Arts camps experiments

Experiments in the Art room
Attempt #1
I tried making my own Gelli printing plate a while back. I used gelatin and it was more problematic than I would have liked. I had read about it on line and it was my way of imitating the commercially available GelliArts plates I have seen advertised.


My attempt at making a "plate"

My Gelatin Prints.

FAIL...The gelatin kinda broke up when I made it.  It had some cool 3D effects I hope the Gelli art plate can reproduce. I have yet to try the commercial product, I am hoping it's more durable and lasts longer than the gelatin which actually dried out and spoiled.  I had been hoping to find a fun inexpensive way to do printmaking, and it didn't work.
Attempt #2


Soft kut blocks (rubber)

My second printmaking experiment was with "soft kut" rubber blocks. (think what the underside of a Swiffer broom has on it.) Normally these are used by the artist carving into them and then they are inked and printed in much the same way a wood engraving is created. I used a mono printing technique instead. I simply inked it and then scraped off and drew on the surface (removing some of the ink). I would say it was pretty successful. It has a softer surface, and can be washed off and reused. (this was my goal). The blocks are kinda expensive initially but being reusable, could pay off in the long run.  The best idea was in "layering" the prints. One layer was the blue ink, the other the black.  I even laid cardboard circles onto the surface before printing.  Over all this time it was a lot more interesting  a result.