Print making with foam sheets.
This is my favourite way of making prints. I like the 'Funky Foam', it is easy to draw on and to cut and I mount it onto card mounts by covering one side of the card with double sided selotape, attach the foam shape to it then sprinkle talc over it to take the sticky off the card background. These can then be cleaned under the tap if you are careful not to get the back of the card too wet, the selotape acts as a plastic cover on the front.
I started printing in my sketchbook to see how they worked. I made three print blocks using a three leaf pattern and then two of the partial designs from chapter five. I also did three blocks from the designs in chapter five using the tree patterns I had made. This gave me three curved flowing designs and three angular ones.
The top one is a leaf and a tree print and the bottom one is two leaf prints. All my printing was done with acrylic paint.
The top one is three tree prints in three different colours on lokta paper. The bottom one is one leaf print on the inside of an envelope. I have started with one colour and added others without washing the block so that they have blended together. This photograph is much lighter than the original./
The top one is two tree prints in a single colour on a pre-painted hand made paper that I found in my box. The lower one is a single leaf print in pale green on a dark green tissue paper. Not very successful.
The top one is one leaf print and one tree print on a pre painted piece of wallpaper lining paper. I like this paper for painting on, it takes colour well and is fairly robust. I think this print turned out quite well. The bottom one is one leaf and one tree design printed on tissue paper. Further designs could be made from this one.
The top one is one leaf and one tree print in metallic colours on a background of copier paper and transfer paint. The lower one is two tree prints on a paper bag paper.
The top one is a single tree print which has been overprinted and turned upside down all printed in a single colour on a piece of pre painted copier paper. I really like this one even though it is heavily printed and the actual block is difficult to pick out. The lower print is a single leaf block in one colour on a page from an old book. I have done up to three prints from one loading of the block to get the fading effect.
These last two are in my sketchbook using up left over paint. The top one is one leaf and one tree print and the bottom one is one leaf and two tree prints.
I did all this printing in one mornings session. I couldn't do more as I hadn't any more drying room. I had chosen the papers the day before and it is surprising how long it takes to do the printing even when you have got ready in advance. I do enjoy doing it as I don't normally do as much when I am designing a piece of work. I really need to get better at that.
