Beginner Gel Press: Stencils


This is my third installment in learning how to use a gel press printing plate. So far I've explored the basics with craft paint and copy paper, then graduated to using card stock and paint stamps, and today I'll try using stencils.


I got out a silicone craft mat, my gel press printing plate, a stack of plastic stencils, some 8 1/2 X 11 card stock cut in half (because I have a 5 x 7 gel press), craft paint, and paint brushes and a paper plate.


I started by painting my gel press plate with some yellow paint (lighter colors work best to start with when layering) and printing it on a piece of card stock, then I painted the plate with a light blue and applied the stencil. Then I applied the painted card stock to the gel press 


It sort of worked, but since the stencil was smaller than the press/paper, it left an outline--no biggie, it can be cut down if you don't like the look, but the part that I didn't like was that there was lots of paint bleed through on the stencil pattern, even when I was trying to go light on the paint (another lesson I learned from previous attempts). Craft paint is pretty thin, so it may not be the best choice for stenciling.


Then I peeled the stencil off the plate and used a fresh piece of card stock to take another impression of the paint that was left by the stencil. Apparently you can let the paint dry and then paint over it before stamping it too, but I'm not that advanced yet.


Because I was struggling getting clean prints with the craft paint and stencils, I tried a bit of acrylic artist paint I had to see if it came out more clearly, and I didn't have the best luck. I painted a layer of paint on the gel press again and may need to switch to a brayer for future projects.


So, if you're not too worried about the stencil patterns coming out cleanly, you can use craft paint and a paint brush for this method, but if you want a crisper print, you may need to adjust to other paints or methods. I still had fun making these prints and learning more different ways to use the gel press.




 

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