magazine

how to make a stamp: 4 free articles on carving art stamps and stamping techniques

presented by cloth paper scissors

速

2

1

3 4

1

the workshop: roll out the backgrounds

3

Linda Calverley

2

letter imperfect Leann Meixner

the workshop: faux silkscreen Patricia Gaignat

4

r eduction printing: printing back to front, color by color Lisa Thorpe

how to use a photograph as the basis for your stencil designs, then shows how to carve a stamp out of vinyl erasers or a carving block. Distress ink and dark inks add to the edgy effect.

w

ant to make a good impression? Then make your own stamps!

In this free eBook from Cloth Paper Scissors, How to Make a Stamp: 4 Free Articles on Carving Art Stamps and Stamping Techniques, four talented artists will show you how to make art stamps, foam stamps, and roller stamps; teach you stamp carving; and give you stamping ideas. You can use these techniques to make backgrounds, design your own printed fabric or papers, or create a unique piece of art.

In “The Workshop: Roll Out the Backgrounds,” Linda Calverley shows how to make your own rolling stamps for paper and fabric. Using mostly recycled cylindrical objects, glue, and cutting tools, she explains how to carve rolling stamps from corks and foam insulation. Linda also offers stamping ideas for rollers and patterns and offers tips on how to stamp with these objects.

Leann Meixner helps you achieve a gritty and graphic look with her tutorial called “Letter Imperfect: Hand-cut Stencils and Alphabet Stamps Invoke the Graffiti Look.” Leann shows you

“The Workshop: Faux Silkscreen,” gives you another option for stamping.

Patricia Gaignat starts with a simple sketch, transfers it onto sheets of craft foam, and cuts the pieces apart to create foam craft stamps. Then, using different colored inks, she re-creates the picture with the foam stamps, like putting together a puzzle. This lowtech stamping technique delivers very artistic results.

A more complicated, but extremely satisfying, method of stamp carving and printing is described in Lisa Thorpe’s Workshop article, “Reduction Printing: Printing back to front, color by color.” Lisa applied this ancient stamping technique to a carving block made of the soft material often used to make rubber stamps and turns it on its head. In reduction printing, you print as you carve, stamping the most detailed image last.

How to Make a Stamp 4 Free Articles on Carving Art Stamps and Stamping Techniques presented by

Cloth Paper Scissors®

online editor

Cate Prato

creative services Division Art Director

Photographers

Larissa Davis Larry Stein Korday Studio

Projects and information are for inspiration and ­personal use only. Interweave Press LLC is not ­responsible for any liability arising from errors, ­omissions, or mistakes contained in this eBook, and readers should proceed cautiously, especially with respect to technical information.

Interweave Press LLC grants permission to photocopy any patterns published in this issue for personal use only.

Where mixed -media artists come to play

In How to Make a Stamp: 4 Free Articles on Carving Art Stamps and Stamping Techniques, you’ll get a wealth of ideas for stamping and making signature works that are uniquely yours.

Warmly,

Cate Prato Online Editor, Cloth Paper Scissors Today

clothpaperscissors.com

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

clothpaperscissors.com 2

the workshop:

Adapted from Cloth Paper Scissors® September/October 2009

roll out the

backgrounds

by

Linda Calverley

make your own rolling stamps for paper and fabric

i

i have been making flat stamps for some time, but the rolling ones are fairly new to me. It started when I bought a cheap set of tiny rolling stamps for

children. I thought I might be able to alter them by fixing my own designs on them, but I admit I failed. However, it did get my creative juices “rolling,” and I came up with ideas using recycled items, bits and pieces from my treasure drawers (junk), and fun foam. Be prepared to get your fingers dirty...and be warned: it can become addictive.

directions fun foam 1.

Measure the amount of foam you will need by wrapping it around your selected roller and

marking it. When measuring the width, be sure to leave a space at each end of the roller for your fingers.

Measure the circumference and cut.

Double check to be sure the foam fits the roller before doing anything else, and make adjustments as necessary.

m at e r i a l s • Recycled items to use as rollers: anything cylindrical (such as hard cardboard paper towel tubes or a plastic soda bottle) or wheel shaped (round with a flat edge) • Found objects to use as pattern makers, such as heavy lace, string, or open-weave fabric • Fun foam (funky foam), available in sheets • Scissors—large and small (For small fiddly bits, curvy nail scissors work well.)

