Collage Project using Gel Printed papers with ArtFoamies Part 1 of 2

For my project I will need some gel printed papers to collage with. So, I will be working with my gel plate as well as with the following ArtFoamies by Cat Kerr:

• Cat Kerr | Twigs | Foam StampTwigs 
• Cat Kerr | Stem | Foam Stamp
• Cat Kerr | Leaf | Foam Stamp
• Cat Kerr | Totem | Foam Stamp

I will also be using some alcohol markers and gel sticks directly onto the gel plate for added interest and depth to my prints. I’ve chosen some bright acrylic paints to match the feel of these Cat Kerr fun and bold ArtFoamies.

To start off with I’m adding some doodling to my gel plate with the alcohol markers randomly across the plate. If you add acrylic paint to your plate and then go in with the alcohol markers try and stay away from the acrylic paint as it will ruin your markers.

I am interested in creating multiple layers on the plate, letting each layer dry then adding acrylic paint to pull the print. After I’ve added some doodling with the alcohol markers, I then load my ArtFoamies up with acrylic paint using my brayer or my smaller gel plate as a loading pad for the acrylic paint to then stamp the ArtFoamie onto the gel plate. Once I’m happy with layers I’ve created on the plate I allow it to dry and add a lighter color, such as a warm white or a titanium white for the background. This allows you to pull up everything that went onto the plate earlier.

I also experimented with some mixed media gel sticks. I dipped the stick into water then doodled directly onto the gel plate, allowed it to dry and then went in with my ArtFoamies. The Twigs and Totem ArtFoamies made awesome background texture in my prints.

You can really see all the layers, including some finger painting I did directly onto the plate in the print I pulled onto some text paper. The final pull was soft yet had lucious layers with Cat Kerrs bold images. It is this softness coupled with bold imagery that I am looking for.

Midway through the session I changed up the type of paint I used. I went from a basic acrylic paint to a chalk paint however, I used similar bright colors. I even used my brayer as a mark making tool and dabbed it onto my gel plate prior to stamping with the Totem ArtFoamie in the same color.

Next instead of adding the paint to the gel plate with the ArtFoamies I applied paint to the whole gel plate with my brayer and then removed the paint from the gel plate using the ArtFoamies. I took a risk and pulled out some infusion powders and sprinkled it all over the surface of the gel plate and misted it with water. I hoped a bit of the grunge would peek through where I had pulled up the acrylic paint with the ArtFoamies. I did have to be very patient to let it dry completely before I added the final acrylic paint to do the pull with.

The final print on text paper was super grungy and you really couldn’t see any definition from the ArtFoamie. However, I knew it maybe a yummy, grungy piece to play with on the final project. Here is an assortment of my final gel prints.

Please join me next month as we add some finishing touches to the gel prints and use them in a final piece.

You can find the part 1 video of the whole gel printing session over on my YouTube channel here - https://youtu.be/EaNJO4n1CpQ

If this has inspired, you to play with your ArtFoamies please tag your posts with #artfoamies and tag me @nina_fickett on Instagram. I’d love to see what you have created.

-Nina

www.ninafickettdesigns.com