VIDEO: Gelli Prints Project #4: Digital Gelli Prints and Hybrid Art Journal Page

I'm guessing that you are like me and like to make the most out of the art that you make don't you? I mean there is just so much you can do with it and I've shared ideas before like the blog post about turning your art journal pages into soft furnishings for your home or the one about making personalised stocking filler gifts (perfect for this time of year *wink *wink!). Well, as part of my Gelli Prints Project series I thought I would stretch the use of my monoprints and do a hybrid art journal page.

So today we are going partly digital and using some of my digital stamps from my Etsy shop with some digitalised gelli print papers as the focal point to a painted art journal page. So I have tips on how to scan your monoprints, how to add digital stamps to them in Photoshop Elements and also how to make a quick textured background with heavy body acrylic paint.

So a lot of subjects covered in my video today! Scroll down to find all the supplies plus a close-up of the finished art journal page.


VIDEO: Gelli Prints Project #4: Digital Gelli Prints and Hybrid Art Journal Page




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[There are some affiliate links in this blog post, so if you buy through them I do get a small amount of money at no extra cost to yourself, but it really does help. Thanks for your support!]


——— S U P P L I E S ———

Scanner/ Printer (I'm using the Epson XP 625 this is an old model, I've linked to newer models in this range, but I've not used them myself)
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US

Photoshop Elements (I'm using 10 which as an older version, I've linked to the newer versions, but I've not used them myself)
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US

Floral Digital stamps
...Buy from my shop on Etsy (instant downloads)

The two papers I currently use for personal art/craft printing projects:
Ryman Card A4 160gsm (White)
...Buy from Rymans UK
Crafter's Companion Satin Finish Printer Paper 100gsm
...Buy from Crafter's Companion

Strathmore Mixed media Journal
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Liquitex Heavy body Acrylic paint (red, yellow, white)
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Lettering stencil
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US

Palette knives
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)
...Buy from Blitsy US (Ships Worldwide)

Golden Regular gel (Gloss)
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Scissors

Gelli prints make you own or
...Buy from my shop on Etsy (instant downloads)

Gelli Plate 8 x 10 inch
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

——— GELLI PRINTS PROJECT SERIES ———

Start here with tips on gelli printing.

Try out Project #1 with a technique for turning your drawings into mixed media collage.

Project #2 was all about using gelli prints to make botanical art.

Project #3 use your gelli prints to make cute envelopes with colour on the inside and outside. PLUS there is a free template too!

Haven't got a gelli plate? Don't worry, make your own with this handy blog post on Gelatin plates.



I'm really interested to know how much hybrid work you include in your art and craft practice. So let me know if you use software and apps and which ones you use, also what do you make with them? Thanks guys!

Catch you all later!

Kim


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VIDEO: Gelli Prints Project #1: Transform A Sketch

As promised I am back with a project idea for using the Gelli prints I made in my last video. I thought it would be fun to use them to turn one of my Inktober sketches into a mixed media project. So I'm sharing my process for transforming this ink sketch into a mixed media collage.

I've got a bit of a fixation on these little houses on hill scenes that I've been drawing recently, so it was fun to use it as the inspiration for this project and to see what else I could do with it. And I hope that it inspires you to take one of your recent sketches and see what you can turn it into!

Enjoy the video and as always the supply list is below. If you missed the video on how I made the gelli prints then scroll down to my last blog post or swing on by YouTube channel to watch my Quick Gelli Plate Printed Papers video.


VIDEO: Gelli Prints Project #1: Transform A Sketch





SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE!

[There are some affiliate links in this blog post, so if you buy through them I do get a small amount of money at no extra cost to yourself, but it really does help. Thanks for your support!]


——— S U P P L I E S ———

Gelli Prints

Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour Pencils
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Faber-Castell Pencil Sharpener
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Golden Regular gel (Gloss)
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Scissors
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Pencil
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Printer paper
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US

Round Brush Pro Arte Connoisseur 100 size 3
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

——— GELLI PRINTS PROJECT SERIES ———

Start here with tips on gelli printing.

Project #2 was all about using gelli prints to make botanical art.