• All-purpose adhesive such as UHU® (It must be a strong glue, or the shapes will come off when washed.)

• Craft knife • Pinking shears/decorative edge craft scissors • Revolving punch pliers for different size holes • Roller paint—acrylic, poster, ink pads, etc.

• Background paints—acrylic wash, watercolor, Brusho (pigment powder), dye solution, fabric paints, etc.

• Paintbrushes and/or paint rollers • Paper and/or fabric to print on • Tape or pins • Plastic to protect work surface

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

clothpaperscissors.com 3

2.

Draw your design directly onto the foam, or draw it on paper first and then copy it onto the foam. For a “repeating” pattern the design will need to match at the same place, top and bottom, where the ends meet. To do this, fold over the 2 ends or hold the foam in place around the roller, matching the edges together, and mark the foam where the pattern needs to join. Place a join in the most suitable place. Some patterns don’t need to repeat, they look fine as blocks of pattern.

3.

Glue the foam to the roller, matching where required. Allow to dry.

4.

Cover your flat printing surface with plastic, then tape your fabric or paper to it.

5.

Using a brush, apply color to the patterned area on the roller or just to selected parts. (If your design is large, a paint roller will give you more even coverage for applying paint.)

6.

Start rolling at one end of your fabric or paper and work toward the other end.

Some of the rollers can be used like a rolling pin. Most need to be guided with your fingers, quite firmly: with each hand, use your index finger above, middle finger to the side, and your thumb guiding from the back.

If there is no space on the edge for your fingers, you may have to place

ideas for rollers & patterns

them on the painted area. It is quite messy and sometimes finger marks are left in the painted area, but these look like part of the pattern when a topcoat of color is applied. If the roller is hollow in the center, you can guide it by inserting your fingers there.

note: Fun foam is very easy to cut. Strips of fun foam can be cut with pinking shears, a craft knife, or fancy craft s­ cissors, and holes can be made with punch pliers.

7.

rollers: plastic bottles; denture tablet tubes; wine corks (rubbery ones); thick, strong cardboard from rolls of tape; cylindrical polystyrene; containers from gravy granules and salt; empty thread spools; toy rolling pins; sponge craft rollers with handles; spongy tube pipe insulation; wooden dowels; tins; empty aerosol cans

After rolling is completed, and the paint or ink has dried, a colored wash can be applied over the top.

Alternatively you could start with a colorwash before you do any rolling on of color.

8.

For an all-over pattern, roll from end to end with the “stripes” of pattern side by side until the sheet (fabric or paper) is filled.

9.

Most rollers can be rinsed under the tap after use. If it is a cardboard roller, just wipe it with a damp cloth.

textile patterns You can use lace, trims, textured fabrics, cord, knitting samples, etc., or even embossed wallpaper.

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

patterns: lace and trim (the thicker type works best), zippers, curtain heading tape, netting found on the back of small ceramic tiles, patterned textured fabric such as dish cloths, wallpaper, sinamay mesh or other open-weave fabric, jute, cord, string, purchased foam shapes, knitting, doilies (crochet rather than paper)

1.

Look at the lace (or other patterned material) to determine how big the repeat is and find a roller that it will fit. (If not 1 repeat, try 2, 3, or 4 repeats.)

clothpaperscissors.com 4

2.

Wrap the lace around your selected roller and mark where it should be cut.

3.

Cut it to size and recheck that it fits before gluing it to the chosen roller.

4.

Use acrylic paint to make your first print, and then let the roller dry with the paint left on. Once dry, the paint will act as a coating on the textile and the roller can then be washed after the next use.

This only works on a non-porous roller. note: Knitting becomes soggy when washed and takes too long to dry, so it’s better to leave the paint to dry on the roller after each use.

wine bottle corks Corks can be cut (carefully) with a craft knife. Simple marks can make a nice pattern. A simple, long, thin triangle from the edge is an example.

Rolling a pattern with a cork is time consuming as the cork is small so you will have to roll it many times.

