Baren Digest Friday, 26 April 2002 Volume 19 : Number 1810 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "PHARE-CAMP,PATTI (HP-USA,ex1)" Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 11:01:16 -0400 Subject: [Baren 17963] RE: Design Tools Since I've done graphic design, I know very well the value of Photoshop, Illustrator and PageMaker's as art tools! I once had a peer look at my prints and say he'd like to see my work in big paintings. So I scanned one of the prints then added and manipulated color in Photoshop. I then printed it out and used it as a sketch to paint from. Using Photoshop to play with the colors till I knew exactly what I wanted saved me hundreds of dollars in paint and hundreds of hours in time. I've also created collages from my drawings and photographs (some of the photos my Hubby took) then created drawings and or prints from the drawings. Once again I can manipulate design elements and change my mind many times before I print out my "sketch." Which I then use to plot a final work. They are also very handy for resizing an original drawing for transfer. You can make it smaller or as large as you want since you can tell the printer to print it out like a jig saw puzzle. Patti Phare-Camp ------------------------------ From: "Jean Womack" Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 08:24:03 -0700 Subject: [Baren 17964] Re: Baren Digest V19 #1809 Jeanne, I had trouble with latex also. My husband brought home some blue gloves that they use for automotive mechanic work. They work great and I haven't had any trouble with them. You will be amazed when you try them. I bought them at an industrial safety supply near here, but the label on the box says N-DEX Nitrile Gloves, Best Manufacturing Company, 579 Edison Street, Menlo, GA 30731 USA. I bought them for $14.75 for a box of 100. I use them for washing dishes, cleaning the cat box, making prints both water based and oil based, everything where I need to protect my hands. Jean Eger Womack > In regards to gloves. > I discovered two years ago that I was allergic to latex. I wore latex > gloves and my hands broke out in a terrible rash. Thinking this was just > "one of those things", I sprained my ankle and had to wear a latex ankle > brace. Wow, I really broke out in a more than terrible rash. It took a > month to clear up. I now get these cotton work gloves. They are > cumbersome but at least they do not cause rashes.=20 > A word to the wise, just in case. > > Jeanne N. ------------------------------ From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 12:39:11 EDT Subject: [Baren 17965] gloves Hi all - Jeanne, I sometimes have a reaction to latex so I use nitrile gloves, which work fine. There are various places to get them - I get mine from www.northernsafety.com. They have them in various thicknesses, powder/without powder. If you're an allergic-type person, you may want to get without powder. The ones I get are about $10 a box of 100 gloves. Best wishes Sarah ------------------------------ From: Julio.Rodriguez@walgreens.com Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 12:32:34 -0500 Subject: [Baren 17966] Re: John's acrylic gesso... 04/25/2002 12:32:59 PM Welcome to Cathryn and all the other new members....... John C. writes: "...I do reduction woodcuts by drawing directly on the block with acrylic paint. First I paint the block with acrylic gesso. Then I paint the image. Finally I apply a coat of shellac to keep the ink from soaking through the acrylic paint. I use oil based inks " Hi John, what are the advantages of your process vs just doing a reduction print on the plain wood block ? I can see the acrylic gesso serving as a base for your painting... I often want to experiment and have thought of using acrylic materials into my printmaking. thanks...Julio Rodriguez (Skokie, Illinois) ------------------------------ From: barebonesart Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 11:33:04 -0700 Subject: [Baren 17967] Re: Baren Digest V19 #1809 John, Mineral spirits is the least toxic of the petroleum based solvents, but it is still extremely carcinogenic. And, added to that is the fact that right around the cuticle is an excellent entry directly into the blood stream. Both good cases for wearing gloves, or better yet, cleaning up with salad oil. And, there are plenty of excellent hand cleaners out which do not contain pumice. However, after a heavy day of printing nothing cleans better than a scrub brush and Lava soap - if your skin can take it! I use Photoshop, too - for all manner of printmaking applications. It is especially good with Image-On, Zacryl or Solarplate etchings, because you can reverse, invert, whatever and print a transparency for exposure. Being able to manipulate layers is so much fun sometimes it is hard to actually get to the printing! Sharri ------------------------------ From: Brian Lockyear Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 12:58:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 17968] gloves I was talking to my dentist about alergy problems with latex gloves a while back. The alergy sensitivity increases with use and they use the gloves a lot. So, yes, there has been more and more interest in non-algeric type gloves which I assume are the nitril ones Sarah mentioned. - Brian - ------------------------------ From: "Linda" Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 16:21:31 -0700 Subject: [Baren 17969] New Web Site Hey Folks, I just thought I'd let you all know that I have finally uploaded by web site. There are still problems with the clarity of some of the pictures, but that will be corrected next week. If you find any other major problems, such as links pointing to strange places, please let me know. I'm sorry that there aren't more prints up, but as I warned you, printmaking is not my main focus. I'll add other prints, but it was 1am when I conked out last night and I just couldn't do another picture. Linda www.lmhornberger.com ------------------------------ From: Myron Turner Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 19:44:02 -0500 Subject: [Baren 17970] Re: New Web Site Very well done web site, Linda. I realize it may be painful to contemplate at this point, after all the work you've put in--but it would be nice to see even larger images of your botanicals. The relief prints of the botanicals look quite elegant (would be nice to see those a bit larger too). The orchid is particularly striking. Myron At 04:21 PM 25/04/2002 -0700, you wrote: >Hey Folks, > >I just thought I'd let you all know that I have finally uploaded by web >site. There are still problems with the clarity of some of the pictures, >but that will be corrected next week. If you find any other major problems, >such as links pointing to strange places, please let me know. > >I'm sorry that there aren't more prints up, but as I warned you, printmaking >is not my main focus. I'll add other prints, but it was 1am when I conked >out last night and I just couldn't do another picture. > >Linda >www.lmhornberger.com Myron Turner http://www.room535.org/mt/ --land safely in cyberspace-- ------------------------------ From: "John Cleverdon" Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 01:06:10 -0700 Subject: [Baren 17971] Re: John's acrylic gesso... To: Julio Rodriguez I'm a painter as well as a printmaker. The advantage of this process is that I can be more spontaneous by doing a color drawing directly on the block, instead of having to make tracings from a drawing on paper. The process is also faster. Also, I can do black-line woodcuts More quickly and easily by drawing on the block, sealing the block with shellac, printing the uncut block with black ink, cleaning the block with mineral spirits, cutting out the black lines, and finally overprinting white. White is not really opaque, so what you get is a black-line woodcut on a bluish gray ground. I copied the idea from Picasso's linocuts. A variation of this is to cut out some areas or lines that are to be white before printing the black, to get a chiaroscuro woodcut with black, white, and gray. I also make reduction woodcuts the regular way. To be honest, I've never tried doing without the gesso. The first ones I did I used the gesso and paint but didn't use shellac. After printing the first color the drawing had degraded because the ink and solvent had gone through the paint. I decided to use shellac because shellac is alcohol based, and alcohol has no effect on printing ink. One reason painting directly on the block appeals to me so much is that is the way I've always done woodcuts. When I was in graduate school in the fifties my favorite artist was Franz Kline. I did abstract expressionist black-and-wjite paintings with poster paint directly on my blocks and then cut away the white areas, indicating gray areas with a crude cross hatching. Figurative pieces were done similarly, but in a more German Expressionist style. If colors were added I would print the key block usually in black, sometimes in a color, and paint the proofs with poster paint. Then I'd trace and transfer the color shapes to other blocks with carbon paper. I hope this answers your question. John ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V19 #1810 *****************************