Tests Prints From A Photograph, A Pen, A Print Post

Hand printed test prints from yesterday's post and carving. The bulb onion shape was inspired by an allium-like plant. I created two type of prints. I wanted to do a line print and a shape print. Sort of playing with the positive and negative spaces of my drawings.

Sketches and carved blocks used for printing. 

I used this pink rubber block and learned that it is not my favorite to carve on. I found it tough to see my cuts and keep track of my carved lines. When I started to carve on the putty colored blocks it was much easier to see my cut lines. The putty colored block when cut away left a lighter color in removed areas, so this made it much easier to see what you carved. The pink block did not have a difference in color when cut away so it all appeared the same making it hard to see as you worked. I have always preferred the blocks in lighter colors. I find the pink ones distracting to work on.

I find it so interesting that these two hand printed pieces came from the same plant inspirations. 

Another hand printed test print created with carved blocks keeping the simple lines of the plant in mind. Now off to work on that curvy stripe inspired by this bulb, onion shape.


This is "Where Art and Beauty Meet Lifestyle"©

Circle Studies and Sketches by Velásquez

All images and content belong to Deborah Velásquez. Copyright 2005-2013.  All rights reserved.

Please do not use anything without permission or without making note of the origin on your blog or website.

A Photograph, A Pen and A Print

At my desk I have a work in progress, I am back to sketching and getting ready to carve. After a very busy few days finishing up some prints I am excited to create something new.

I found my inspiration in a photograph by my friend Lori Moon.

 Lori, a fellow blogger, has a series called Shared Messages from the Universe on her blog. Lori is talented photographer and jewelry artisan. She photographs found phrases and words she comes across in her travels in the The City. 

 As a gardener I enjoy her plant and flower photography especially during these cold months as I wait for Spring. I had such fun sketching this allium-like flower with a beautiful flower pod in a lantern shape. I made loose and tight sketches looking for a direction to start carving in. I will explore the shape and line aspects of this plant, very much like the echinacea flower post, I will do two carvings and print one highlighting line and the other in shape.

To make things less confusing I put an X in spots I plan to cut

Photograph by Lori Moon©, used with permission, all rights reserved.

 I call this my fun and discovery stage. I fell absolutely in love with this bulb, onion shape. 

I cut the shape out and played with layout and layering  ideas. 

I kept seeing a curvy stripe happening, so I am going to explore this and cut a  block in a stripe design. It's a must, I get goose bumps looking at the curved stripe possibility. 

This is much like the stripe inspiration from my bird carving here, and I like how that turned out. I will work out the design in the next few posts. Stay tuned.

This is "Where Art and Beauty Meet Lifestyle"©

Plant Sketches by Velásquez

All images and content belong to Deborah Velásquez. Copyright 2005-2013.  All rights reserved.

Please do not use anything without permission or without making note of the origin on your blog or website.

Making Sunprints

I have had this kit for ages at my house waiting to be opened. I thought it would be a fun project to do with the kids. I pretty much worked with my oldest on this one. My two year old only became interested when the part about submerging the paper into the water came about. He thought it was time for water play! 

I have bought many Sunlight Print kits as gifts thinking other children might enjoy this fun low tech approach to photography. I sure hope their projects worked out.

Sunprints are also known as cyanotypes. Cyanotype is a photographic printing process giving you a cyan-blue print. For children it is like magic because all you need is four elements: an object/subject, light sensitive paper, sunlight and water. Part science and part art. Sir John Herschel an English scientist and astronomer discovered this procedure back in 1842, but it was Anna Atkins who brought this to photography.

Here is a sample of her beautiful work:

You can find and browse through more of her work on this New York Public Library Flickr page or here at the New York Public Library Digital Gallery.

Here is our adventure into this printing process....

 Exposing, our drawings and objects to bright sunlight until the paper fades from light blue to white.

After exposing our compositions, we submerged the exposed photo sensitive paper in water and agitated it for about a minute. We let the paper dry flat on paper towels. 

After the pieces dried we got these beautiful silhouettes on Prussian Blue backgrounds.

 Beautiful plant silhouette, a great gift from nature and quite low tech!

Some favorite silhouettes I used  from  my past work. I had acetate copies already made from trying my hand and at silkscreening a while back in a previous post here and here.

My son's fusion of Spiderman and Dr. Octopus for one print and a skull for the other. He enjoyed this project, now mom has to go find more photo sensitive paper. 
Off to the art store!!!

Thank you for stopping by.

This is "Where Art and Beauty Meet Lifestyle"©

All images and content belong to Deborah Velásquez. Copyright 2005-2012.  All rights reserved.

Please do not use anything without permission or without note of the origin on your blog or website.