Clearly Gelli-Printed!

Put a twist on your monoprinting experience  � use gel medium instead of paint to create some clearly different Gelli prints! Watch this video for a clear idea ...

Gel medium is essentially acrylic paint without pigment. It goes on milky white and dries clear. We're making a clear print, which we'll use as a resist. This technique will work with either gloss or matte. I'm using Golden Regular Gel Gloss Medium� but use what you have and see how it prints.

Take advantage of the transparent medium and create prints on interesting paper! Like � book pages, sheet music, maps, pre-printed paper and so on. Try printing over a handwritten journal page, or your own doodles or stampings. And deli paper will give you wonderful translucent papers to use for layered collage. So many possibilities!

Here's the process�

1.  Apply the medium to your plate � same as you would with paint � then roll out with a brayer. Create textures and patterns in the gel (just like you would  with paint). 

Note:  I'm using some wonderful stencils from StencilGirl! I especially love their designs with large open areas, where I can add additional texture to individualize how the printed pattern will look. To do that, place the stencil onto the painted plate. Immediately place other texture(s) onto the stencil � press gently, then remove.

StencilGirl Stencils

Some good choices for textures to press into open areas in stencils include:  Embossed paper, plastic mesh, crumpled wax paper, cheesecloth, rubbing plates, and punchinella.

2.  Cover with paper, rub to transfer gel medium � and pull a print.

3.  Remove the stencil and quickly cover with fresh paper and pull another print. If there's enough medium remaining on the plate, this will create an interesting clear ghost print.

The next step reveals the magic in the print! 

4.  Apply a thin wash of color to your dry prints and see what happens! The printed gel resists the wash. What fun! I especially love adding color with Ranger's Distress Stains!

5.  Wipe the stained print with a damp paper towel. This will remove residual color from the clear areas revealing a bolder pattern with higher contrast.

You'll find plenty of suggested ways to add color to your clear Gelli print in the previous blog post, "Are We There Yet".  If you haven't read it � or are looking for inspiration � please take a look :)

Go ahead and try a "clear" day of printing for a different kind of Gelli print! And please share your prints on the Gelli Arts Facebook page!

 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

 

Our fabulous prize package includes:  

• One (1) 6x6" Gelli Printing Plate 
  

• Three (3) 6"x6" stencils by StencilGirl

• AND six (6) bottles of Distress Stain by Ranger! 

One lucky winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday - April 22nd and announced here on the blog � and on our Facebook page.

To be entered to win, all you need to do is leave a comment here on the blog or on our Facebook page. All comments must include an email address. 

Want to double your chance to win? Simply subscribe to our YouTube channel and we'll enter your name twice. If you've already subscribed, let us know :)

And a special thanks to MaryBeth Shaw, of StencilGirl, for supplying the wonderful stencils!!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

Good luck � and Happy Printing!

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Something Borrowed

Do you love old paper � fragile book pages, vintage maps, crumbling sheet music, brittle newspaper � and such? And how about flimsy tissue paper � and delicate Japanese papers? They can add character, texture, dimension and intrinsic meaning to artwork.

But if you want to monoprint on these papers, you'll find they might not hold up to the process.

So let's borrow from a traditional intaglio printmaking process called chine colle', apply the concept to Gelli printing, and put those interesting papers to work!

Chine colle' (pronounced "sheen co-lay") is a method that uses two kinds of paper. One is lightweight, like thin Japanese paper. The other is heavier and more durable.

In this process, the papers are collaged and printed at the same time. A very thin coat of glue is applied to the back of the lightweight paper, then positioned face down on an inked plate. A heavier paper covers this and the whole sandwich is run through a press. The result is a print on a collage.

For our "faux" version, we'll adhere our delicate papers to a heavier sheet before we print.

Matte medium, PVA, or your favorite paper adhesive will work. Make sure you've created a good bond. (I've experimented with permanent glue stick � with varied success � so I can't recommend it.)

Once the collage is dry, it's ready for printing.

1. Apply paint to your Gelli plate with a brayer or soft brush

2. Create textures, designs and marks in the wet paint

3. Lay your collaged paper onto the paint and rub to transfer paint

 4. Remove the paper to pull the print

Use transparent paints where you want the collage to show through.

Opaque paints can effectively block out areas to create a very different result.

Masks can be particularly useful � they can be used as a resist to preserve areas of the collage from being printed.

 Try overprinting your collage to create multiple layers.

You can achieve interesting results as different collage papers will accept the paint differently. So experiment with an assortment of thin and fragile papers! See what happens when you mix it up! There are no mistakes!

Now, don't you love it when you find an easy way to achieve the look of a tricky printmaking technique?

For a look at some examples of Gelli prints with "faux" chine colle', watch this video slideshow!

Thanks and Happy New Year! 
All comments are welcome and appreciated!

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