I used Gloria Page's excellent book Art Stamping Workshop
as a guide for this project. I seriously love this book and highly recommend it to anyone who's thinking about hand-carving stamps. Anyway, I started by uploading the pictures I took to my computer and selected the best one. I used my computer's photo editing program to make the image black and white. I played with the contrast and highlights to try to get as much bright white and black blacks as possible, with fewer gray areas. I printed the photo and traced over the outline with a black inkpen. Then I traced the image onto a clean sheet of paper and used a pencil to fill the picture in. I tried to simplify the image while maintaining something that would still have a dramatic black/white contrast when turned into a stamp. Granted, I took a little artistic license, but ultimately Jeff conceded that it still looked like him. Interestingly, strangers frequently tell Jeff that he looks like Jason Segel, so if you've ever wondered what he would look like as a victim of the zombie apocalypse . . . . When I was finished with my pencil drawing, I put it graphite side down onto the block and rubbed it vigorously to transfer the image.
The transfer was very light, so I filled in a little with the pencil directly on the block. I drew the design in a way that any linoleum that was not marked would be removed. Also, I drew the image exactly as I wanted it; it reversed when I transferred it to the block, then it reversed back to the original during printing.
My cards are a little sloppy, but I like that they definitely look like they were printed from a hand-carved block. And, I was pleasantly suprised to find that the carving was actually a lot easier and more fun than I anticipated. The blocks are pretty inexpensive (I think my 4x6 block was $2.99). For anyone who has ever bought commercial stamps, carving your own is clearly a deal! No matter what medium you choose, I hope you'll try carving your own stamps. And of course, happy early Valentine's Day. Be creative and enjoy!
P.S.: Thanks to my friends at Wash U for your help with the zombie love phrases (Jane, Tyler, Elizabeth).
Update: Due to the interest in these cards I received on Flickr, I am hoping to have sets of 6 on sale on Etsy within a day or two. I'll update again when it happens.
Are you going to be selling these? I love them!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm hoping to have them on Etsy in the next couple days :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE it!
ReplyDeleteangie
www.ferntreestudio.com
Definitely my fav! I featured you as a top pick this week: http://ginghamskies.blogspot.com/2011/02/top-picks-for-iron-craft-challenge-5.html
ReplyDeleteAND I msged you through etsy - if you'll ship these babies to Ontario I would LOVE a set.
*Jaime