Encaustic Painting Process, Draw-Through Printing and Tissue Paper

Kiss (detail)
encaustic, paper and ink on birch

Trying old techniques in a new way again - this time a printing technique called draw-through printing.  Keeping things fresh and loose in art can sometimes be a challenge for me.  This little chickadee is a detail from a larger modular painting.  I've been revisiting some techniques I learned a while back and finding it really fun.  Thanks to the wonderful Stephanie Hargrave for being the inspiration. 

The drawings are done on tissue paper and then put into the encaustic painting.  Its a fun process and because of its nature, it keeps the drawings loose and fresh.  The first step is to get together all the things needed

1. printing ink - I used Akua, but there are other printing inks that work great like Daniel Smith printing inks. 
2. Glass palette
3. brayer
4. bamboo skewer
5. tissue paper

Step One - roll out the ink with the brayer - can't stress enough that it needs to be a thin layer. Think thin to win!

Step Two - gently place the tissue paper on top of the rolled out ink and weight the edges so it will not move when you do your drawings.

Step Three - Use the bamboo skewer, or end of a paint brush handle or even your finger nail - and draw.  Being careful not to touch the paper to hold it otherwise you will have finger prints which is ok, but just be mindful where they are.  You will see your line showing through the tissue as you draw your shapes. 

 

 

Step Four - carefully peel up the tissue from the printing plate and turn it over.  You will see your designs printed on the tissue. 

You can see in this photo the "noise" created in the print where the tissue stuck to the ink other than where the lines were drawn.  I don't mind a little bit of noise in the print.  A lot of noise creates a whole another look to the print.

Step Five - once the prints are dry - burnish the tissue into an encaustic painting and gently heat.  The white tissue will magically disappear into the wax and will leave only the printed lines showing.  Cover with a protective layer of wax and the tissue will totally blend into the artwork

 

 Noisy print on the left and only just a little noise on the right

As a side note, I did find that the tissue I was using had a shiny or hard side and a matte or soft side.  I found the hard side would stick to the ink in places that I really didn't want it to, thus, creating "noise" in the print like on the left above.  The soft side of the tissue would allow for the fine lines to show through without too much stickage (noise). I would re-brayer the inked area after every print, not necessarily adding more ink until I really needed it.  Its fun to do several when you have everything out - lots of different shapes and designs.  That way when you are ready to put the drawings into your artwork, there are lots of choices to layer and have fun with.  I'm also assuming it would work with a gel medium on an art journal page or other artwork than encaustic. 
Good luck and have fun.  Happy Friday everyone!

Friday:: Journal

Do you have an art journal? Or a journal of any kind that keeps your thoughts? I did the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron about a year ago-ish. One of the things she has you commit to is Morning Pages. Well, I've been pretty good over time with those and have been pretty diligent in keeping up with them. However, lately I've slacked a bit. Yet, for some reason I have replaced writing my Morning Pages with doodling my Morning Pages. I don't finish these pages in one sitting.. they take a couple three days to build upon themselves.   I'm trying to get myself to draw more - draw again. 

I started coloring this one.  However, I think I like the black and white better.

Page TWO

The Newest page - starting to take shape

Linking up with Paint Party Friday today.  Two blog posts today - wowie.  Last month I combined my self portrait journey with a painted self portrait.  This month - yeah, no ... didn't get to that.  But if you are interested in April's self portrait journey - click here.

For the Love of Creating

As a kid, I used to draw a lot.  My Dad was an Artist, a painter.  I would keep him company in his studio while he painted and I would draw.  Drawing left me for some reason.  It went away and I grew older and it totally left when I went to college.  Sure, I draw a little for my paintings but I don't sketch, I don't just sit and draw.  I was talking to my Mom about this a few weeks ago - that I don't draw anymore.  She was surprised because of the countless drawings I had done growing up.  The great ones hung on the fridge - the others were in stacks until there was enough to bind in a notebook.  I had books of drawings.  I had drawings on my bedroom walls.   My Dad would buy a ream of paper just for drawing.  It sat in his studio next to a jar full of pens, a box of charcoal and sharpened pencils.  As a kid, I wasn't allowed to have coloring books - I was to draw my own.  So that's what I did.
  
My Mom came up with the great idea - "why don't you challenge yourself to draw everyday for a month and then reward yourself with a prize - but only if you have a drawing for each day".  Isn't Motherly wisdom wonderful?  Well, great idea, but I fell flat after three days and put the sketch book back on the shelf to sit again. No prize.

Last night I was tinting some pages in my travel journal.  I like to keep a travel journal and I like to write on water colored pages.  They are simple - just tinted with color a few random shapes.. nothing, really.   I painted this tree.. why?  No clue.  It was just put in loosely with water color and really didn't look like much.  Then I grabbed my favorite ink pen and the magic started.

My Dad and I used to draw in this kind of style.  We would put in loose watercolor shapes and then spend time outlining with a pen the shapes and creating textures with line - creating the drawing and the detail as how we felt in the moment.  It was like he was sitting there with me - like old times, just the two of us, drawing.  I haven't done a drawing like this in years (a really very long time).  When the drawing was complete, I just sat there and stared at it.  It was like - wow, I remember - but what really got me was - wow, how did I forget?  Its like something shifted, something happened. It was magic.  It was the joy of creating.