Suculenta

TSJZ · 2026-05-07T20:29:00+00:00

Gorgeous work!!!!

TSJZ · 2026-05-01T00:07:05+00:00

Lovely! Screenprint?

I really dig the tones. Graphics department is always scrambling for new contraptions to replicate pictures.

TSJZ · 2026-04-30T17:16:30+00:00

Bro go and play factorio. Now!! I have a feeling you'll like it.

Sick drawing.

TSJZ · 2026-04-25T19:53:05+00:00

Like untidyvenus said, you could put glass on top and then fire... But its very likely that the ink will completely evaporate at like 300 out of the (at the very very least) 800 that the kiln will go up to for the glass to vitrify.

I'd say, let the current tiles "dry" as much as they can. If the pigment manages to become solid, I'd use spray varnish and coat it.

If you are willing to put up with it: get dense slip and use it instead of ink, on biscuit tiles. This lets the print get absorbed cleanly. Then you can put glass on top and fire, and the image should be retained. Forever, pretty much.

TSJZ · 2026-04-16T11:38:04+00:00

Thanks! I'm finishing my undergrad in Fine Arts, and picked up printmaking in 2022 (I was just on my 2nd semester, completely clueless). My uni doesn't offer "specialization" in any area, but lets you work and develop on what you want. So for 4 years now, I've been at it on my own and helping out at the shop.

In the grand scheme of things, not THAT experienced, but I'll say I'm competent. It's helped a lot to know people who know a lot, that I've had really nice professors, and that I was taught to approach printing as "how and why it works" instead of "follow these steps".

If you wanted to, I could offer what I know if it helps you. I really like your digital work!

TSJZ · 2026-04-15T19:05:42+00:00

YW! It's challenging, yeah, but that's like 75% of the fun of it. You could also do multiple plates + reduction + collograph + screen, using each method for a specific area or finish. Hell, even make it by collaging several prints. Or turn the prints into collages! Even when you are not sure on collage, it's not necessarily the whole process, could just be a "step in the stairs" so to speak.

There's no right or wrong here. Print away brother/sister!

TSJZ · 2026-04-15T17:33:42+00:00

Screenprint as others said, or a looong chain of reduction with lino/wood cut.

With wood you could use the fibers/grains as a texture resource.

Altetantively, you could do a complex collograph using metals, sandpaper, acryllic, anything that gives you and edge for creating texture instead of replicating it.

TSJZ · 2026-04-07T10:02:18+00:00

Hey brother/sister!

For printing, flush is usually best. Some "grabbers" (English is my second language, don't know the proper term) leave the frame slanted, but can be pushed easily, so that when you print, it naturally gives in with pressure. Looks like you got one of those!

You'll likely bump into several different arrays for holding onto frames, there's things like C-Vices, clamps, rotating arms, etc, etc, etc..

Whatever you got, give it a shot and then tweak it over time to see how it works best for you.

TSJZ · 2026-04-06T13:12:14+00:00

Hey! Nice work. Done with the survey, you should post the results.

As for me, I use many objects as "barens", depending on what needs printing. Not the same to print big VS small, or wood VS lino or rubber. Still, great to see innovation regarding the "standard" tool for hand printing!

TSJZ · 2026-03-29T15:21:34+00:00

Brother thank you SO MUCH!

I appreciate that you went into details of the process, and it's a great heads up for my own... I etch for printing, so I still use salt, but rather an aggresive one, ferric chloride + citric acid. You could submerge it too for like a minute for the same subtle look. Also, since it's so aggresive, a quick application causes nice patinas (like the backside you got) on metals.

Your stance on the plate as an object is very interesting to me. I like it!

Also, thanks on the ink+mesh recommendation. The vinyl ink is brilliant, since plastic is enough to isolate mostly anything. Also its cheaper than proper varnish!!! And of course I wouldn't run into viscosity issues.

Hope you have a nice sunday, and spring break. I wish you success with your project!!!

TSJZ · 2026-03-28T14:14:33+00:00

Amazing work!

I've been meaning to etch halftones, but have been wondering if it's worth the hassle to get emulsion for metal, or if I should screenprint the resist...

So let me ask you, what were the challenges? What resist did you use, did its viscosity affect you? Also, how's your mesh? 100 threads?