Also, corks cannot hold a lot of paint so you will probably have to apply paint for every “roll.”

tips

• Acrylic paints can be used with the stamps, but if you’re printing on fabric, use fabric paint, silk paints, or dyes for the background colors.

Acrylics can leave the fabric quite stiff. Thickened dyes are another alternative.

• If some areas don’t print well, you can cut the best areas out for collage, or disguise the bad bits with more stamping on top.

If you want a bigger roller, glue funky foam onto the cork. Let the edges of the ends meet, but don’t overlap them. (I used this system on an old craft sponge roller: I removed the sponge and glued fun foam in its place. I used 2 layers of foam plus a layer with a foam pattern—3 layers in total.)

spongy tube pipe insulation This is really easy to cut with a craft knife and it is easy to use.

1.

Draw your design on the tube with a marker.

2.

Carefully carve out the pattern areas with a craft knife.

3.

Apply paint and roll as above. These tubes can be rinsed under tap water after use.

linsart.co.uk

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

• The paint will last longer on the bigger rollers as they cover a larger area. The paint will become lighter the farther you roll, but there are some nice effects when the paint is quite light. Apply more paint to the roller if it becomes too faint, even if it’s halfway across the page.

• Experiment on scrap paper to check the amount of paint required for your chosen roller and effect.

Add water to the paint as required; it may need to be a little runnier for fabric.

• Build up layers of pattern by using one roller on top of another after allowing the first one to dry.

• If you really don’t want to get paint on your fingers, make all your rollers using kids’ craft rollers with handles. Remove the sponge and replace it with fun foam, building up the layers to make it fatter and firmer, but don’t overlap the foam.

Decorative paint rollers, wallpaper seam rollers, or lint rollers could also be an option, although I haven’t tried these—yet. Or, just wear gloves when you paint.

• Some of the rollers leave a better impression than others. For instance, a pattern made in fun foam using punch pliers can create a pattern that looks more like lace than real lace.

• Some rollers will last longer than others. Use them as long as possible and then discard.

• If you want a section without patterning, mask the area with paper before rolling.

• Roll some patterns with a deep paint color, allow them to dry, and then scan them into the computer.

They make wonderful backgrounds for your digital work.

clothpaperscissors.com 5

letter

imperfect by

Leann Meixner

i

’m not much for the pastoral; I have always preferred the man-

made and industrial: the beauty in the ironwork of a bridge, the rust on an old automobile, or the pattern of a manhole cover. Likewise, anyone who has been to my place knows I’ve never been a fan of cleanliness, not in my house nor in my artwork. I tend to prefer artwork that has that same raw edginess to it. More and more, I have become fascinated with graffiti.

I like the grittiness and the city feel of the images, particularly stenciled images. Sometimes the message the artist is trying to communicate is loud and clear, though often that’s not the case and then the viewer provides the meaning of the work.

When I took an altered book workshop from artist Margie Donovan, I knew I wanted to give my pages a gritty, street-art feel. At first I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to communicate, then I thought about my passions. I decided to make my altered book reflect my love of music and I tried to carry a “blues” aura throughout the book.

My technique endows the work with a raw feeling, much like the simple, raw music of the blues. I like this technique because it has enough precision to keep the image true, but enough

Adapted from Cloth Paper Scissors® May/June 2007

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

clothpaperscissors.com 6

Hand-cut stencils

And

alphabet

stamps invoke the graffiti loOk haphazardness to keep everything interesting.

I have been carving rubber stamps for years, and I knew that I wanted to incorporate those into my book. I especially enjoy creating alphabets.

Handmade alphabets are a good way to label images and to journal, giving the piece a very personal feel.

1.

Begin by selecting a photograph, one with lots of blacks and whites and definite, interesting shapes (Figure 1). Squinting when you look at the photographs will help you see if there is enough contrast in the photo.

You can use a photo that has all the middle tones removed, so everything is black or white, but I prefer to use a photograph that has some grays, so I can choose whether a gray area will be considered black or white. I usually just print the image from the computer, in a size that works for the page I’ve chosen. It is wonderful if you can take your own photos, though I’ve never been very good at that. Fortunately, my good friend Greg Baise is a terrific photographer.

