Results of rubbing class

close up

prints on fabric

the screen with crayola

The book she used

Here are some of the prints that my student made on Friday. She printed them on both paper and various colors of fabric. They were printed with black ink that had a little red that was blended into it with the squeegee. Click on the images for larger photos.
She picked a book, from my collection that I had never really used.
By moving the transparent screen she was able to select the area of the book for the rubbing. I think she did a remarkable design job.

Ready for Screen Filler

Three screens ready for filler

I rooted around and found some old screens that had images on then that I didn't want to use again and cleaned them up. Then I laid out the shapes on cross section paper - this will insure that they are square. I traced each shape onto the top side of the screen with a pencil. I found it easier to flip the screens over and paint the drawing fluid onto the under side. I used a ruling pen and a straight edge to put all of the lines onto the screens. Then I filled in the squares and rectangles with a brush and drawing fluid. I need to have openings in the screen for the rubbings. I added a 1/4" seam allowance around all - this will make it easier to cut out the fabric pieces. One of the screens has rectangles instead of squares so that they can be used as borders. Now I need to spread screen filler over the back side of the screens and let them dry before I wash out the drawing fluid.

With any type of printmaking, preparation and designing have to be thought about before the fun of making the prints. You have to have an idea of what the goal is and how to get there.

Book rubbings

"Book Purse" front

"Book Purse" -  

The photos on the left are from my web site on page 44 of the Power Point of Textile prints that I used to make. The piece called "Book Purse" was in a National Fiber Arts show. I don't have it any more.
Back in the 1980s, I went to the Hamburg Historical Society's Museum with some screens and crayola crayons; I made  book rubbings from their collection of antique, embossed book covers. The three in this piece are The Works of George Elliot on the front (complete with her portrait) and Dickens (another portrait) and Pope. I liked the look of these and also made designs of borders that would complete the purse.

STENCILS MADE WITH RUBBINGS

            Any textured surface can be used to create  stencils that capture the texture of the original surface. I often use antique, embossed book covers, dried flowers and leaves, ribbon and laces, coins and wood.

            The screen is placed over the surface to be used. It is important to have a comfortable grip on the screen with one hand. Then with the other hand use a crayola crayon to make the rubbing directly on the screen. Don’t let the screen move, or you will have a double image.

            The crayola will act as a blockout to the water base ink. The image will be the color of the paper and the area around it will be the color of the ink.

            It is necessary to have a border of blockout around the rubbing. An open area on the screen can be made first and the rubbing can be done in it. To reverse the print - to print the image rather than the background - screen filler can be spread over all. When it is dry the crayola can be removed with paint thinner.

            When I use antique books, I cover them tightly with saran wrap to keep the crayon from getting on them. Dried flowers and leaves should not be too dry and brittle as they would crumble when rubbed.

            After printing, clean the ink off with cold water. The crayon rubbing will stay on the screen. When cleaning the rubbing from the screen use hot water and a strong cleaner to remove the crayola. Or you can clean the crayola from the screen with paint thinner.

I will have more about rubbings soon as I will be teaching the technique to someone who took my last class at the Power House. She is very interested to learn about rubbings

Last weekend

Erica's print

 A great Arts and Crafts design was printed by another student. First she printed lavender, then
green , black and an iridescent darker blue/green.
This was done on Stonehenge fawn paper - it is 100% rag and has a nice deckle edge.
All of the printed area was lavender in the first state. With screen drawing fluid,she painted everything except what would stay lavender for the second printing and printed green, then painted all of the black areas with drawing fluid, spread filler over all - removed the drawing fluid and printed black. Within the black areas she added iridescent blue/green lines that complete the print.

There is so much repetitive work - painting on the screen with drawing fluid, drying, spreading the filler,
drying, removing the drawing fluid, drying and then
printing - the printing is really fun!
No two prints are exactly the same - they are all originals