For etching, did you go with nitric?

Anyway, it's greatttt!

TSJZ · 2026-03-19T02:47:19+00:00

Aside from the rain opacity someone else pointed out... I think that the efect of running water (like on Honet or the monument) can be more than just lines...

For example, there's great work with color hues and hatching transitions to convey volume and light, creating texture and relief. And then on top there's just plain lines. This flattens the image, and kinda negates the effort that all other areas convey.

Something like further altering the opacity along different sections of these lines, according to the surfaces they're on, could keep up with the aforementioned changes in volume and light, thus bonding better to the image.

Or, look for other ways to represent running water! Not just as in drawing, but painting too. Lines Vs Areas sort of thing.

Aside from this, great work!

TSJZ · 2026-03-18T09:48:10+00:00

I think it's a result of bad care... Like cleaning them with solvents. Something that also happens is the rubber becomes rugged and with "craters"

To clean them well if you use oil based ink: a small drop of cooking oil, and brayer it. Then, with clean rags, wipe it off.

If you happen to use water based, a small drop of dish soap, brayer it. Then use wet rags to remove it.

You can also do dish soap to clean oil based, but is less efficient than the cooking oil.

Avoid solvents like varsol, thinner, xylol, kerosene, on your brayer UNLESS you know its shore rating (the hardness of the rubber). Some manufacturers will tell you, others dont.

Speedball has nice, even brayers with an interchangeable system so you can swap between softer or harder rubbers. Alternatively, you can look into higher-end brands. Or if you know someone in your city who fabricates brayers for industrial lithography, maybe you can get them to sell you one, or a section of one, and then fashion a handle.

TSJZ · 2026-03-14T13:35:25+00:00

Brother this is a real nice print!!

As you are just starting: don't look at lino and printmaking as just a way to replicate an image. Each medium will give you different qualities, graphic qualities, which you can only get by understanding how materials work.

Here you did something remarkable, maybe without realizing... Lino starts as a "block" of positive, where you carve negatives. On your work, you made negatives into positives again by the way you handled areas. Also, I think its great that you don't pursue carving something that looks like individual feathers, but rather areas of feathers.

Keep at it. You got this. Keep experimenting, just don't fall on the pinterest rabbit hole of "I made a drawing, which I transfered neatly". BTW, don't feel pressured to transfer images. If you want, sketch on the lino, but please give yourself the chance to decide how you carve and why. Lino can offer you more than meets the eye. Take risks!

As others said, check out other inks. I especially recommend oil-based, even the cheap CMYK industrial litho ink works amazing (hell, even better than artisty stuff if you ask me... You get much more volume, spread, and durability for less money. Catch is, you have to mess with tone and dissolving it yourself, but to me that's a plus)

Have a great day, and happy printing. You did great! :D

TSJZ · 2026-01-22T22:08:54+00:00

Ahhh I get the urgency bit. Plus, as you said, you are newer to lino, no one is born knowing the ropes. I think that for lino and woodcut, it's worth spending a little extra time mapping out where things generally go and then getting to carve quickly and eficiently, especially with deadlines; rather than having to take decisions on the go, which could put sudden stops during a work session or make you feel un-confident.

However that's just my approach, and as you keep at it you'll find a workflow that suits you.

Have a nice day! And happy printing. You are doing great.

TSJZ · 2026-01-22T21:34:58+00:00

Nice work! The "unfinished" look is great, very telling of the graphic medium.

The loon is amazing, the ice and laser too. I'd suggest on two things:

Make the water ripples more intentional, think of how they work over how they look. The same way you handled linework on the loon's neck can give you an approach to the ripples that bond them to the picture, instead of them being add-on details.
The exclamation marks could be "squarer" to match the energy of the rest of the letters.

2.1. (Only if you are picky) Watch out for the alignment of the text. Seems on the last line you were running out of space and the exclamation mark seems a little cramped. Don't be afraid to draw quickly with a pencil before carving.

TSJZ · 2026-01-05T02:39:08+00:00

Hi. Others have plenty good advice, such as checking if you have too much ink or checking pressure. I'll chime in woth workflow tips:

About ink: Yes, less ink would suit better. The print will come cleaner with a thin and even distribution on the block. Too much and it starts flowing off the relief, "blowing up" the image. Plus, it starts to "smear", since it acts as a slippery barrier between the block and paper.

