Gelli Plate Layering Experiment

I saw a new, to me, technique for layering prints on the Gelatin Printing Enthusiasts Facebook group page, so I gave it a try. Mine failed miserably, but I was able to salvage them by adding a few details after they were pulled. I used Golden Open and Fluid Acrylics and a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" Gelli arts plate.

This was the first one I tried on a Speedball printmaking paper scrap. I layered fluid green-gold on the plate, let it dry, layered turquoise over it and let dry, layered yellow and let dry, then layered titan buff open media and let set a few minutes, laid my paper on and burnished. It was supposed to pull all 4 layers up together, however mine only lifted the T buff layer, so I laid titanium white down on top of the other three layers and spritzed with a little water to help re-wet the other three layers and let it set a few minutes, then laid the paper down and burnished and let set until almost dry. When I pulled it up, the paint layers came off, but only picked up the shapes seen in the print on a white background. It reminded me of trees reflected in water, so I added a bit of a blue gelato gel stick to the white areas and a bit of water soluble pencil to define between the land and water reflections. The dots came from me lifting up some of the excess paint with a napkin on one of the layers. Not the print I was after, a keeper nonetheless. 😊

This is the second one I tried on regular printer paper, because that's what was handy and I was experimenting. It's also the first of three pulls. I layered the same fluid colors, in the same order and allowing to dry between layers, as the print of the trees above. The top, and last layer of open media paint is titan buff. I spritzed with a little water, laid the paper down and burnished and let set for a few minutes before pulling the print. Again, not the print I was after, but a good background print, so I applied gold metallic open media paint to a duck feather and stamped it onto the print after the print was dry. Not a bad save!

This is the second of three pulls. After pulling the print above, I spritzed a bit more water onto the paint layers and pulled the print, which was also a good background print. I let it dry, applied open media titanium white to the duck feather and stamped it onto the print. I LOVE feathers and I like this print, so another save!

The third of three pulls, which lifted barely any paint and left a lot of white paper, so I stamped the duck feather, which I had lifted paint from the second print with, into the negative space. I may add a bit of detail into the top of the feather at some point, but I kind of like it like it is. The feather didn't lift enough paint from the other print for it to show, which is why I stamped the second one with a paint laden feather.

I thought I was following the suggestions on layering the paint before pulling a print, but obviously, I goofed up somewhere. I think I prefer pulling one layer at a time, using a register, although, sometimes I fail to let the prints dry long enough between layers. But that's ok. Even it gets a bit muddy looking, I can always let it dry and add another layer, or a stamp, or a stencil, or use it to collage, so it's all good. They can't all be frameable and gallery worthy, but they all have character!

The gelli print adventures continue...