Third Relief Print-First Multi-Colored

····First post from my phone..ekkk····

Let me just say this print was really tough and required a ton of thought.

For those of you who don't know there are many ways to do a multicolored print, you can have multiple blocks with each block showing a different color.  Some people combine printing and then do some painting by hand.  This particular print was done all on one block.  Which means you print one color at a time and then carve it away.  Each print is one is a kind and can't new printed again once you carve away! So you can understand I was a little freaked out...

This is how it works.  You have to carve from lightest to darkest.  For whatever reason me and my class had the hardest time trying to wrap our heads around this! And why I chose to do five colors instead of two or three, I have no idea!

Step by step:

     1.  I carved out the white clouds and inked the entire block blue.
             · I made about twenty prints.

     2.  I carved out all the blue and inked the whole block green.
             · I printed on all twenty of my sheets that were green and white.
             · Also I just tried to eyeball it to line the prints up to match, way more difficult than I thought!

     3.  I carved out all the green and inked the block red, again printing on top of the other colors. Here is what it looked like at this stage. (The pictures are a little grainy, sorry!)

     4.  Carved out all the red and inked it black (I mixed to make the black, looks like a navy color to me) (Also, for the record, I hate the bloody Farris Wheel)

     5.  Finally took a deep breath because it was done!

I must say, it's not my favorite, but short my first multicolored print I will take it.
Here are a couple of things I will do differently next time.

     ·  Not use so much bloody ink!  I was realizef I was using too much which made some details I wanted to show get muddled in color.

     ·  I am excited to use more line movement-like texture in the grass or sky.  I just did block colors to see if I even had the right idea.

I would love to hear what you think :)

Happy Monday!

Ideas of What to Send Your Deployed Soldier

Every deployment I feel I have to put on my creative cap and think of some great ideas to send my guy deployed.  Surprisingly I have found it difficult and sometimes I find myself stumped standing in a store.  To help others I figured I would post some of the things I have come up with, some that were great success and some that weren’t.

1.    Hand written letter – Nothing is more simple and cheap

2.    Tic-Tac-Toe- We send an on going game back and forth in the mail.  (hand drawn)

        It’s fun, and you never actually know when you get it!

3.    Send a zip drive with downloaded episodes of your guys/gals favorite TV’s.

4.    Videos-  If you have a webcam make a short greeting video and put it on a zip drive.

       *If your soldier also has a webcam they can do the same thing and send it back

        It just makes your day when you can actually see them!

5.      Funny Cards- I have found a surprisingly mix of great cards at stores (thinking of you type thing) ** To save a little money make your own!

6.      Something always nice is to ship some food items for him to share, coffee, tea, package of brownies.

7.       Slow down on the Candy!  I sent so much candy that he actually asked me to please stop sending so much …. Here is where I insert my blushing face…

8.       I write down a few great quotes, from anyone, either inspirational, military related, whatever you think they may like and send it as a letter.

There you have it, 8 Quick ideas that you can send your soldier.  Obviously there are many more but I just wanted to get the tip of the iceberg.  As I am currently in a deployment I would love to hear some new ideas!!  Please share 

My Second Print - Olive

I made a second print!  I must have just been in the zone and feeling ambitious because I decided to carve a person!  This was actually from a photo I took of my great friend Shalamar's daughter asleep on the couch.  I call her Olive :)  

I carved this on linoleum that was set on wood.   As this was my first person I was super nervous/excited.  I did the print in two colors and then I framed and matted one and gave it to Shalamar as a present.  

Below are the two photos I took.  I would love to hear some feed back!

 

Have a great day!

Annie

Print Making - My First Print

Okay I am back on the wagon and crafting again!  Very sorry for the long delay, with having Kyle deploy to Afghanistan and me move back home to Utah, it's been a crazy time!

I have started my first print making class.  For those of your who don't know print making has many different version but I am learning how to do relief printing.  Relief printing is where you have a picture on linoleum or wood and you carve out the areas you don't want to print (to be colored with ink).  

For my first print I drew a little cartoon owl and trying to use the entire block as my teacher suggested, had him sitting on a log with a mountain and sun in the background.  Near the End I started to get a little "Line-Happy".  I wanted to know what all these lines would like and it got a little busy.  

When I put the ink on my block, then the paper and peeled it away I was so happy with how it turned out.  No it's not the greatest drawing and won't end up in a museum but it was so much fun to do.  Up until the very end it a surprise what the final print will look like.  

I don't have a picture of the block yet but I will post that soon.   Have a great day!

Annie