques

Mono Printing Techniques Over Text

For the next three days, I will be showing examples of mono printed rice papers and the possibilities that can be achieved. Today I am showing you (5) examples of basic ways to mono print and how the method and amount of paint influences transparency. I have also included a previous posting so you can see how some of this is used in a finished piece.

The supplies are minimal for these techniques which makes them appealing and they provide a wonderful entrance into the arena of design. You will first need a printing plate which is the surface you use to brayer out the Speedball Printing Ink. Glass is the hardest and best surface in my opinion. 

The most economical way to make a printing plate is to take regular float glass like you see in framing a picture and tape around the edges with masking tape or duct tape.  (This glass can be purchased in standard sizes from Hobby Lobby.)

You will then need a rubber brayer, printing ink, and rice paper. Not all rice papers are created equal so my suggestion is to use Shanghai which comes in a roll and can be purchased from Jerry's. This paper is extremely thin, but sturdy, and created for printing.

In the first example (number one), I used barely a 1/4 of a teaspoon and brayered the Black Speedball Printing Ink out as thin as possible. Much of the ink was then removed with a section of an old credit card and also a wide palette knife. (Metal Palette knives will do a better job of this.) You can then see how transparent it is judging by the amount of text you see.

In the second example, I placed at least 1/2 tsp. of ink on the plate and brayered that out and then removed parts of the ink with credit cards and palette knives. The corner of the palette knife was used to make thin gestural lines in the paint as well. You can only see text where the paint was removed.

In the third example, I added NO additional paint, but liberally sprayed the remains of the previous printing with water. This gives you very soft and diffused edges with very little text showing.

In the fourth example, I added NO additional paint, but sprayed the previous printing area on the glass with more water. This gives you a lot more transparency and a "dripping" and "watery" look.

In the fifth example, I printed the edge of the remains of the second print...dried it....and stamped with a hand cut stamp. All of the samples were then sprayed with acrylic coating....dried with a hair dryer and adhered over the text.

For those in my mono printing class this coming Saturday, I need for you to study the different edges that you can create and the amount of transparency you desire. It is absolutely necessary to pay close attention to the amount of paint used and the amount of paint removed before printing.

Tomorrow I will demonstrate some other types of paint removal and mark making. For those who wish to take this class, I am offering an additional session on Thursday, May 2. Just e-mail me for the details. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Lesson Learned?"

($150.00......6" x 6".....floated on a linen mat in an 8" x 8" wood frame)


"History repeats itself until the lesson is learned." This is true in personal experiences and in the history of nations and cultures. It is a wise person who reviews their life from time to time and notices what particular habits are continually repeated as well as though that produce success. It's a great time saver to stop doing things that don't work.

A band of color(s) running diagonally across a page can be boring all by itself or not have very interesting texture. However, the composing of opaque and transparent collage over that band of color can create a lot of drama.

The segment of an old book page became the focal point with the added texture of an embossed emblem. It was then easy to "frame" that one segment with the burnt sienna color of the background and the aged book spine. Those two collage items were then "framed" with transparent scroll work plus the more ornate scrollwork acting as another part of the "frame". I also printed out the copyright date (1800's) and placed it in the lower left hand corner. And the final touch was the fragment of silver leaf adhered to the book spine. The placement was decided by a desire to have it quite near to the center of interest and also becoming a part of the "frame" around the cream colored book page.

Collage can often be overdone, but it helps to think of all of your collage pieces as a unit. Take note that there is at least one third of this design space with nothing except for the quote. This negative space helps relieve the eye. By keeping the detail in one area, you are telling the viewer exactly where you want them to look. A good analogy is a logo or lettering on a tall pillar in a large building. Your eye will immediately go to the one area on the pillar where there is detail of an image or lettering. And that's the power of negative space. It helps direct the eye. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Unfolding Dreams" (sold)

(sold))


"The reward of the diligent is the unfolding of dreams." The steady and focused attention on a particular skill is the essence of diligence. Steady means "on a regular basis"...like everyday. It is a steady observation and self critique as you work on your work. Go for it!

The foundation of this piece is acrylic paint. There is no gesso. I did add molding paste to the raw umber and retarder to all of the acrylic mixtures to extend the working time. My desire was to experiment with gestural strokes with a broad sweep across a larger sheet of paper.

The texture was mostly created with shaper tools and credit cards. I also used a brayer and alcohol to remove and soften the lines in several places. It's another exciting approach to mixed media and surface texture. The butterfly was printed on silk tissue paper and as you can see the raised texture shows up right through the paper to create a total integration with the surface.

I enjoyed writing the quote with a Mitchell #6 and Walnut Ink. It is the movement created by the diagonal sweep of color that gives this piece drama as well as the butterfly positioned so that it looks like it's in flight. And there you have it. Just a few more things to think about.

