#PrintInktober: Days 1-7
October 11, 2018
As promised, here is what I did for the first seven days of #PrintInktober:
These are all videos embedded from instagram. If you click on them you can see still photos too. If you are reading this on e-mail, you probably have to click through to read this post on my blog if you want to see the videos.
Let me begin by saying that I'm trying to chase down the answer to a question I have. The question is: What makes a "finished print" as opposed to some stamps on a piece of paper? I don't know if that's the question I'll be trying to answer every day, but it's the challenge I set out to myself on October 1. Can I figure out what a "finished print" looks like?
Day One:
What I Like: I like the neat square created by the tape. I like the contrast between the colored butterfly and the patterned background. I like using markers to ink a stamp.
What I Can Improve: I accidentally stamped beyond the tape a few times (in the margin) and so I need to mask a little more effectively. I also think a more dense focal stamp would have balanced the dense background a bit better.
Day Two:
What I Like: Once again, I like the neat square created by the tape. I love this stamp set. At first, I was worried that I had messed up the color scheme, but I actually really like that it's not perfect. To me, this one feels like a finished print.
What I Can Improve: I was careless in removing the tape and ripped the paper. Must be more careful or find a different way to mask.
Day Three:
What I Like: This one definitely feels like a finished print. The circle masking is great and the density of the hex stamps works really well here.
What I Can Improve: I don't love that the dimension of the mask creates a lip that makes printing all the way to the masking edge near to impossible. Is there a way to create a circle mask out of a thinner material? Frisket? Deli Paper? Maybe even copy paper?
Day Four:
What I Like: The circle masking is still cool, even with a less dense stamp.
What I Can Improve: I could have done a little more prep work and found the actual center of the circle so that the design was centered. Still need to find a solution the masking "lip."
Day Five:
What I Like: The temptation to use different stamps every day is HUGE, but I'm so glad I used the same stamp for a totally different look. This is part of what this challenge is about for me: really exploring what a stamp can do.
What I Can Improve: I made the decision to turn the stamp part way through the print. I wish I had stuck with the single direction. I think the print would be "cleaner."
Day Six:
What I Like: Day three of that same flower stamp! Yay! I really like the ink pad technique I used to get the multi-colored flowers. I also really like the shadow I added to several of the flowers. I think it makes the print more dynamic. And this one definitely feels like a finished work of art.
What I Can Improve: I love the way the colored pencil works, but ouch. Is there a way to get that same look without the pain? Hmmmm.
Day Seven:
What I Like: One foam stamp can be very powerful! Especially when used in conjunction with a stencil. I love the black background.
What I Can Improve: This one looks great, but it feels like a piece of patterned paper rather than a "finished print." What can I do to make it feel like a finished work of art? Maybe if one of the circles was printed with a different color?
As you can probably guess from the way I've written this post, I think a very important part of any artistic challenge is looking back at what you've done and learning from it. I always try to say positive things about my work first. (Try it with your own work!!) Then I like to think about what I could have done better. Are there skills I need to learn? Supplies I need to locate? Ideas I need to flesh out? Thinking about how you can improve is not a criticism, it's a helpful push. At least, that's the way I think about it. (Try it with your own work!!)
Thanks for stopping by!