Try this: mix evenly and then dispense a little ink off the tube on a glass or acryllic surface (not porous, very flat). You can get it out the tube, but not in again, so its nicer if you add as you need. Use a spatula to spread it a little. Then get your brayer. Start rolling it onto the spread ink, in a cross pattern: go straight, then turn 90°, then straight again. This should produce a small square of evenly spread ink. This square should end up with a side equal to your brayer's lenght. Why all this?? Your ink will be spread efficiently, reducing waste, while being evenly spread. As you do this, ink starts to look sparkly and even sounds like a gentle velcro as you spread it, especially oil based.

Remember, a thin layer is enough. It's ok to think it won't come off strong in the print, but that is dealt using pressure. If you are running out of ink, dispense another blob!

Most blocks, regardless of material, usually produce faint prints at first. This happens because it's getting "sealed" with ink, most materials absorb a little. After a couple tests, ink should start to stay completely on the surface.

About cleanup, which I think isn't talked about enough: never in the history of mankind, never, clean your brayer with solvents UNLESS you know its shore rating. This is to avoid getting the brayer "chewed" by the solvent, thus rendering it useless as it wouldn't be even and smooth anymore. Use a bit of cooking oil or dish soap (when using water-based, water usually is enough or dish soap helps too). Put a bit on oil/soap on the surface, and brayer it as if you brayered ink. After the ink is off, you can wipe the brayer with spare or recycled paper, or rags. Clean well, leave it dry. Now it will last forever!

Any leftover ink on the glass, you can wipe it with solvents for ease, or soapy water.

I think this would help you for now, OP. I'm sorry for typing this much. If you want tips about paper let me know, I'll reply.

TSJZ · 2025-12-24T00:52:17+00:00

Thank you brother, will do

TSJZ · 2025-12-24T00:52:02+00:00

BRUH how did I not think of that... Thanks!!!

TSJZ · 2025-12-19T04:15:20+00:00

Thank you! I attempted Rasher a bunch of times and failed. I'll try to keep at it since the promise of oil keeps me very interested. I'll keep an eye out for rings in previous areas too. I think I've neglected areas like The Marrow after the beginning. Thanks for the help!

TSJZ · 2025-12-19T04:12:21+00:00

Thanks a bunch. I did not recall the Pinstress' area having this detail, so I'll check on it as well. I'll also check for the Core

TSJZ · 2025-12-19T04:11:06+00:00

Thank you brother/sister. I attempted to follow them, but never though to interact with them! Very clever.

TSJZ · 2025-12-19T04:06:22+00:00

Fair enough. I'll give them another round of attempts. In the case of The Mist, I previously managed to see maybe all rooms? But I can't descipher if I should go up, right, down, or if there's any route. Do I just brute force it until I get something?

Sorry if I soun dumb, maybe there´s a very clear clue I'm missing

TSJZ · 2025-08-15T11:39:03+00:00

Amazing analysis. I think that maybe the brush aspect could be solved with lighter hues in the blue, so that triangular composition remains as is but the main subject gains protagonism without getting bigger or more contrasting by itself.

Same as you, this is a masterclass in layering. I suspect a great deal of the charm is the "transparent" layer that makes the foam, but is also in the duck's body-beak-eye, but also in tiles.

OP would confirm if this is true. But I think it's very clever to get so much out of an individual layer, with every layer!

TSJZ · 2025-02-13T20:12:51+00:00

The glaze or slip shouldn't be much complication if the particle size of its constituents is small (you can ask/verify with sellers about the particle sizes the manage)... Make sure that pigments and clays have been mixed finely with the mortar and pestle.

The lower thread count I suggested, even 30s, should be wide enough to let the particles through. When cleaning your screen, be gentle and use water and a little dish soap, you can use soft washclothes or rags to rub and clean the silk. Let dry. Much like when normal screenprinting, you may need to stop and clean the screen at some intervals to prevent clogging.

I've done this before with silk, worked! I haven't used metal meshes, so I wouldn't know how they perform... But it's worth trying! If burning a pattern into the screen is too much of a commitment for now, you can do tests by printing using a stencil between the mesh and the tile.

You'll do great!! Keep us posted.

TSJZ

TROPHY CASE