Here’s a fun way to incorporate rubber stamped images with monoprinting!
- Stamp an image onto a Post-it® Note.
IMPORTANT: Make sure part of your stamped image is over the sticky part. - Cut out the Post-it® stamped image. This is your mask.
- Stamp the same image on your printing paper.
- Align the mask over the stamped image on your printing paper to cover it
completely — and press to adhere. - Apply paint to your Gelli® plate with a brayer or soft paintbrush. At this point,
you can add pattern to the paint with various texture tools. - Place your printing paper onto the Gelli® plate, rub to transfer the paint — and
pull your print. - Remove the mask to reveal your stamped image.
INFO and TIPS:
- Use a stamp pad if your rubber stamp is a detailed image. StazOn® (Tsukineko), Archival Ink™ (Ranger), VersaFine™ (Tsukineko), Distress Ink (Ranger) and Colorbox® Fluid Chalk Inkpad (Clearsnap) are among my favorites. Use the inks you like best!
- For bold or solid rubber stamp images and hand carved stamps you can apply acrylic paint to the stamp with a brayer or cosmetic sponge. Be sure to clean any acrylic paint off your stamp right away. Or try water-based printing inks, such as Speedball® block printing ink.
- Cut your mask just inside the stamped image to avoid a halo effect on your print.
- Stamp and cut a mask for each image you’re using on your printing paper.
- Instead of Post-it® Notes, you can use low-tack frisket (a thin, clear film with removable adhesive) — such as Grafix Frisket Film — a product made for airbrushing. Or, stamp your image on thin paper, cut out your image, and apply double-sided removable tape to the back of the mask.
- After you remove masks from your print, stick them on a piece of paper — and save to use again!
- Sometimes a mask will stick to the plate, so carefully remove it.
- You can stamp multiple images on the same print and mask each image.
Using stamps and masks this way adds another creative dimension to monoprinting! Try it — and have fun!