I've known about this exchange for months. For months, I've been busy at work, and hoping that I'll get some time (and energy) free for this. Then I got my dizzy spells back again last month and that put a stop to anything remotely creative. Finally, finally, I was able to sit down and consider some options. I started with one image, and while I liked the idea, the execution was far to abstract to be even remotely recognizable. I don't mind abstract, but I wanted it to be a bit more obvious. Next idea was lovely, started work on that, then realized I just did not have time for a four colour reduction in a minimum of 20 edition. So, now what?
Flipping through my photos, I came across one that I thought might work. And it did, rather nicely, I feel.
OyamaTechnique: relief print
MDF carved with Dremel
Media: Daniel Smith w/s relief ink
(carbazole violet, phthalo blue, burnt umber, carbon black, permanent red)
Dimensions: approximately 9"x6"
Edition: 28
Year: 2009
The problem with a blend or rainbow roll is that it works so much better when your roller/brayer is the same dimension as the print. Mine, even my beautiful new one from Takach, is not. So the colours were applied:
1. Darkest blue with a little brayer
2. Darkest blue to lighter blue with the Takach
3. Lighter blue to pinkish with another smaller brayer
Most of the edition are remarkably good; a few have a couple of solid horizontals that I'm not 100% pleased with. There's also a bit of a porous spot in the MDF which sometimes came through a little bit lighter than I'd prefer, but it actually didn't detract from the image, and added to the blend remarkably well, I thought.
Next time, I'll try sealing the MDF first with something like primer, to see how that goes. That's what people have been telling me, and everyone seems so astonished that I don't seal the MDF first. Generally, it's not been a problem, but once in a while...
Anyway, off to the post office to ship this off!! Hopefully it'll get there in good enough time to not be too horribly late!
5 comments:
I love graduated rolls. Never have had the courage to do one though.
I have been having pretty good luck with sealing MDF with a polyurethane varnish (gloss) thinned with mineral spirits. It rolls up well.
Dean
Beautiful print, I really like it alot. Lucky recipients!
I have played a little with graduated colour but haven't seriously tried it yet. I shall have to going by your results.
For those of you interested in the graduated roll, you must check out Printsy member KG Crafts' work - here's a recent interview on the Printsy blog. He works hard to get a lot of colours laid in with just one or two blocks, using pochoir, gradient rolls, etc.
Beautiful Amie. I love graduated rolls too. Now that I actually have a bigger brayer, I may have to take the big leap and try it.
Thanks for sharing and for the inspiration.
Kate
Another excellent print Amie! I can't wait to receive mine from the exchange. And you needn't worry, as mine was sent a couple of days later than yours.
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