Mina Prints

In preparation for Xylography and Linocut, our profesor decided to train us with Styrofoam first. It was a simple process, but some considerations must be taken into account first. Styrofoam Printmaking Process Step 1: Gather necessary materials: Paper or cardboard, ink, brayer or paint roller, Styrofoam plate, tape, pen. Step 2:  Sketch a design (illustration or artwork) to print. If you write words, make sure they are mirrored. Step 3:  Cut the Styrofoam into the size you need (A5 paper size). Remember the margins for the tape. Tape the drawing in place and trace it onto the Styrofoam plate. Step 4: Create a register for the sheet you’re going to print. Use the tape to secure the Styrofoam plate to the working surface. Step 5:  Deposit and prepare ink in a tray. You can use 1 color, or 2 to create a gradient.   Step 6:  Use the brayer or paint roller to spread the ink until you have an even coat. Once the brayer is coated with an even layer of ink,

Just like the tiger stencil you can create your own designs by following the same steps.  

Infographic of the simplified process of sending a book to print. DRAFT FINAL

For this printmaking project, we were told to use foam to make a stamp of a letter. The letter was assigned randomly and it had to reflect the concept of the word that starts with said letter. In this case, when given the letter J , I decided to make it for Joker . FOAM PRINTMAKING PROCESS Step 1: Gather necessary materials: Paper, foam, pencil, ink, roller, silicon glue, precision cutter, tape. Sketch a design for your letter of the alphabet on an A4 paper or make a digital design on the computer.   Step 2: Transfer the design to the foam sheet by tracing it with a pencil, leaving an indented letter on the foam. Step 3:  Cut out the letter with a precision cutter. For a negative print, cut out the outside; for a positive print, cut out the inside.   Step 4:  Glue the letter to the MDF board, creating the collagraph plate. Remember that the letter will come out facing the opposite direction on their print, so glue the letter on backwards. Step 5: P

Our first test of this semester was simple . . . or so it seemed. We were handed out a template of the alphabet and were told to use it as a stencil to make our name with it. At first glace, we knew the paper wouldn't be able to handle the ink, so transferring the template to a more reliable format was a must. Then we had to make sure we didn't stained the space between the letters we would need, specially if they were too close together, so more stencils would be required. In the end, the simple exercise was a test in both creativity and pro-activeness. Here is the result. THE TEMPLATE THE STENCIL ON CARDBOARD THE RESULT

Next step int he stencil printmaking technique was to solve a stencil depending the type of print: positive or negative. STENCIL PRINTMAKING PROCESS Step 1: Gather necessary materials: Paper, cardboard, stencil, ink, sponge, precision cutter. Step 2: Analyze the design and trace bridges between cut out spaces, so the stencil can hold against the ink. Step 3: Transfer the design to cardboard or any other support thick enough that won’t break when wet. Step 4: Cut out the design. If it’s a negative print, cut out what’s outside the design; and if it’s positive, cut out what’s inside Step 5: Prepare and deposit the ink or paint in a small tray. Create a register for the substrate. Use the tape to secure paper to the working surface. Place stencil over the paper and secure it in place with the tape. Step 6: With a sponge or brush, quickly apply ink over the stencil and paper. Clean the excess ink from the stencil and carefully remove stencil. Step

Dear students For the final part of this semester, you have to create a blog where you will upload all your printmaking portfolio. You can use free online blogging sites, check the examples on the SIDWEB class board. See you next class! So yeah, that's the assignment, and here I am making it. Design and Printmaking in a class required for all Graphic Design majors at ESPOL , and during the course of the semester we've created several printmaking projects. Some good, some not worth mentioning (cringes thinking of her xylographic print).  In any case, all works will be posted here. Hope this blog can help other students in the future and looking forward to any comments that help improve my work. Until next time, Mina Photo by  Green Chameleon  on  Unsplash