It's a Yudu, not a Gocco!

A tutorial on this convenient screen printing method contributed by Kitty Kilian

Introduction:

Suppose, just suppose, you are an artist and you want to do screen prints. At home, that is. Just the occasional print in between all those other nice techniques you are pursuing. So you need something small and practical. Something you can put away in your small studio between printing rounds. May be a Gocco machine? That nice Japanese invention from the 1970's that let every Japanese family print its own greeting cards? May be.. but Gocco prints are necessarily small in size. And because Gocco's are not being produced anymore, supplies will run out in the future.May be a Yudu then? Just like a Gocco, a Yudu can expose a screen for you. The screen is much bigger however. It also has a drying compartment. It doubles as a lighting table. And it makes a table for the actual printing. The screens can be used over and over again- other than Gocco screens. Yudu has been around for a few years now but in Europe (where I am from) it is mostly unknown. So I did a lot of online research and finally got one and reviewed it. It put my info online in three tutorials... read on here for the tutorial

Bio:

Kitty Kilian (Utrecht, Netherlands) was a journalist for many years before she turned to illustrating. She occasionally pulls her own screen prints - less often than she would like. One of her prints is currently traveling through Holland in a harmonicabook with graphic work by 10 artists on the theme Of Fishes And Birds.  See the site for the exhibition here

Printsy Interview - Dee Beale

Etsy - www.deebeale.etsy.com
Web - deebeale.blogspot.com
Flickr - flickr.com/photos/deebeale/

Brief Bio
I’m a print maker/designer living in the UK with my husband and 2 small children, after studying graphic design and illustration I worked in Design agencies for over 10 years. 4 years ago I left full time employment to look after my 2 small children. I started print making and selling my prints on Etsy earlier this year.

How did you get started in printmaking?
Like most art students I was introduced to print making at Art College, although I thoroughly enjoyed it I couldn’t see it as a career path so went on to study Graphic Design and Illustration. After my second child looking to become more focused on illustration I came across some beautiful Letterpress work online I also started to read blogs and found Gocco. I acquired a Gocco in 2008 and started to experiment with it. I started print making and selling my prints on Etsy earlier this year.

Describe where you work.
At the moment I work at a table in a corner of one of the rooms in my house and all printing is done on the kitchen table.


Describe your work.
Graphic and bold.

What is your favourite printmaking process?
At the moment Gocco, but I’m hoping to try more printing processes in the near future.


What's your creative process for any given print?
I usually start by taking my own photographs and work from these, I always start sketching in my sketch book first and from my sketches I create a finished drawing, some times I print from this and other times, if I want a more graphic look I’ll scan this in and create a drawing in Adobe Illustrator and print from that.

What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
Pulling the first print off a new master screen.


What's your least favourite part of the process?
Lack of space, I live and work in a relatively small house and constantly have to move stuff around when printing.

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
That’s a tricky one because there are just so many, I love mid century art and design so a lot of the artists I admire are from that period including Lucienne Day, Jessie Tait, John Clappison, and Stig Lindberg but I could go on and on.


How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
Ask me in a few more years.

How do you get past creative slumps?
I think with information being so accessible these days it’s difficult not to be inspired by something, but if I do I find taking a break and getting on with other day to day stuff helps me refocus.


How do you promote your work?
I use my blog, flickr and twitter at the moment. I’ve also been lucky enough to have had my work featured on some of the Design blogs which is always really successful.

Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?
Try some part-time courses or print workshops they’ll supply you with the equipment, checkout some of the great Print maker blogs online. The great thing about print making is it’s so accessible.

Printsy Interview - Joanne Allen

Name: Joanne Allen

Websites:
Blog: joscraps.blogspot.com
Flickr: flickr.com/photos/jocreates
Etsy: www.jocreates.etsy.com

Brief Bio
I live with my little girl and a pet cat called Tigger. I love tea and chocolate. I love being inspired by other creative souls. I'm a single mum who loves to create at night and weekends. During the day I work with computers where I create using code and software.

What printmaking medium do you most often work in?
Linocut and gocco.

How did you get started in printmaking?
I was looking for something new to try and went along to a printing workshop. It was there that I found that I loved carving out lino.


Describe where you work
I am a member of an art space (www.megalo.org) where there are printing presses etc that I can use. It means my home stays sort of clean and tidy :). At home I have a room that has a large old dining table and it is generally covered in paper, inks, chisels, lino and anything else that has sparked my curiosity.

