Balzer Designs: 100 Days of Gelatin Printing: Days 96-100

July 29, 2020

100 Days of Gelatin Printing: Days 96-100

100 days already?! It seems impossible and yet, I'm done with my 100 Day Project. Here are the last five layered monoprints for my 100 Day Project (These images are embedded from instagram. If you can't see them, click HERE.):

Some thoughts:

I have said it several times and it's true: this has been the easiest 100 Day Project yet. I think there are two reasons: The biggest is that I was not traveling for 95% of the project. The second is that gelatin printing is such a versatile and addictive process. I never ran out of ideas or steam or things I wanted to try. In fact, I still have an enormous laundry list of techniques, shapes, compositions, ideas, etc.
Because I have an excess of ideas, it has prompted me to start putting together a year-long class for 2021. I'm really excited about it. There's so much to explore!
I think I might be MORE in love with gelatin printing now that I was before, which is crazy. I thought I might be sick and tired of it, but I'm not. And that feels great.
I've always loved stencils (obviously) but this printing odyssey has slightly shifted which kinds of stencils I love. I'm leaning towards more nature shapes and more large open shapes.
I went through so much paint. For real. For the very first time in my life I actually decimated my stash of heavy bodied paint. I have thrown away lots and lots of empty tubes of paint. I never thought it would happen. Guess, I've got to buy some more! ;)
I forced myself to work with a fairly limited palette. This led to many interesting discoveries of colors I didn't realize I liked as well as color combos I wouldn't have normally tried. I've said it before and I'll say it again: limiting your supplies is one of the best things you can do to inspire your creativity!
Once you've mastered the basic techniques of registration and color mixing and paint application and such, all that's left is composition. And composition is a doozy. I found myself returning over and over again to the design principles and really trying to think about the placement choices I was making. Some days were better than others. I relied on some lazy design crutches a little too often. But overall, a very good experience. I have much more work to do!
The one big negative of the 100 Day Project is that it is performative. I struggled a bit with knowing I had to post every print online. But I did it. And I'm glad.
I think that what I wrote in my last post of the project is so very very true: "...the really big art skills have nothing to do with technique. The most important art skills are the ones you learn only from practice: confidence, relaxation, and trust in the process."

This has been lots of fun. Did you do a 100 Day Project? What are your thoughts on the whole thing?

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in 100 Days of Gelatin Printing | Permalink

Comments

Some thoughts:

I have said it several times and it's true: this has been the easiest 100 Day Project yet. I think there are two reasons: The biggest is that I was not traveling for 95% of the project. The second is that gelatin printing is such a versatile and addictive process. I never ran out of ideas or steam or things I wanted to try. In fact, I still have an enormous laundry list of techniques, shapes, compositions, ideas, etc.
Because I have an excess of ideas, it has prompted me to start putting together a year-long class for 2021. I'm really excited about it. There's so much to explore!
I think I might be MORE in love with gelatin printing now that I was before, which is crazy. I thought I might be sick and tired of it, but I'm not. And that feels great.
I've always loved stencils (obviously) but this printing odyssey has slightly shifted which kinds of stencils I love. I'm leaning towards more nature shapes and more large open shapes.
I went through so much paint. For real. For the very first time in my life I actually decimated my stash of heavy bodied paint. I have thrown away lots and lots of empty tubes of paint. I never thought it would happen. Guess, I've got to buy some more! ;)
I forced myself to work with a fairly limited palette. This led to many interesting discoveries of colors I didn't realize I liked as well as color combos I wouldn't have normally tried. I've said it before and I'll say it again: limiting your supplies is one of the best things you can do to inspire your creativity!
Once you've mastered the basic techniques of registration and color mixing and paint application and such, all that's left is composition. And composition is a doozy. I found myself returning over and over again to the design principles and really trying to think about the placement choices I was making. Some days were better than others. I relied on some lazy design crutches a little too often. But overall, a very good experience. I have much more work to do!
The one big negative of the 100 Day Project is that it is performative. I struggled a bit with knowing I had to post every print online. But I did it. And I'm glad.
I think that what I wrote in my last post of the project is so very very true: "...the really big art skills have nothing to do with technique. The most important art skills are the ones you learn only from practice: confidence, relaxation, and trust in the process."

This has been lots of fun. Did you do a 100 Day Project? What are your thoughts on the whole thing?

Thanks for stopping by!