"Ease"

($40.00.....6" x 6"....mounted on a 1/8"depth clayboard panel)


"Easing into your day with prayer is like pouring ointment over your soul." Life can be bruising and leave us all feeling battered. This is a deeply personal quote for me because it sets the tone for my day. My prayer is that you will feel encouraged to pour ointment over your soul as well.

In this piece I have combined pouring medium techniques with gesso techniques. After completing the pouring medium and allowing the piece to dry thoroughly, I decided to block out some of the color "chaos" going on in part of the piece. I applied white gesso with an old credit card and texturized it with gestural marks created with the corner of the card. (You will need to cut off the rounded corner on the card first.)

After allowing this to dry overnight, I applied Liquitex Clear Gesso the following morning over the gesso. (Remember that this makes the surface gritty so the soft pastels will hold.) Using a combination of brushing on charcoal powder and some turquoise pastel, I achieved a nice gray. (The pastel was scraped onto a disposable plate with an x-acto knife and brushed on to keep it diffused.)

After getting the gesso as dark as I could, I sprayed it with Spray Acrylic Coating followed by another layer of clear gesso. I applied more charcoal powder.....sealed it again and applied more clear gesso...followed by white pastel. I then modulated the tone by rubbing over the surface with a kneaded eraser to achieve the "slate like" surface.

The important part of this was achieving an edge which blended into the pouring medium. So I did soften the gesso edge while it was still wet. All in all, I achieved the look I was after and learned how to make gesso look like slate. So there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Timeless Setting"

(unavailable)

"Tarnished silver creates a timeless setting." In the hectic age we live in, it is calming to surround ourselves with cherished and timeless objects. Tarnished silver pieces are the rage now and can be purchased at flea markets and antique stores for a fraction of the cost of new pieces. It is a way of adding some nostalgia to your space.

In trying to achieve a look of tarnished silver, I turned to silver leaf. It is difficult to realize the full impact of the look on a computer screen, but the original is very rich. I began this piece with a blank piece of Arches Text Wove (larger than a 6 x 6) by laying down some white gesso with an old credit card. The reason for using the credit card is to remove portions of the gesso in some places and allowing it to create a ridge or line in others. This happens automatically as you scrape the card across the gesso. The gestural marks were incised into the gesso with the corner of the card.

After all that was dried, I applied Black Speedball Printing Ink with a brayer. Let that dry and then with a wet brush soften some of the edges and blot with a kleenex to create some grays. The silver leaf was adhered to the surface with Golden Gel Matte Medium straight from the jar. Apply the silver with a lot of pressure and then allow to dry overnight.

The remaining layers were a combination of Clear Gesso, Charcoal Powder, Gouache, Soft Pastels, Commercial Stamp, Black and White Printing Ink, and Rubbing Alcohol. Using black, white, grays, and one other color is a great way to practice your design skills and create some contemporary art. So these are just a few more things to think about.

"Think" (sold)

(sold)

School has started and teachers have prepared their materials in hopes that their students will learn. But learning does not take place simply because a teacher teaches. The student also must have a desire to learn. This quote is a take off on another quote...."You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Learning doesn't happen by osmosis, it happens when we think and apply what we've learned.

White is a powerful color especially if it's white gesso. The ability of gesso to give as little or as much coverage as you desire makes it a powerful tool for transparent and illuminated images. This piece appears to be glowing and even more so as it is lit up on a computer screen.

I am experimenting with "veiled" effects and intensity of color. So you might see some unusual pieces as I go through this process. It has totally captivated my interest. This is a meditative process that can keep you engaged for hours.

It can be summed up in three points. First, practice applying gesso in different densities and stages using different sized segments of credit cards, shaper tools, or sponge brushes. Second, apply acrylics in very dilute layers with the same consistency as in watercolor. Third, use pens or pencils to create lines, lettering, or drawings either on blank paper or in between dried layers. Also try stamping into the wet gesso. By alternating or changing the sequence of any of these steps, you will come up with some interesting effects. Just something to try or think about.

"Obvious Things" (unavailable)

(unavailable.......in the permanent collection of dee day)

Many times there are things in life that are not obvious because there seems to be a veil over our understanding. Knowledge and truth can lift that veil so that the deeper things in life can be understood. (Implies a deeply spiritual application in our understanding of God.) In this piece the veil is represented by the thin layers of gesso that allow lines and color to peek through.

There was much excitement in the air when Yves Leterme came to teach in February of this year. (It is still hard to believe that we battled an ice storm that week!) His remarkable ability in executing gestural writing plus his gesso works made an impression on all of us who attended those classes. This is a cropped portion of one of those pieces with a few additional touches.

Long before Yves came to town, I was deeply attached to graphite and pencils of every kind. (And very fanatical about how sharp pencils should be!) So my desire is to develop pieces with gesso , pencil, and imagery and make them uniquely my own. The technique of applying the gesso is not complicated. I use (3) methods of application, depending on my goal. Credit cards cut in various widths, broad edged shaper tools, and sponge brushes are my tools of choice. You can cause the gesso to "pool" along an edge or scape it off, add water to the edge to soften and blot with a kleenex for very ethereal effects.

