Gelli Arts® Printing: Dark Over Light

Apply layers of light paint with a DIY sponge dauber, let it dry—then brayer dark paint over it and pull your print. Watch this Gelli® video to see it demonstrated step-by-step!

There are many possible variations using this technique. This time, we’ll apply the paint from light to dark to produce interesting print effects.

To start, let’s make a sponge dauber using a round cosmetic sponge and masking tape. To do this, simply gather the edges of the sponge together, forming a ball of sorts. Wrap the gathered edges in masking tape, which forms the dauber and serves as a convenient handle.

The paints used in this video are DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic paints, and DecoArt Dazzling Metallics. They’re wonderful for this technique!

The key is to allow the painted image to dry on the plate. This technique is perfect for using thin applications of fast-drying acrylics! If you like to take time to develop an image on your plate and have been frustrated with fast drying paint… give this technique a try!

Here’s how:

1. Apply light colors to your Gelli® plate with a sponge dauber.
• Leave areas of the gel plate unpainted.
• Add focal points and patterns by dabbing paint through stencils
2. Allow paint to dry thoroughly.
3. Load your brayer with a dark color and roll it over the dry paint on your Gelli® plate.
4. Quickly cover with your printing paper, rub to transfer the paint — and slowly pull your print. This should pull up just about all of the paint on the plate.

This is a simple technique, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Use fast-drying acrylic paints.
• Avoid any blobs or thick applications of paint since they take a while to dry.
• Allow the painted image to dry completely. (Do NOT use heat to hurry the drying!)
• Roll a thin layer of paint over the dry paint — then quickly cover with paper.
• Give a little extra time when rubbing to transfer the paint to the paper.
• Pull the print slowly. The paper can tend to stick to the plate a bit as you pull the print.

Here are a few variations to try:

• Use metallic and/or interference paints. They’ll pop against the final dark layer.
• For a painterly print, apply the paint with a soft brush instead of a sponge dauber.
• Press texture tools into the paint while it’s wet.
• Experiment with different color combinations for very different results. Be sure to create enough contrast.

The dry layers of sponged paint created some unexpected interesting paint textures! 

These prints can be great beginnings, too! Add doodling on them with paint pens, colored pencils and your favorite drawing media.

As you can see, there’s great potential for creative explorations in printing with dark over 

light colors. Have fun!

This Contest is officially CLOSED

 

Judi W. is our Winner!!

 

And we have a SPECTACULAR GIVEAWAY!!! Including a signed copy of my new book, Gelli Plate Printing!

Our incredible Prize Package includes:

•  1 – 8″x10″ Gelli Arts® Gel Printing Plate
•  1 – Speedball 4″ Soft Rubber Pop-In Brayer
• 12 – 1 oz. jars of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics
•  6 – 2 oz. jars of DecoArt Dazzling Metallics
•  1 – package of round cosmetic sponge (latex-free)
•  1 – set of 5 Sharpie Water-based Paint Pens 
•  1 – Signed copy of my book, ‘Gelli Plate Printing‘

Leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts on the blog  – we love hearing your feedback. 

To enter the giveaway, click on the red “ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE” button below! (This will 

ensure that we can contact the winner and that entries are limited to one per person. One 

winner will be selected from all the entries via a random number generator to receive this 

fabulous giveaway!) 

Entries will be accepted until (Monday, Oct. 20th, 2014 at 12 Noon EST). Our lucky winner will be contacted by email and announced here on the blog and on our Facebook page no later than (Oct. 20th at 5 p.m. EST)!

Enter Giveaway Here

This Contest is officially CLOSED 

Special thanks to our friends at DecoArt for generously providing the paints in this giveaway!

Good Luck and Happy Printing!