He has provided me with all the photos I used for the book.

2.

Cover the photograph with a piece of tracing paper at east as large as the photograph. Trace all of the areas you want to be dark: the negative space (Figure 2). Remember that you will cut these areas out to create the stencil; they will be the “fall out.” Be sure all the positive areas are touching the perimeter of the paper at some point.

If the background is going to be dark, and the positive areas won’t connect, you can add a line to change the background from negative to positive for a given area. That will give you a light edge near an image you need to connect. Remove the photograph periodically to check your drawing. Make sure your image comes through as believable.

Sometimes you can outline an area that wouldn’t otherwise show with a linear cutout. If you have trouble remembering which areas will be negative, you can scribble in those areas as you go along. This will help you see the areas that will be cut away later.

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

m at e r i a l s • Sharp pencil • Tracing paper • Craft knife with a sharp blade • Stencil brush • Ink pad in a dark color (I prefer • Crafters® Colorbox®—Fresco) • Black-and-white photographs, in sizes that will work on your pages • Old hardcover book to alter • Hand-carved alphabet stamps • Inks, art papers, and embellishments of choice • Acrylic paints and paintbrushes • Glue

3.

Remove the photograph from behind your paper and cut out all the areas in your tracing that were designated as negative space (Figure 3). Take your time and cut the details carefully. The better the tracing and cutting, the more recognizable the finished image will be. Be patient.

tip: It helps to hold down the tracing paper near the blade while you are cutting, and to use a fairly light hand so the paper doesn’t tear. Be sure to cut away from your fingers.

clothpaperscissors.com 7

4.

To prepare your page for the stencil, you may want to stain it with ink or watercolor, glue art paper to the page, and/or tear the page. Another option is to sand the page lightly to obscure some of the writing. Be sure to get the background just the way you want it before you start stenciling.

tip: I like to use my books upside down; it helps obscure the existing printing so it is less readable and is more of a design element. You are also more likely to have a blank front cover with which to work if you use the book upside down (the back of the book becoming the front).

5.

Choose the page carefully, keeping in mind what parts will be negative and what will show in the white areas. Sometimes you want a lot of light areas on the page so the image is more easily seen; sometimes you want a lot of words to slightly obscure the image. Place your newly cut stencil on your prepared page; either hold it in place by hand or use repositionable tape to secure it.

6.

Using a stencil brush, swirl the bristles firmly over the ink pad.

Pounce the brush on a piece of paper first to be sure you are getting the amount of ink you want. Then pounce the ink through your stencil, being careful not to rub. The stencil is extremely fragile and will tear easily so you want to use an upand-down motion; any swirling or stroking on the stencil can tear it.

The pouncing action gives the piece a kind of “oversprayed” look (Figures 4 and 5).

7.

Remove the stencil and check the image to see how you like it. If you don’t like the image, you have two choices: you can either glue that page to the next one (as you are usually gluing pages together anyway to give them more stability), or you can just cut that page out of the book.

That’s one of the great things about altered books. I usually cut the page out, because once you start adding stuff to the book it can get really full.

If you like the image, think about how you’d like to label it.

I usually label mine with the artist’s or band’s name.

Sometimes I use some lyrics from one of their songs, as well.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4, revealing the positive image of the stencil.

tip: Periodically lift a corner of the stencil to check how the image is coming out; the more pouncing you do, the darker the image will be.

Figure 5. The negative space is used here.

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

clothpaperscissors.com 8

note: Always be aware of copyright issues. If art is to be sold, song lyrics, images, and/or quotes from others cannot be used. See our Winter 2004 issue, page 78, for more information on copyright laws.

making the stamps I use my carved stamps to add words; these stamps are fairly simple to make.

Any font you hand carve will take on your own personality. You can use vinyl erasers or any product made for carving stamps. (I have had very good luck with PZ Kut from Stampeaz.)

carving into the vinyl 1.

I draw or trace each letter onto tracing paper, then transfer it to the vinyl eraser or PZ Kut by placing the image against the eraser and scribbling on the back of the tracing paper. This will transfer the design backwards, so when you carve it, it will print correctly.

2.

