Gel Printing Workshop Additional Handout
Julie Stephen
Brief History of Gel Printing
The original gelatin plates were first used in the 1800’s as Hectograph Printers. The Hectograph aniline ink was absorbed into the surface of the gelatin from a master paper copy and many copies of the original could be pulled from the ‘Jellygraph’ press.
The modern gel plate press was created by Gelli Arts founder Joan Bess. Joan would create her own gelatin press at home, but wanted to make something that was more durable, easy to store and maintain long term. The Gelli Arts company created a manmade polymer plate, proving popular with printmakers, painters, and craftspeople. Artists used the versatile surface to create a variety of images and designs. Companies like Speedball and Gel Press developed their own versions of this popular and fun printmaking method.
The Gelli plate can be used to print onto different surfaces, such as card, paper, and fabric. Different media can be used on the plate, including water- based inks, acrylic paints, and alcohol inks, all creating unusual effects.
Simple Gel Plate Instructions using foliage or stencils:
- Ink up plate with 2-3 small blobs of acrylic paint, I started with the lightest colour and roll out the paint to cover the surface of your gel plate.
- Press down your paper over the top of the gel plate and rub with the palm of your hand, avoid pressing sharp fingernails into the surface of the gel plate as it will tear.
- You can hinge your paper with tape to help with the position of subsequent colours. This is called registering the print.
- Peel back your paper, a coloured square will be printed, repeat this process a second time to have 2 prints, hinge with tape to the side of your gel plate.
- Ink up your gel plate with your second colour, a mid-tone and lay down leaves before pressing down your first piece of paper. Peel back to reveal your negative leaf shapes on top of the first square.
- Quickly peel leaves from gel plate surface to reveal their unique textures and patterns, flipping over second print and pressing onto leaf patterns.
- Peel back second print, positive leaf patterns will be transferred to this second sheet of paper.
- Repeat the inking process with a darker colour or a metallic paint and follow instructions 5, 6 and 7 again
Top Tips for Gel Printing.
- Have plenty of scrap paper available to lift off any excess ink or paint during the printing process. The printed scraps make wonderful samples for collages.
- Remember to have cloths, wipes, or water handy to clean up between colours, acrylic paints can dry fast.
- If your acrylics have dried too quickly on your plate, you can lift then by covering with a thin layer of fresh acrylic and pull another paper print. The wet paint will help lift off any residue paint on your plate, ready for your next creation.
- When choosing foliage, petals or leaves to print, look for freshly gathered rather than dry and crumbly. The leaves need to be lifted easily without damaging your plate.
- If using dried foliage, make sure you have pressed and flattened the leaves and plants prior to your gel printing session.
- Experiment and have fun with the gel plate, the possibilities are endless.
Different techniques.
During the workshop we covered a few different techniques including:
- Positive and negative leaf printing
- Paper stencils
- Card, hot glue gun and PVA glue seashore prints
- Charcoal Transfer.
- Painterly monotype.
To try any of these techniques on fabric rather than paper or card consider mixing 50/50 percent textile medium to your acrylic paint.
Online resources.
Artists using gel printing methods Sally Hirst, Mark Yeates. Mark Wills, Susan McCreevy.
Buying Materials.
Amazon, Jacksons Art, handprinted.co.uk
Homemade Gelatine Plate Recipe Follow this link for further instructions
Ingredients:
- 375 ml glycerine – I buy 2x 200ml bottles, using 1 and 3/4 of the bottles, keeping the other 1/4 for my next plate
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 115 grams powdered gelatine – I buy 2x 100gm McKenzie’s tins, keeping the excess for my next plate
- 1 and 1/2 cups rapidly boiling water Utensils:
- large mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
- measuring cup
- 22cmx 33cm biscuit tray. You could use any shape tray or dish, as long as you end up with approx. 1cm thickness of gelatine mix for the plate
- spirit level – to check the tray is level
- strips of cardboard to level the tray (if needed)
- newspaper strips to remove surface bubbles
Instructions-Get all ingredients and utensils ready before you get started. Once you start, the gelatine reacts quickly, so the better prepared you are, the easier the process is. This includes checking that your tray is level on the bench, ready to receive the mixture as soon as its ready. Use your spirit level and strips of cardboard to level the tray on your bench, making sure that it will be a safe place to leave the tray while the mixture sets (approx. 1-2 hours).
· Place 1/2 cup cold water in a bowl.
· Pour half of the glycerine liquid into the water. I buy 2x 200ml bottles of glycerine, using 1 and 3/4 bottles for this recipe, so I pour all the first bottle into the bowl at this stage.
· Using the spatula, stir to mix thoroughly, but mix slowly. This is important to not add bubbles into the mixture.
· Once thoroughly mixed, sprinkle all the gelatine powder into the water/glycerine mix.
· Using the spatula, mix and squish the mixture to remove all lumps and clumps of gelatine, maintaining a slow mixing (and squishing) motion to reduce the addition of bubbles.
· Once you have removed all the lumps, add the rapidly boiling water, and continue to stir, slowly, until all the gelatine crystals have dissolved.
· Once all the gelatine crystals have dissolved, add the remaining 175ml of glycerine. I pour in 3/4 of the 2nd bottle, saving the rest for my next plate.
· Slowly stir to thoroughly blend all ingredients. It is still important to maintain the slow stirring, so you don’t introduce additional bubbles.
· Once all the ingredients have been blended, pour the mixed liquid into the tray – slowly and carefully to avoid spilling.
· You will see some bubbles on the surface of your poured mixture. There may be a few, or there may be many.
· Use the newspaper strips to skim bubbles off the surface of your gelatine mix – slowly drag a strip of newspaper across the surface of your gelatine mixture.
· Leave the tray to set on the bench top. DO NOT move the tray until the mixture has set. Within 1-2 hours it will normally set enough to then move the tray to the fridge.
· Once set, place the tray in the fridge for the final ‘setting’. This will normally take 3-4 hours. I like to leave it overnight so that the plate shrinks a little in the tray, making it easier to remove it from the tray.
· Once set, remove the gelatine plate from the tray and it is ready to use!
· When not in use, place the gelatine plate between 2x sheets of acetate or stiff/hard plastic. This will protect the surface of the plate.
Thank you for attending my workshop at The Bridge, I really enjoyed meeting you all and it was a delight to have so much enthusiasm from you all, thank you.
You can find me on social media The Artful Corner:
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Many thanks,
Julie