Eco Printmaking Week 1

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Leisa

Jill is teaching Acrylics on Thursday nights so I looked around for a different kind of art class and decided on Eco Printmaking with instructor Elena Guttman. The class runs for 8 weeks and is at the Tabor PCC campus on the corner of 82nd and Division. The Eco part of the class is using non-toxic materials, water based ink rather than oil. I’m curious to try the soy ink.

Step One Transfer Design

Using tracing paper, create the outline with a 6 B pencil.
Flip it over and place it on the sheet of linoleum. Rub graphite into linoleum. Redraw lines with a sharpie.
Carve. Hold the tool in the palm of your hand. Long index finger. Rest middle finger on the linoleum for support. Flat wrist. Elbow close to body. Flat angle for carving tool. Outlines first with small v tool. Larger scoop for big areas.

Supply List

Water Based Ink: Red, Black, White, Yellow, Blue
Brayer Roller
Barren for Burnishing
Photos for Inspriation
Unmounted Linoleum 5×8″
Bristol Paper
Tracing Paper
6B Pencil
Linoleum Cutting Knives
Palette for rolling in on

Links

Saint Cupcake

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Leisa

Paul & I sketched our cupcakes before eating them. I swear they tasted better for it.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Standard AutoFocus Lens

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Leisa

I had hoped my new lens would show up in the morning yesterday but it came after 3 pm. I’ll go out with it later today but I snapped a few in my backyard wearing P.J.’s.

Drawing with Charcoal

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Leisa

There is no ideal sketchbook or journal. In my search I started creating a mixed paper journal that is ‘junior sized’ half of a page of 8.5 x 11 that is hole punch for that size of binder. I collect a variety of paper and mix it up. Colored card stock, parchment, drawing, watercolor, sketching, found, prepped acrylic color field, etc.

For the cover I use report covers (black) that I purchased from Oregon Laminates and also sheets of acetate so you can see through. Sometimes I’ll put multiple cover sections in if I want the journal to open up in multiple places (extra sketching paper). I’m using binder rings to keep it together. Its a little bulkier than a normal sketch book. Not too bad if I use the smallest binder rings (but I worry I’d run out of paper with the smaller one). They fold over flat at any page so there is no fighting how the pages open. I like the variety of surfaces, sometimes I skip around if I want a certain paper but I also like to let what ever happens happen. I can journal, sketch, draw, paint, make to-do lists, archive the stuff I’m tired of looking at.

What I discovered in the last couple of days is I like how charcoal looks on the craft paint acrylic fields I’ve been creating in hopes of Art Journaling.

Photo 1: Cover of Journal with Grid making device
Photo 2: Prismacolor Sanguine Sketching Pencil (top) and Green china maker (bottom)
Photo 3: Charcoal
Photo 4: Prismacolor Sketch Set (Charcoal and Chalk Pencils)

Kitten Overload

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Leisa

I went to the C.A.T. today for my cat fix. Thought I could practice sketching cats. They have rooms full of cats you can walk in and pet. When I got there around 4 p.m. The kittens were on full tilt bouncing off the walks. 30 or so kitten with their paws through the bars begging for attention. I got over stimulated looking at them.

Found a couple of lap cats upstairs and a few that would sit still enough to sketch.

I found half a dozen I’d love to take home. It was fantastic to firstly walk into a room of cats and secondly have them clamor for attention. Sukhi is the best cat in the world but if I telecommute thats all the attention she craves.

Sketchy Practice in Sept

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Leisa

Diptic Take One

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Leisa

I’m learning some of the photo apps on my ipad/iphone. I can’t wait for the new phone upgrade and wished I had a camera on my ipad. The app of the day is Diptic.

It makes little layouts of multiple photos and provides multiple ways to export. You can tweek the individual photos as well.Here is my first combing flowers from the Cook Park Butterfly Garden.

Zoo Day with new Lens

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Leisa

I got my first non-kit lens for my Rebel XSi [EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS] I paid $140 for it. I know none of this is very high end but it was fun. I took about 300 pictures in 5 hours and made myself a bit sick eating elephant ears for lunch. I camped out a bit for the cats and elephants and got rewarded. I wanted to do some sketching but the was no where to sit and the animals were only in view for a couple of minutes at a time.

Checkback Contour Faces

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Leisa

95% Blind. Pen can’t leave paper. But you can look back and forth as needed.

Blind Contour Faces