Once you’re satisfied that you have a clear image, cut out the vinyl close to the image of the letter. This gives you a small piece with which to work and keeps the carving to a minimum.

3.

Carve away all the negative space, using either a craft knife or a gouge/ chisel, making sure you carve deep enough to create grooves. Carve down 1⁄8" to 1⁄4". If you want to check your image, you can print your letter on paper with a lightcolored ink. The light ink allows you to see how the carving is coming along without obscuring your lines. I’m not

always careful to follow my lines when carving letters; I like them to feel very handmade and rough. I have been known to go back and gouge or slash at some of my letters to give them an old, beat-up look. I will often do several versions of a few letters; in one alphabet I did two versions of each vowel. This gives me some variety when laying out my script.

When printing a title with the alphabet stamps, it can be a little tricky to line up the letters. If you’re like me, you won’t worry too much about it and will actually take joy in the rise and fall of each line. On the other hand, you may prefer the letters to be lined up better, so be sure to trim closely around your letters in order to see exactly where you are stamping. I usually like to use the

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

same color ink for the labeling as I do for the stencil, so as not to distract from the images. If you do change colors for your labeling, keep the image you want people to see first brighter, darker, and bolder than the rest of the page.

taking it ­further This stencil technique can be used for many things, not just altered books. Try it for artist trading cards, postcards, greeting cards, and gift tags. You can use photos of friends, pets, landscapes, buildings, and most anything else.

Photos are a great way to add a personal touch to artwork. leannderthal.com

clothpaperscissors.com 9

“Teapot”• 7"× 81⁄2"

the workshop:

w

faux

silkscreen

hen I first heard about making stamps out of craft foam I wasn’t particularly interested. I eventually bought a sheet and made some

teeny-tiny leaf shapes to add to a drawing of some trees, and I was blown away. It was so much simpler than carving hard rubber or linoleum and the results were impressive.

I continued to make stamps with the craft foam, using the original leaf shapes and then others. Before I realized what

was happening, my stamps became more complex and graphic. Then my printmaking background kicked in. I

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

by

Patricia Gaignat

discovered that by breaking up an entire image from one sheet of craft foam, I was able to create whole prints and this faux-silkscreen effect was the result. I use foam stamps for everything now: to illustrate my art journals, on ATCs (artist trading cards) for trade, and on my tags and postcards.

Adapted from Cloth Paper Scissors® September/October 2010

clothpaperscissors.com 10

Above: The design sketch with the sections numbered and colors assigned.

Above, right: The original drawing. “I prefer using tracing paper because I can see where I’m placing the design, but the image will also transfer from plain copy paper.”

Below, right: The carefully cut-out shapes with decorative elements added.

designing the image 1.

Using a pencil, draw the focal point first—on ordinary paper, in a sketchbook, or right onto a piece of tracing paper. Be sure your pencil lines are sharp so that they will transfer well.

The drawing does not have to be reversed, nor does the text. For my first image I drew a wonky-looking teapot.

2.

Draw another shape around the focal point. I drew a tablecloth.

3.

Add to the complexity of the drawing by breaking up the background further.

I drew a table and then a wall and floor, resulting in 6 distinct shapes.

m at e r i a l s • Pencil • Tracing paper • Craft foam sheets (preferably with a sticky back) • Bone folder or spoon • Scissors • Craft knife and cutting mat • Transparency/acetate sheets • Double-sided tape

4.

• Paper • Ink pads

optional • Sketchbook or scrap paper • Retractable ballpoint pen

5.

Study the drawing and assign a color to each section (see sketch, above left).

transferring the image 1.

Place the tracing paper onto a piece of craft foam, drawing side down.

2.

Using a finger, a bone folder, or another implement like a spoon, rub the back of the paper to transfer the graphite image to the foam surface.

3.

Lift up a corner of the tracing paper and look to make sure the image has

Copy the drawing onto tracing paper now if you did not start with tracing paper.

• Pinking shears or decorative edge scissors

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

clothpaperscissors.com 11

Faux-silkscreen process on manila tags.

transferred completely. If necessary, increase the rubbing pressure or lightly go over any faint lines with the pencil. Remove the tracing paper.

making the stamps 1.

