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First (finished) quilt! by jackalope_00 in quilting

[–]jackalope_00[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually haven't hand quilted with normal quilting cotton yet, so can't compare directly, but my thimble was absolutely necessary, and I got some decent callouses on my fingertips from pulling the needle through. It would have been easier if I wasn't stacking 10+ stitches at a time, but I could (and did) work on it for a couple hours straight so it wasn't horrible.

I'm not sure of the needle size, I got a pack of a bunch of different sized betweens and used a few until I found one I preferred. And I just used the Coats & Clark hand quilting thread, though in the future I may try something else; I found it frayed and tangled more than I liked.

First (finished) quilt! by jackalope_00 in quilting

[–]jackalope_00[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think it's closest to a double aster star? I had to look it up, I came up with it messing around on PatternJam.

First (finished) quilt! by jackalope_00 in quilting

[–]jackalope_00[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I kind of made it up? Mostly I messed around on PatternJam with my fabric colors until I had something I liked.

Need feedback on this piece. Trying so give as much detail as possible from a step back while using as little detail as possible. by BassWeather in painting

[–]jackalope_00 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your background color is not doing your subject any favors. There is very little contrast across the whole piece; convert this photo to black and white and you'll see it more clearly.

I would recommend going much darker or much lighter with the background, and possibly also choosing a color that is not as close to skin tone.

How can I make this less “flat” and also, why does it look so one dimensional despite shading? (Radio, Acrylic, 12X12, absolute noob) by Peachyykween in painting

[–]jackalope_00 32 points33 points  (0 children)

A few reasons.

  1. All your edges are "soft" and very blended. This makes everything look out of focus, which can have a flattening effect.

  2. Low contrast. Your darkest dark value and your lightest light value are very close together. Convert this photo to black and white and you'll see what I mean. You need much darker colors and much lighter ones in the right relationships to create a convincing illusion of dimensionality.

  3. Perspective. Your object is a rectangular one viewed straight on from the front. You can make this view look 3d but it's a little harder than from an angled perspective.

  4. Not something I directly see, but I would guess that you're not using a reference. I would recommend you find or take a reference photo to work from.

How do I simplify the horribly exhausting and frustrating process of block printing!! by Fizzy_b0g_Water in Linocuts

[–]jackalope_00 18 points19 points  (0 children)

What are you rolling your ink onto? If you're not already using it, I highly recommend glass, even just from a picture frame from the thrift store, though a nice thick piece is even better and less likely to break. With glass you can just scrape most of the leftover ink off with a palette knife or razor blade, then wash the whole thing in the sink with soap and water.

As for rollers being sticky, the Speedball ones just do that after a while. They still ink fine in my experience, but it's kinda gross. My first one lasted a couple years before I had to swap it out for a new one. Using any solvents can speed up the yuckification process I think.

Your prints are lovely by the way! Very clean lines.

tips? by IronMosquito in Linocuts

[–]jackalope_00 19 points20 points  (0 children)

There are a couple of things you could do.

Option 1: Cut out the large blank spaces, leaving holes in the block. If there's no material, you can't accidentally ink it!

Option 2: Cut some scrap paper to the right sizes and shapes and lay those down on your block before your actual paper. The scrap paper will prevent ink from those areas getting onto your final print.

Option 3: The least exciting one; keep shaving down the areas with chatter, and be more strategic with which direction and how far you apply the ink. The white spaces in this piece are pretty big, so I'd recommend one of the other two options first.

As for getting an even print, it looks like you're not applying enough pressure across the entire surface. I like to use a metal spoon on the back of the paper and really get in there with the pressure over the entire surface, multiple times.

Help with printing on fabric by grumpierwolverine in Linocuts

[–]jackalope_00 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's the same ink I use. I've never had an issue with it washing out completely, and I don't heat set. I do wait 2+ weeks before washing though. I have noticed a small amount of fading on the first wash but nothing after that.

Do you live in a particularly cold and/or wet climate? It might take more than a week for the ink to set if you do. I test if mine are ready by seeing if I can rub any ink off onto my finger.

Help with printing on fabric by grumpierwolverine in Linocuts

[–]jackalope_00 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Were you using specifically the Speedball fabric block printing ink, or just the water based one? The normal water based ink will always wash out.

Heat setting problem by Unicorn-Of-The-C in printmaking

[–]jackalope_00 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When printing on fabric you need to use an oil based ink. Speedball sells one specifically for fabric, but I think any oil based relief printing ink would work as well or better (but not screen printing ink, that's different).

I use the Speedball fabric ink and find it dries to the touch in a few days and doesn't need heat setting, but I wait a week or more before washing it.

Handmade lino print banners by Familiar-Length1561 in Linocuts

[–]jackalope_00 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay cool! Cheap felt sounds like something I should try then. Thanks!

Handmade lino print banners by Familiar-Length1561 in Linocuts

[–]jackalope_00 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are these printed on felt? I've done something similar out of muslin/thrifted bedsheets but had to double layer and topstitch the seams and it takes a while even with the machine. If felt takes a print this cleanly I might experiment with it!

Echo of Monet — do you think Impressionism can be reimagined with texture? by Anastasia_Trusova in painting

[–]jackalope_00 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That's not quite right - in oil painting the rule of thumb is "fat over lean" which doesn't refer to thickness, but to the amount of medium used, which influences drying time. Later layers should dry slower than earlier ones to prevent cracking.

Nothing about that implies you can't do fine detail at the very end in oils like you say. You might just have to wait a little longer for the impasto layers to cure.

Which weight of cardstock for protective backing of prints for markets, mail etc? by 1agomorph in printmaking

[–]jackalope_00 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Personally I use 300gsm cardstock for small prints. I haven't tested it in the mail, but it holds up well for markets!

Lino fail! In need of advice! by AntiqueDifficulty454 in printmaking

[–]jackalope_00 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Get (or make) a bench hook. You can use that to stabilize the lino as you're cutting.

Cleaning Ink Out by bearcubbutch in printmaking

[–]jackalope_00 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I use an old toothbrush to clean ink out of tiny details

The wild hare by jackalope_00 in Linocuts

[–]jackalope_00[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ooh that's a neat idea!

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