Project #3 use your gelli prints to make cute envelopes with colour on the inside and outside. PLUS there is a free template too!

Haven't got a gelli plate? Don't worry, make your own with this handy blog post on Gelatin plates.


But the question is, what should I now do with this little scene now? I could turn it into a greeting card, or perhaps it would make a good art journal element, or maybe I should leave it as a stand alone piece? What do you think I should do with it? I would love to know so leave a comment below!

Kim


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VIDEO: Quick Gelli Plate Printed Papers

A quick video today with a quick look at some quick Gelli Plate printed papers! I have some mixed media projects planned and they need some colourful papers, so what better way to make them than to get my Gelli plate out and do some monoprinting?! So that is what I did and I filmed some tips on using Gelli plates with heavy body acrylic paints because that is what I am using today!

If you haven't got a Gelli plate, or one of the other synthetic gel-based monoprinting plates on the market, then don't forget that I do have a blog post all about how to make a gelatin plate. Some of the techniques I share in today's video are specific for the synthetic plates but you will still pick up some great techniques for using on your DIY plate too!

As always the supplies are all listed below the video and you can find a close up of some of the papers too! Let me know if you have any questions.


VIDEO: Quick Gelli Plate Printed Papers





SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE!

[There are some affiliate links in this blog post, so if you buy through them I do get a small amount of money at no extra cost to yourself, but it really does help. Thanks for your support!]


——— S U P P L I E S ———

Gelli Plate 8 x 10 inch
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Sennelier Abstract Acrylic paint
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

System 3 Acrylic paint Titanium White
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Fabriano Accademia Paper is great for this as it is cheaper but if you can't find it then try other student art or drawing paper. You can also use the Strathmore Printmaking paper but it is more expensive.
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)

Plastic Embroidery canvas
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Blitsy US (Ships Worldwide)

Brayers
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)
...Buy from Blitsy US (Ships Worldwide)

Palette knives
...Buy from Amazon UK
...Buy from Amazon US
...Buy from Jackson's Art UK (Ships Worldwide)
...Buy from Blitsy US (Ships Worldwide)

Plastic palette

Stencils and mark markers

——— GELLI PRINTS PROJECT SERIES ———

Try out Project #1 with a technique for turning your drawings into mixed media collage.

Project #2 was all about using gelli prints to make botanical art.

Project #3 use your gelli prints to make cute envelopes with colour on the inside and outside. PLUS there is a free template too!

Haven't got a gelli plate? Don't worry, make your own with this handy blog post on Gelatin plates.


So I'm super excited to show you what I used these papers for but you will need to wait until Sunday to see that, mainly because I haven't edited the video yet!

Have fun with your printing!

Kim


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More Monoprinting With DIY Printing Plates

You can guess from my recent posts here, on Facebook and Twitter I've joined the Gelli revolution!  I am a monoprint convert, well apart from the fact that I'm using the old fashioned Gelatine plates - you saw my post from Wednesday right?

Yeah, I've been bitten by the monoprinting bug and here are some of my latest prints. I've experimented with different papers plus mark making with packaging, bought stencils and some of my own cut stencils (the bird is one of mine).

The paint I've used is the Liquitex Professional Acrylic Artist Color Heavy body, it is perhaps not as fluid as you would want to usually use with this technique but I quite like the extra texture it adds to the finished piece. I might add something to dilute it next time.

CASS Art Heavyweight Cartridge Paper

Bockingford Watercolour Paper (cold press)

CASS Art Heavyweight Cartridge Paper

CASS Art Heavyweight Cartridge Paper

Gessoed old map page

Daler-Rowney Bristol Board

I've used fabric and old book pages too, so there are lots of things you can print onto with this technique. My gelatine plate is still working, but I think I will probably only get one more session out of it before I need to make a new one. 

Have a fabulous printing Friday! 

Kim

Monoprinting - Old School Style

Ok so who wants to get their Gelli on? 
Well DIY Gelatine plate actually!

