Posted on April 24, 2009 [Permalink]

Continued from [River in Spring - 4] : Printing begins ... | Starting point of the thread was [River in Spring - 1] : Image concept ...

After leaving the key impression to 'set' overnight, I did the first of the colour blocks this morning (and afternoon). And as I have before, and certainly will again, I am having 'trouble' keeping myself from making the impression 'nice and smooth'.

I spent pretty much the whole of the previous twenty years trying to keep the impressions smooth and free from texture, and it has really become just second nature, so now, when I have a block to print that I know should be printed with a more blurry mottled texture, I have to fight myself every step of the way.

One part of my brain says, "C'mon, spread that paste out smoothly ..." while another part is saying, "No way; lighten up on the baren pressure, and get some mottling into the colour ..."

That's a battle that'll never end, I fear ... Anyway, here's what she looks like with one colour in place:

This is a 'base' colour, and regions of this will be overprinted in different tones as we move along.

The thread continues in [River in Spring - 6] : Two more colours ... ...

Added by: Diana Moll on April 25, 2009

So difficult to overcome a skill that is long practiced and hard won. Good luck, I look forward to seeing some mottling. (I made my toad print quite mottled and it was an awful lot of fun!! I felt rather wicked and wild)