Loki Monoprint

Just a little monoprint, and I mean little: 1.5"x2.25", the smallest plate I've ever beveled. It's printed on a Japanese paper, smooth on print side, fiber inclusions on other side.

I'm getting better at using the small pointy stomp, the flatt stubbier one, various chopsticks, wrapped and unwrapped, and tapping color back down with a finger (erases the dots). Getting better lights and darks. Need to work more on the shades in the middle.

Laurels vs Pelicans

War of the Lilies XX: Laurels vs Pelicans
woodcut 4.25" sq. on 5"x7" cream paper.
Largesse for the Royals to take to Lilies.

Sun Flower

Sun Flower -- solar flare


Woodblock, 4.5"sq. Turned (variously: quarter, half, three-quarter) and double printed, first in black, second in blue/black. I wanted to see movement and I think I've got it.

Another Watercolor Umi

paleo-umi

Another watercolor version of Umi.

Yellow Hippo

yellow hippo, 4"x6"
Another colored hippocampus. This one is brighter than the limey one.

Lime Hippo

hippocampus, watercolor crayons, 4"x6"

Another watercolored sea horse.

Paleo Umi for Will

Paleo-Umi, woodblock & watercolor crayons, 9"x12"

Hippo birdie two boo! 8-] The background is more turq.

Puffins on Plexi - Stage One

Here's a print of two puffins traced in watercolor crayons on plexi. The image is from Mandelsen's photo art catalog. I'll watercolor it further to see how much it'll take to flesh out. It was easy to do.

Cat & Mouse, Take 2

cat & mouse2
Another print, this one a little dark. Still playing with the watercolor crayons. 8-]

Cat & Mouse

medieval cat & mouse 4.5"x5"
This is a light copy of a drypoint that I watercolored. The cat and mouse are taken from a medieval manuscript. I'm using watercolor crayons. Nice colors, easy to get saturation.

Blue Hippo

Hippocampus w/ watercolor 4"x6"

This was a lighter print, so I thought I'd try a little watercolor on it. I used watercolor crayons on the water and then wet it with a brush. Works well I think. I used 4 or more colors of blues and greens.

Next time I'll try watercoloring the whole print.

Mudd Block2 Print

Mudd block2 print, 5"x5.5"

This is a print in progress for Will's Graduation. It's an interesting effect -- first I printed the block in black, then cleaned the block (ran it thru the press on newsprint, as usual) and inked it up with a reddish brown I mixed from black relief ink, yellow and vermilion. When I printed the block on a piece of mulberry paper Jim gave me to play with, a tad bit of the black showed thru the brown.

I did something similar going from a failed gold/brown experiment back to black. I like the dimension this adds to the process. (Same thing happened when printing the Umi block for Will, and most especially the Phoenix block.)

Still have some detail to add to the tankard and the date to add to the ribbon.

Cat & Mouse Drypoint

Cat & Mouse copper drypoint print, 5"x5.5", from a medieval manuscript sketch. Background is a variation from other manuscripts. Lots of plate tone, but at least I'm getting the critters darker. Lots of cross hatching. A ways to go, but getting there. My first drypoint with any life in it.

Hippocampus Block

Hippocampus 4"x6"

My latest demo block, a hippocampus or sea horse. The demo went well, tho the wyvern was still the favorite print. It works best when its well inked, or the sea horse tends to blend into the background. I may carve a little more tomorrow.

Medieval Wyvern

Medieval Wyvern

Here's a print of my demo block. The school demo went very well and I think I printed a good 50 prints. I used the back of a wooden spoon, which covered more evenly, tho a smooth rock did burnish more easily. I have since made prints with a student baren, which covers the best, tho takes more pressure than the rock or the spoon.

Wyvern Block

This is a block I'm working on for a Past Times school demo. It's a wyvern, 5"sq., based on a school decal. I'll be filling in the outsides with decorative patterns from medieval illuminations. I'll ink it up and print it using the burnisher method or the mallet method, I haven't decided which.

The Forrest Grows

More viscosity monoprints. Yellow first, then red -- wipe background -- finally blue. First one is very dynamic (also early in the day). ;-j

Viscosity Monoprints

tree & moon 1


tree & moon 2

Blue straight, red with burnt plate oil, yellow with miracle gel. Yellow repels other two, so I do the moon first, then blue, then red. On second print red was already adulterated with other colors, so it leans toward maroon. Still looks interesting. These are ATC size, currently on 5"x5.5" paper.

The Real Me

Ok. Another try at a portrait monoprint. This time I stippled with a small stomp. I sanded one flatter and wider to do the snakes. Interesting technique. Mindlessly dotty, so to speak. I'm sure I can get it lighter next time. This was fun.

Be My Valentine

This is a monoprint I did in class yesterday. It's from a photo from our college days -- lo those many years ago! This is my first attempt at people. Gotta work out shading. I like how the blouse turned out. Remember peasant blouses and skirts? Remember waistlines?!

I'm giving it to Bill for Valentine's Day. He won't recognize himself with all that hair.... ;-j