8×10″ Fine Art Print with Gelli Arts® by Bob Pennycook

Hi there, Bob here. Let’s have a look at
how I created this 8×10″ image. By using a stencil, I could apply all the
base colors and pull the print once to create the image. Details were added
later.

Watch my video to see how I created this piece:

Step by step:

Using a piece of heavy card stock, create a
circle about 3 ½” in diameter. I used a compass, but feel free to use anything you have
around the house as a template. 

Then, create a second circle about ¼” out from
the first circle. Add a ¼” wide horizontal line as shown.

Using a sharp scalpel, cut along the pencil
lines. Your goal is to save the ¼” circle and horizontal line to use as a
stencil.

 

This is how the stencil should look once
you’ve finished cutting.

 

I used a homemade registration board (but for this project you don’t necessarily need one).  

Here’s a video about my homemade registration board:

Place the stencil on the gel plate about an
inch down from the top of the plate.

 

If you’re using Golden Open Acrylics, mix
all your colors before you start. These paints give you plenty of workable time
before they start to dry out.

The picture below shows the pure color and the mixes. 

From left to right at the top
is Indian Yellow Hue, Napthol Red Light, Ultramarine Blue, Mars Black. 

In
the lower left there was a puddle of Titanium White. Add a little black to
every color. This black isn’t an Open Acrylics color but it’s compatible with
the Opens.

The mixes are from left to right:

-Yellow
+ a little red + white and a touch of black. 

-The next is red + blue + white + a touch of black.

-The next is lots of white + a little blue and a
touch of black. 

-At the bottom is lots of white + blue + a touch of black.

 

With the stencil in place, paint the sun with the yellow/red mix, using a different brush for each color. Paint
the sky with the violet mix. 

Paint the bottom shape starting at the top of that
shape with the light blue, then the darker blue followed by the purple. 

Blend
the colors as you work down the plate. Use a large bristle brush for this area
to create texture in the final print. 

While the print is still wet, protect the
sun with paper and spritz the rest of the print lightly with water. Immediately
press a flattened shop towel onto the print, rub the towel lightly and remove.
You should see random dots of lifted paint. Just more texture! 

Now, we’re going to add random horizontal lines
to the bottom shape of the print to make it look a bit like water. I used this
homemade stamp pictured below. 

To make the stamp: cut a piece of corrugated cardboard to fit a small piece of
Masonite. Glue the cardboard to the Masonite and let dry. Spritz the top of the
cardboard with a lot of water and peel back the top layer of cardboard exposing
the corrugated middle of the cardboard. Dry and seal with a gel medium. Dry and
it’s ready to use. 

We’re going to stamp directly on the print.
Tape off the edges of the print and protect the sky and sun. Use only a low
adhesive tape or you’ll rip the printed paper. Press the tape onto a piece of
cloth to remove excess adhesive before applying to the print.

Use a small piece of dry sponge to tap the
light blue paint mix onto the stamp. Press the stamp onto the print so the
corrugated lines are horizontal on the print. Gently remove tape.

The photo below shows the final stamped look. 

For the orange reflection lines in the
water, I used the gel plate and printed from the plate. However, if you don’t
use a registration board, simple tape off the lines and apply paint directly to
the print. Top line is about ¼” and the next two lines each decrease in width.
To paint, use a clean, dry piece of sponge and gently tap in the “sun” paint mix.

Draw or transfer the tree design.

Roughly outline all the shapes with
squiggly lines using a white pigment pen. Roughly fill in one half of each
tree shape with the 8B pencil. Then loosely brush a little of the sun color
onto the top of the trees.

That’s it; you’re finished!

Thanks for reading! Please share your prints with us by tagging @GelliArts – we love seeing your creations!

And now… get 20% off anything on www.gelliarts.com with the code:

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You can get the 8×10″ plate that I used in this project by clicking here!

Materials:

• 8″ X 10″ Gelli Arts® Plate
• Printmaking paper: Stonehenge,
  BFK Rives, Fabriano 
• Golden Open Acrylics in Indian
  Yellow Hue, Napthol Red Light, Ultramarine Blue and any black. I used Golden’s
  Mars Black which isn’t and Open color but it will work fine.
• Optional registration board
• Painters’ tape
• A range of brushes
• Palette
• Shop towels
• Card stock
• White pigment ink pen and 8B
  pencil
• Xacto knife/scalpel
• Cutting mat for stencil