Using moderate pressure, go over each line of the image with a pencil or ballpoint pen to leave an impression in the foam. You do not need a lot of pressure.

2.

Cut around the outer border of your image with scissors, leaving a more manageable piece to work with. Pinking shears or other decorative scissors may be used to create a special edge.

3.

Beginning with the smaller elements and using a craft knife and cutting mat, carefully cut out each shape so that they will easily butt up against each other.

4.

Draw designs or texture elements into the shapes with a pencil or pen. The foam will compress under the drawing pressure and those areas will not accept ink when printed (see image at left).

5.

Adhere double-sided tape to the back of one foam shape, or remove the backing if using sticky-back foam, and mount the foam onto a transparency or acetate sheet. Trim the mounting sheet a bit larger

The gradual printing of all six foam shapes.

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

clothpaperscissors.com 12

than the foam piece for easier handling. Repeat with the rest of the foam shapes. The acetate will aid

design tips • Shaped hole punches can also be used on the foam shapes and will print as white shapes when stamped.

• The tip of a ballpoint pen with the point retracted will make circles or larger dots when printed.

• Pressing the tip of a pencil into the foam surface will make small dots.

in the placement of the stamp for printing, is flexible, and takes up less space than other mounting options, such as acrylic blocks.

printing I make a practice print to check the alignment of the pieces and my choice of colors. This helps me determine if I need to add more texture drawing or if any lines need to be re-emphasized. You can also shave a bit off the edges of the stamp with a craft knife before printing, if necessary.But keep in mind that some of these “flaws” are what give the print its

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

faux-silkscreen appearance and may be just what you’re looking for.

1.

Examine the original drawing and determine the best order in which to print the stamps. If it is an image with many shapes, number the order on the original drawing and refer to it as you work (see page 29). Adjust the printing order, if needed, before working on your actual piece as you may find a different order will work better for aligning the image.

Depending on your image, you may find it best to print the focal image last.

clothpaperscissors.com 13

more tips • When doing a series of the same image (ATCs, tags, postcards), prepare all the papers needed and print one stamp at a time on each sheet, building up to the finished image on the entire series at once. This method is a time-saver.

• Pre-paint a background with gesso

3.

Press the stamp onto the paper.

Holding it down firmly with a finger, peel up 1 side of the stamp to see if the ink has printed fully. If not, apply a bit more pressure. Do the same on the other side of the stamp. This is where using a transparency or acetate sheet as a backing has an advantage over a rigid mounting, which would not bend. Remove the stamp.

4.

Carefully ink up and place each subsequent piece in the same manner, following your predetermined color and placement order.

reclinerart.posterous.com

and/or acrylic paint to give it visual texture. Use light colors or ones that will not interfere with your ink color choices. Be aware that some dyebased inks do not print well on the acrylic.

2.

Starting with the first piece, apply ink to the foam stamp by dabbing the ink pad onto the foam stamp or by tamping the foam stamp onto the ink pad. Either method will work.

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

clothpaperscissors.com 14

Adapted from Cloth Paper Scissors® September/October 2011

reduction printing

printing back to front, color by color by

Lisa Thorpe

m

any examples of reduction printing can be found in the art of China and Japan, and artists such as Picasso dabbled in the process as

well. Reduction printing has been around for centuries.

Traditionally these prints were made by carving a woodblock. The process I’m sharing here uses a soft eraser-like material. You may have carved this soft

material in the past to make your own rubber stamps, but reduction printing takes this familiar material and turns it on its head.

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

I use Safety-Kut material and regular linoleum cutting tools to create three- and four-color limited-edition prints that have the look of a woodblock print but are much easier to carve. The technique is called reduction printing because you keep carving away at the block, reducing what is printed with each layer. The procedure is a bit of a

clothpaperscissors.com 15

m at e r i a l s • Sketching supplies • Safety-Kut® printmaking material, 3 ⁄8" thick • Craft knife and cutting mat • Ruler • Acrylic paints or ink, 4 colors ranging from light to dark (See “Ink or Paint?”)

• Paper, sturdy and smooth (I use Rives BFK print paper.)