The soft divisions of space can be created with pen and ink, pencil lines, or soft color blocks. Soft diffusion of these lines or color are then created with the overlay of gesso.   If you use water soluble media, you will need to fix that layer with spray acrylic before applying gesso or you can use "thinned" layers of acrylic.  This technique is very conducive to the inclusion of drawing or small painted images within the piece. It is a meditative process of working which you might like to try. Just something to do or think about.

"Threshold" ($40.00)

(adjusted price......$40.00)

Prayer is a holy activity that anyone can access immediately. The visual of stepping over a threshold brings the point home. If you want to know God...pray.

This doorway and the steps leading up to it appear to be floating in the air. Details were omitted that would have given context to the doorway. The "floating doorway" gives credence to the quote because the threshold that is crossed is obviously in the mind.

Anytime I want to focus on the ethereal, white seems to enter the process. So after painting the doorway, I sprayed the piece with Krylon Acrylic Coating to seal the gouache. With the help of white gesso and a 1.50" broad edged shaper tool, I was able to apply the gesso and take it off in areas to achieve the desired effect. The corner of a discarded credit card was used to inscribe gestural marks into the gesso. Rubbing alcohol and a stiff brush will remove any gesso or acrylic paint to create more texture. Just something to think about and experiment with.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Signature" (unavailable)

(unavailable)

Most of the time a signature refers to the written name of a person. However, there is a broader definition that refers to a distinctive action or characteristic of a person's style. For instance, if you see enough of one artist's work, you can immediately tell that it was done by that artist. Each artist has their habitual marks or arrangement of elements, or techniques that visually describe who they are. None of us can run away from our signature. It is who we are!

I actually created this background some time ago, but never could write a quote that seemed to fit. The "aha" moment for me was realizing that the gestural marks in the background reminded me of someone's signature. Better yet, I had made a gestural mark with a brush, the corner of a credit card, and a pointed shaper tool. I also used a credit card to incise some lines in the paper while it was wet. This does add some energy, especially when they are inscribed at an angle or veer off in a different direction.

The inkwell is from my personal collection and I'm particularly fond of the shape. You might not be able to pick up the subtle nuance of the dark values in the pen, bottle, and shadows, but they are not black. I mixed up Ult. Blue, Winsor Violet, and a bit of Burnt Sienna (in gouache) to create a color that looks like black. It is a livelier color combination with the yellow green background because yellow and purple are complements. It is one of those details that can make a huge difference, especially in the original.

As always, these comments might spark your imagination to try a few new things or just give you something to think about.

"A Trace and Testament" (sold)

(sold)

This age of technology can leave us yearning for something other than printed matter created on a computer. That's probably why many of us want the lettering arts to continue on. Whether it's a prescribed hand or one's own handwriting...the person who wrote it has created something that no one else can create. Your own hand is yours and yours alone.

Hazel Dolby was the reason I sent in my check, bought an airline ticket and headed for Sonoma, Calif. The class was a week of creating artwork and lettering on primed and gessoed surfaces. We painted and lettered on fabric, paper, and MDF board. It was grand! A good white and black gesso is worth its weight in gold.

You can cover your entire surface with gesso or thin it by adding water to create a "veiled" effect. The effect in this piece was achieved with a credit card dipped in gesso and scraped across the desired area...but don't stop there. Dip the same credit card in water and go over the same area again and again until you achieve the desired transparency. I also chose to add more gesso by dipping the credit card into gesso and touching the damp edge. There is really no end to what you can do if you just experiment. Also remember that white cools down a very warm piece. Enjoy!


Please visit my ebay listing to bid on original art from Dee Day Art Journal Painting a Day.
Dee Day ebay

"Writing" (unavailable)

(unavailable)

When writing your own thoughts with a special pen or in your own hand...you are revealing something of yourself that is like a fingerprint. It is unique to you!

I collect inkwells and this is one from my collection. The pen shown is my favorite type for "script" lettering and the nib is a Leonardt EF Principal. I still like Moon Palace Ink...but remember to dilute it with a few drops of water. You might also need to add a drop of gum arabic to get a thin line if the paper is too absorbent. In this piece I deliberately write a bit heavier, weighting the letters more so that it could be easily read on this background.

In case you might be playing around with black gesso, try applying it with an old credit card as though it were a brush. If it lays down thicker than you want...give it a light spray of water and use your credit card to remove excess. You can get some interesting edges that way. If you are like me and you like to texturize the acrylic paint and gesso with a sharp object such as an x-acto knife, your underneath layer (in this case...red) may not always be exposed. Try applying a bit of paint over your scratch marks and then brushing off the excess with a dry brush (wet, but squeezed dry) or blotting with a kleenex. The white applied on top of the black in this piece is bleedproof white. It is a good choice because it has great covering power...but is also rewettable. Have fun with your techniques and keep writing!