Gelli Prints with Inks and a Very Quick Character Sketch

I've missed my creative play for the last few days, because I've been sleeping in. I'm going to have to stop that! It causes me to have withdrawals! :)

Anyway, I got up in time to play some before the day starts today. I wanted to try acrylic inks on the Gelli plate to see what the effects would be, and they are way different to paint. These are 5" x 7" on Speedball printmaking paper, and a few of them have irridescent inks mixed in. I don't know how well they'll show up on here, but they are beautiful in person.

Where the paint pretty much stays where you put it on the plate, the acrylic inks tend to  run and ball up, so you have to get the paper down quickly. In fact, I had to have it in my hand when I lifted the brayer up and get it laid down before the ink disappeared into little balls scattered all over the plate, although that could also make an interesting print. I love the blue one on the bottom; it looks like little flowers trailing up the page.

I tried alcohol inks on the print with the yellow in it in the top right corner. It reacts differently to the acrylic ink, in that it tends to spread and create halos. I didn't have to lay the paper as fast. The colorss are more vibrant, but they did stain the gelli a little. I love these effects though, and will use inks again, definitely.

I hadn't sketched any in a while, so before I got up from my desk, I did a very quick sketch, from my imagination, in the Feather Journal (altered book) with a gel pen. Just for practice, but I like her quirkiness!

This is what my work space has come down to. The only empty space in the room. This is the 5" x 7" plate, and there is just barely enough room to use the 8" x 10" plate. I'm not going to show the rest of the room, but looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do some cleaning and actually organize and put stuff in to all those empty containers I have stacked up. Not looking forward to it, but I'll have to look at it like a treasure hunt, because I know I'll find stuff I forgot I had. :)

I'm also researching and doing the ground work for a mixed-media piece that I hope turns out awesome!

Anyway, that's what I'm up to today, and I can't believe I got a post done without getting interrupted! Thanks for visiting and have an awesomely creative day! :)