• Brayer, 4" • Inking plate (smooth tray or sheet of glass with edges taped to roll paint on) • Linoleum cutters: No.1 (liner), No. 2 (V-shaped), and a No. 3 or No. 4 (gouge), plus a handle

brainteaser at first because you start at the back and print the first color, carve a little, print the next color, carve more, print another color, and so on until most of the block is carved away. So put on your thinking cap and I’ll walk you through it.

optional • Baren

preparation 1.

Do a few quick sketches of an abstract design, a simple still life, or a landscape to use as your jumping-off point. (Figure 1)

note: Because this technique is a bit of a brainteaser, I recommend you try a simple sketch or a small abstract design first. This will give you a few lightbulb moments that will help prepare you for doing a more representational print.

2.

3.

4.

do several prints of your block at each stage because once you start cutting away you can’t go back and print more.

start printing 1.

Cut the Safety-Cut to the desired print size. I suggest you keep the block in the 3"–6" range or it can get difficult to handle.

Select the order of the 4 paint colors you want to use. Remember that each new color will print on top of the last so you need to work from lightest to darkest.

Have 6–8 pieces of paper cut or torn and ready for printing. You’ll want to

2.

Place your first (lightest) color on your inking plate and roll it out with the brayer. Roll the inked brayer onto the uncarved block. (I used yelloworange.) Make sure to roll on the paint evenly, and in a thick enough layer to print without being so thick it ripples or slips. (Figure 2) Press your block to your paper and apply pressure with your hand or the baren to get a strong print (Figure 3).

Remember to print all of your sheets of prepared paper with this first color, rolling on more paint for each new print. Wash the block, roller, and inking

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

ink or paint?

• I use Golden Artists Colors® OPEN acrylics for this instead of the usual printer’s ink because the paints come in lovely colors that are more lively and transparent than many of the typical print inks. The “open” element allows you time to roll it on and print without having to worry about the paint drying on the roller or on the rubber print surface.

• You can add a paint retarder to regular acrylic paints to slow the drying time.

• Standard block print inks work well, too.

• Petal Point® pigment inkpads work on smaller blocks no bigger than 2"–3".

clothpaperscissors.com 16

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 5

Figure 4

Figure 6

good time to carve a frame line around your block, if desired, and maybe a window in the back or flowers in a vase.

Don’t cut away too much; you have 2 more prints to go. (Figure 4)

plate and let them dry while working on the next step.

3.

With a pencil, draw your simple design onto the block. Wherever you want the lightest color (yellow-orange) to remain, carve away that section using the linoleum cutters. Start with the smallest blade, No.1, and then carve out more, as needed, with a larger blade. This is a

4.

Roll your second color onto the block as you did with the first color. I used red. (Figure 5) Line up the edges of your block with your first print and press as before. (Figure 6) Don’t fuss too much

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

about perfect print registration; having the image a little off gives it charm and energy. Print each piece of paper. Wash your tools.

5.

Carve away the areas where you want to retain your second color (red), just as you did before. I carved outlines around the apples and bowl, and then

clothpaperscissors.com 17

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

up your block with the first 2 prints as before. Repeat on each of the prints.

Wash your tools.

carved around the window to leave a red wall.

6.

Choose your third color (I used green), roll on the paint (Figure 7), and print (Figure 8), lining

7.

Carve away any areas where you want to keep the previous color (green in

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ŠInterweave Press LLC

my case). For the last print much of your block is carved away. I like to leave outlines of my composition so that the subject pops in that classic woodblock way.

clothpaperscissors.com 18

8.

Choose your final color and print.

I love Golden’s Van Dyke brown, and often use it as my final color (Figure 9), but a classic black or dark blue will work just as well.

9.

Sign and number your prints.

Traditionally prints are signed on the right and numbered with the print number over the total amount of prints made (i.e. , 1⁄8, 2⁄8, etc.).

Once you start playing with this method you won’t want to stop. The prints make wonderful small art pieces and cards. And a bonus with using these 3⁄8" soft blocks is that they are thick enough to carve both sides so you can create two different reduction prints from just one block. So get on out there and start carving it up! lisathorpe.com

How to Make a Stamp: Art Stamps & Stamping Techniques presented by ©Interweave Press LLC

clothpaperscissors.com 19