You guys must have seen all the lovely monoprinting blog posts with the Gelli Arts Printing Plates around and about over the last few months I'm sure? If you haven't spotted them and don't know what I'm talking about then Gelli Plates are a synthetic gel surface that you can use for monoprinting with, which is a printmaking technique that gives a unique print - hence mono or one.

The Gelli plates are based on an old school technique using Gelatine (or Gelatin) plates used for years. The benefit of Gelli Plates (as I understand it 'coz I don't have one) over those made from Gelatine is that it is quick, non-perishable and reusable. But Gelli Plates do come in at a bit of a price (6" x 6" ~£19.99; 8" x 10" ~£29.99 well at least in the UK). Obviously if you use monoprinting a lot in your art you might be very happy to have a Gelli Arts Printing Plate.

I've been wanting to try monoprinting for a while now and the recipe has been open in a tab on my browser for ages so when I saw all those lovely monoprints on blogs I was inspired to get my finger out finally and try a bit of monoprinting!

But I thought I would go the cheaper route for the time being, ~69p for 70g Gelatine! So if any of you are wanting to dabble in monoprinting or see if Gelli Arts Printing plates are for you but don't want to risk the cost then stick with me for a cheaper option, well at least until you find you can not live without a Gelli Plate that is!

Ok, so what will you need?

70g powdered Gelatine (Supermarket, Grocery store)

800ml Water (400ml cold water/ 400ml boiled water)

Bowl

Whisk

Tray (29cm long, 19cm wide, 2cm high)

Measuring tools (optional)

These are the measurements of water and Gelatine you need for a tray the size mentioned above but you can use any size you want just alter the recipe (see below) and if I was you I would use a disposable foil tray (I'm going to try that next time myself).

But bear in mind that the Gelatine will take on the shape of the container and if you want to use both sides of the gel then you might need a smooth container.

I got my recipe from this quick YouTube video from Linda Germain and from this written explanation from Amanda Gordon.

Their general rule of thumb is 2 tablespoons of Gelatine for every cup of water or 24g Gelatine for every 240ml water if you prefer metric (but it is a very approx conversion!).

First start dissolving your Gelatine in the cold water and I added my Gelatine in parts to the water to help it dissolve. Then mix the hot water in well. Use a spare piece of paper to skim most of the foam off and pour into the tray to around 1.5cm thick. 

(Don't throw any waste Gelatine solution down the drain, let it harden and throw it in the bin as it could clog the pipes.)

Skim off all the bubbles with a spare piece of paper and let it cool to set. It didn't take long, around a couple of hours and I was using it. I think you can put it in the fridge if you need to.

Once it is firm to the touch you can get your printing on!

You will find a brayer or two very useful and then things for making marks, or masks, or fun textures. So things to try are paper, paper cut into shapes, packaging, string, paint combs, texture brushes, corrugated card, well the list is endless really!

Acrylic paints are perfect for monoprinting. But you can try oil paints and inks just be aware that they may effect the surface - dyes stain the Gelatine but doesn't interfere with the print making.

Cover the surface with paint and use the texture makers to add interest, then layer the paper onto the surface and smooth down before peeling off.

I made quite a few prints, as you can imagine. The great thing is that you can just keep going, although I might have been a bit rough on my surface as I did end the day with a couple of nicks, but I wasn't too concerned, I'll still give it a few more uses.

Apparently the Gelatine plate will remain usable for around 3-5 days and I've covered it with cling film (Saran wrap) and placed it in the fridge (wonder how long before that gets noticed?).

Ok so no finished makes but lots of prints to show...

The first sample, top left is acrylic paint on fabric, the rest are on paper, there are some metallic paints in there too.

Yep it is FUN! and yep I would do it again with my Gelatine plate, it is much easier than it looks.
Still on the fence about buying a Gelli Arts Plate, but if you have one I would love to know what you think of it!


Before I go if you are looking for an even cheaper, even simpler and even vegetarian (well as far as I know!) method? Then check out this YouTube clip from JenniBellie, gonna need to try that too! 

Have fun re-acquainting yourself with monoprinting techniques!

Kim

[EDIT: ps. there are some more monoprints with my DIY gelatine plate here.]