Sakura® + Gelli Arts® Collaboration: Sunset Monoprint by Bob Pennycook

Hi all, Bob again. Today I am happy to share a Sunset Monoprint using Gelli Arts® and Sakura® of America products.

Read to the end to enter for a chance to win a prize pack from Gelli Arts® + Sakura® Of America!

This project is a multi
layer, multi media design created in a straight-forward graphic style.

I used two different gel plates from
Gelli Arts® – the 8×10″ and the 4” round. And once the print pulls were dry, I
embellished with Sakura® Micron Pigma Graphic 1 and Graphic 2 in black and
Sakura® Souffle in purple. Feel free to work along with with this budget:

To make sure the print is centered in the
middle of the paper, place the 8×10″ plate on a flat clean table then add
painter’s tape to the table at the top and left side of the gel plate. Add
strips of painter’s tape until the tape on each edge is about two inches wide.

I used Stonehenge printmaking paper for
this. I cut a large sheet of paper into four, 10×15” pieces and set three of
the pieces aside to use with future projects.

Next, center the paper over the gel plate
so you have almost equal amounts of paper extending beyond each edge of the
plate.

At the top and left side mark a pencil line
to create a positioning guide to keep the paper centered when pulling the
print.

Create a rough stencil on card stock, then
cut out the interior of the stencil. Be sure to remove all pencil lines as they
could transfer to the gel plate and the print.

Position the stencil upside down, and
somewhat randomly on the 8×10″ plate, use a bristle brush to thinly apply a
mix of Titan Green Pale and Light Ultramarine Blue to the stencil cutout. Gently
remove the stencil and pull the print making sure the top and left edges of the
paper are lined up with the pencil lines on the tape.

Since I’d be applying the gel plate to the
print paper this time, I placed the round gel plate on the lid of a hard
plastic container and brushed on a thin layer of Titan Green Pale plus Nickel
Azo Yellow.

The gel plate is easier to handle when its
firm. However, this is optional. You could just apply paint to the gel plate,
carefully grab the side edges of the gel plate and apply the plate to the
surface.

When the paint is dry, lightly sketch in
the tree using a graphite pencil. Then switch to the Micron Pigma Graphic 1 to
define the tree. Make the left side of the tree darker by adding rough lines using
the Micron Pigma Graphic 2 pen.

Add a little color to your tree by adding
rough lines of Souffle to the branches, trunk and ground.

Add some dots of Souffle to the bottom edge
of the blue stenciled area. When using the Souffle ink, work slowly. The ink
will release better and will dry a little puffy.

Mix some Nickel Azo Yellow plus Titanium
White plus a little Titan Green Pale and brush onto the right side of the sun
to create a highlight.

All that’s left is for you to sign your
print!

Materials:

Gelli Arts® gel plates, 8×10” and 4” round
Golden Open acrylics in Titan Green Pale,
Nickel Azo Yellow, Titanium White and Light Ultramarine Blue
Sakura Micron Pigma Graphic 1 and Graphic 2
in black and Sakura Souffle in purple.
Small and large rough bristle brushes
(these help create texture in your prints)
Printmaking paper (Stonehenge from Legion
Paper used for this project)
Card stock
Xacto knife or scissors
Graphite pencil
Painter’s tape