More block printing

This is my new enthusiasm after the success of the test printing. I'm not sure exactly what you can use block printed fabric for - it has its own aesthetic - but bags are fine.

This is the fishies! Quite a nice tote bag. I lined it but it's still a bit flimsy. Very useful though, I put my knitting in it last week when I went into Canberra to join a friend's knitting group. They sit in the coffee shop in the lobby of the Hyatt, have coffee and knit. It was absolutely lovely and I think I will go in as often as I can.

Second project was a brush roll for my paintbrushes. I've been carrying them to art class in a paper bag and it's just not practical. So I made an enormous brush roll in yellow with flowers all over it. 

I measured my brushes and everything but it's not exactly right. Some of them fall out if I hold it upside down. But it works better than the paper bag and it is very bright and cheerful. I  sandwiched it with cotton quilt batting to absorb any moisture.

Third project was a monster tote. I like this pattern - variegated spirals - just the same thing over and over but I think it looks cool. I had planned to do another dot in there to give it some more dimension but it didn't look any good in the test print so I stuck with the spirals. 

I underlined it with calico so it has a bit more body, which I think works better. It also has a fancy magnetic closure which I didn't put in the right way at all but it's useful.

And fourth project was a silk scarf. It's the flowers again, but quite a different effect - almost translucent.

It is very pretty but I'm not sure if it works as a scarf. The silk is quite solid and the paint makes it a bit stiff, even though I've washed and dried it. 

I have had this silk sitting in a cupboard forever - it's from my work trip to India in 2018. When we visited the National Art Gallery in Delhi they gave us flowers and put lengths of white silk around everyone's necks during the welcome. All very lovely but travelling cabinet ministers don't want lengths of white silk so I quietly scooped them up. Like a good little underling. Hahahaha.

Block printing

I did enjoy that block printing on fabric workshop that I did earlier in the year ... and so I thought I'd give it a go at home. I don't really need any printed fabric, but the idea was intriguing enough for me to corral my supplies and have a bash.

I carved my own blocks - simple is better with fabric printing. It's actually more like fabric stamping the way that I do it. You can do wonderfully intricate prints but I'm starting at the very basic end. Shapes and things. Luckily I still have all the tools from my brief foray into lino printing so I carved some shapes.

I super-glued on cut-up ends of foam mats for little handles. It proved surprisingly effective (it is wonderful to have a husband who knows his way around different glues!)

I used acrylic paint mixed with textile medium. Once it's heat seat it is washable. Apparently screen printing or block printing ink is better, but I didn't want to muck about with anything oil-based and I already have a ton of acrylic paints (and textile medium). I don't mind ironing it to heat-set.

So here are my test prints. Lots of photos but I want to try and record what I did for future reference. These little fishies worked well but the flower needs more carving. Too much noise around the edge. 

You need a smooth surface to roll the ink out on - firstly I used baking paper which didn't work at all. Then I tried a heavier glossy art paper which worked OK but didn't hold up for very long. I've since found a piece of mdf in the shed which is much better but I don't know how long it will last if I wash it every time. 

You use small foam rollers to get the ink onto the stamp - mine were from the dollar shop and they weren't very good but I'm not sure where you get better ones from. They are mostly kids toys. I did try the brayer that I use with proper ink but the paint mixture was way too runny and the brayer wouldn't hold it. I also tried a stamp pad that can apparently work ... mine did not work at all. And it looks like an advanced course in wound management. It all got rather messy.

Anyway you get the idea. I tried all my shapes, then ironed it and washed it and the colours didn't fade or move at all which is amazing. I have a couple of ideas for projects ....

More lino printing

 The face is still improving and I'm taking the opportunity to do house things and a little bit of art on the side. It's amazing what a couple of weeks rest will do - I feel so much better all over, even though I didn't think I was particularly overworked! One of the many reasons why I never made it to be a big boss, I don't think I could physically handle it. And who would want to? 

Lino printing is messy as all get out. I moved from water-based to oil-based inks which resulted in a much better print, but the clean up is brutal, even though I'm using an ink that can be washed up in water (if you're quick! don't let it dry...). 

So I've had a mad fiesta of cutting and printing, and now I've packed it all away until we move house. I will be doing dainty watercolours and perhaps some pencil sketching until we sell this place. 

Some of the prints work much better than others. I  bought some lovely thin rice paper with bits of flowers and leaves in it. It takes a print wonderfully, and you have pink bits.

The better ones are where there is actually some use of the qualities of lino printing - that is, taking what is essentially two options (ink or no ink) and making it mean different things in different spaces.

Sometimes the blank space is darkness, and sometimes it is light.

The ones where it is just a drawing in light (or dark) are less good. 

These are all copies of other people's work with some minor alterations (usually simplifying! The new Pfeil tools are lovely but I am not yet able to get the level of detail that some people achieve). Except for this one, this is all my own idea :)

The movement on the penguins is completely unintentional - just bits where I haven't cut away properly - but I like it! Looks like they're dancing. I am foolishly in a lino printing Facebook group which is international and has the most extraordinarily accomplished works ... as well as absolute beginners which make me feel better. 

I hang them on a little clothesline to dry - takes about two weeks to dry completely - one of the many reasons why it's not suitable for people trying to sell a house.

Lino printing

For a few weeks now I've had an itch to start doing lino printing - don't know why, I don't know how these things happen, but I felt the need to explore and so I did. Got myself a starter kit from Amazon and a few Youtube how-to videos and away I went. Badly. In the interests of full transparency I will show you how crappy my first few attempts were. These are all about 10 x 15 cm, so quite small.

The first one was a fish. You can tell it's a fish, but that's about it. I'm just pleased I didn't cut myself.

Then a little cactus in a pot, with a flower. I very much enjoyed printing lots of little cacti, on different coloured paper, with different weights and gloss. It's fun.

The cat was a concern. The original mouth looked terrible so I cut it out again and made it look worse. Very disturbing when you see it in multiple.

I am clearly entering a period of crazed hyperfocus so I've ordered some better quality tools, oil-based inks, a lot more lino, a lot more paper and a nail brush (it's hideously messy) and will jump down the rabbit hole both feet forward.