By Esra Kizir Gokcen
Printing is a fun process triggering creativity. By completing this you will improve your observational skills, composition and colour usage and you’ll create your own poster with a meaningful quote, lyrics of a song, or a poem that means something to you.
Don’t forget to share your prints or post online and tag @natsatclub
Materials needed
- A smooth surface like a cutting board
- Watercolour/acrylics/gouache paint (whatever you have at home)
- Palette
- One or two large brushes
- Sponge
- A jar of water
- Paper
- Various leaves or textured surfaces
- A ball of thread or a soft toy
- Cling film and paper tissue
- A marker
Create your print
1. Cover your surface with clingfilm (if you can find an easy to clean surface like a smooth metal tray, you can use it directly)
2. Paint your textured surfaces. These could be leaves from your garden, something from the fridge, cardboard, packaging net, bubble wrap, anything with a texture you can print.
3. Create your composition placing your textured surfaces and considering colour-balance, and the order of big and small objects. Small objects should be on top so that they are visible.
4. Place a clean sheet of paper on top of your composition.
5. Press strongly either with your hands, or if you can find an object to help, use it. It might be a ball of thread or a soft toy.
6. Lift your paper slowly.
7. You may carry on printing some more objects on your composition if you are not satisfied with the result.
8. After your print dries, write a poem or a quote you like over it.
Here are some examples you might like to use:
- Life is art. Art is life. I never separate them. (Ai Weiwei)
- I would like to paint the way a bird sings. (Claude Monet)
- No amount of skilful invention can replace the essential element of imagination. (Edward Hopper)
- In a dark time, the eye begins to see. (Theodore Roethke)
- And when the night is cloudy, There is still a light that shines on me, Shine until tomorrow, let it be… (Paul McCartney)
Thank you for taking part in the Cranford Community College Saturday Club Workshop.
Don’t forget to share your prints or post online and tag @natsatclub
Contributed by Esra Kizir Gokcen, Cranford Community College Art&Design Saturday Club
Esra Kizir Gokcen, painter, printmaker. Born and studied art in Istanbul. Working and living in London as an artist and art instructor. Held 5 solo exhibitions, attended more than 50 group exhibitions internationally. Had international exposure in print biennials. (2014 China, 2015, Poland and Belarus). Located in Make Space Studios, London, Waterloo from 2017.
Inspired from the contemporary urban life’s detachment from nature and influenced by eastern miniature art and calligraphy. Latest works are mostly related with migration, globalisation and spiritual awakening.