FOBA 2024 - Helen Shafer Garcia – Woven Stitch Collagraph Book

Class Overview - All Levels

We will focus on a unique combination of Collagraph (a form of collage) printmaking, relief block prints, and book structures. Produce printing plates with collage shapes and hot glue to create free flowing designs. Experiment with textures with this unpredictable, intuitive method. The plate designs are very versatile and durable for continued print runs, providing enough prints for two or more books.

Design and carve images with little effort on soft rubber material to create relief block prints. These printed designs will build detail and bold marks on thin papers and cloth that will be adhered to areas in the text block and enhanced with mixed media.

Construct multi-signature book structures with open spine woven stitches, creating a color variation effect on the spine. Adornments will be added with embroidery stitches. The content will include multiple image repeats from the collagraph process. These will be manipulated with watermedia and color pencils to individualize the pages.

CLASS SUPPLIES

• 3 to 4 sheets printmaking paper- Rives BFK 22 x 30-inch white 250 gsm, Canson Edition, or other brands that have internal sizing and are recommended for printmaking (PS91, PS106)
• 1 or more round watercolor brushes: #12, #10, or #14 (BR104)
• 1⁄2-inch wide or larger acrylic brush
• Acrylic matte medium (S1633)
• Watercolors: professional grade pan or personal palette (tube watercolors set in a palette); my full palette is on my blog for color reference (HW100, WNWC1-4)
• 12-inch or larger metal ruler with cork backing (S270)
• 2 book-binding needles – size 18, blunt or sharp (S213)
• Water container (S1005)
• Hair dryer or heat gun (can be shared)
• Bone folder (S308)
• Book arts awl (S347, S255)
• Strips of printed fabric -approx. 15 inches long x 1.4 to 1.5 inches wide- these will be used to decorate the covers
• Prismacolor Premier, Faber-Castell Polychromos, or Derwent Coloursoft pencils – at least 18 colors (PL05,PL28)