What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)
I always sketch first, walk away, come back and sketch some more, make changes, walk away, come back and then start carving. I start printing on different types of paper or materials. I like experimenting to see how the ink will behave. I generally carve some more and then print again. Eventually I get a print and lino plate that I am happy with.


What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
Oh the experimenting and seeing what happens :)

What's your least favorite part of the process?
I'd have to say the cleaning up. Not really great at that :(

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
My print teacher Gillian Mann has always been a great inspiration. I also love looking at photographers and at the moment really like www.jinkyart.com.au. I find the printers on Etsy are just amazing. Local exhibitions are always great.

How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
I am finding that I challenge myself more and try more techniques. I think I am braver and not so shy to show others what I am working on or have done. I'm open to feedback these days.


How do you get past creative slumps?
I switch mediums, I look to see what others are creating, I take photos, listen to music. I have faith that eventually I will get that spark back and be up at 2am creating something :)

How do you promote your work?
Through Etsy, my blog and word of mouth.


Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints? Experiment and try not to be too critical. Often your mistakes turn out to be great inspirational starting points.

Printsy Interview - Jan Allsopp

Interviewed by shesbattydesigns

Etsy shop: The Little Shop of Horus
Website: www.janallsopp.com.au
Blog: janallsopp.blogspot.com
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/janallsopp

Can you give us a brief bio of yourself?
Born in a county town, grew up in another country town, live in a country town. All this regional living means I can choose my own pace, live right near the beach, walk to the shops, post office (very important for an Etsian!) and restaurants. A bit scarce on the cultural front though so regular trips to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have always been important for seeing exhibitions, shows and keeping in touch with what’s current. The best of both worlds really!

What kind of crafting and art practices interest you the most?
I’ve a passion for art with painting and drawing having been my main pursuits for many years. A couple of years ago I did a semester of printmaking and I found it a real struggle to think like a printer rather than a painter. I think that is part of the reason I’ve become obsessed with printing, I enjoy trying to think in a totally different way while creating. I chose a Print Gocco and had a lot of fun learning with it. I think I am much better at thinking – and creating – as a printer now and I have added lino and collagraphs to the mix. I really became excited about the potential of printmaking when I started making artists books. So far I’ve only made unique artists books (one of a kind), but I have a couple underway that will be printed and editioned. Art as a book object! I love the idea.

When did your love for creating art start?
I have always made things right from when I was a young girl. I have short straight fine hair and when I was 3 my friend Cathy had thick curly long hair. I was so envious. My solution was to make the hair of my dreams. Wool, paper and sticky tape were my materials of choice, (I remember making many many things with them!) in fact I wore my ‘wig’ for a long time, shopping, to Sunday school and especially when I was playing with Cathy! If I didn’t have it, I made it and it’s still the same today.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by the everyday and my art is about drawing attention to the extraordinary that inhabits the ordinary. I mean how important is a cup of coffee!? Our everyday environment is full of beautiful, useful and pleasurable objects that we take for granted. I love to take these objects and instil them with meaning so they make us look at them afresh, layering them with other objects, people, animals and pattern, the pattern of the everyday from fabrics, wallpaper and even doodles. I also love looking at the work of other artists. At the moment my favourite artist is South African William Kentridge. In many ways I see he is also interested in the everyday objects and books – I love books!

When did you decide to start selling your work?
When I finished my first art course I decided to take the traditional road and begin exhibiting. I began exhibiting locally and then extended that to take in towns in adjoining regional areas. Breaking into the Sydney scene is much more difficult. It’s very clique-y and competitive with art galleries. It took me a long time to get my work hung but I finally had the opportunity to join a group show a few years ago. But I found that the time between exhibitions was long and sales hardly made it worthwhile. I also found it very stressful and began to think about what the exhibition goers might like to see – before I had even begun to paint the works! That was when I decided there must be a better way for me, one where I could exhibit and sell in a way I can enjoy. Ah, then I found Etsy!

How did you make the transition?
I opened my Etsy shop in January this year with only 6 works. I had a good initial reaction to my shop from my long time blog readers which really helped to keep me going. Since then I have expanded my shop to include my rebound journals. I began making these for myself as travel journals and posted about them on my blog. They got a lot of attention and it was then I realised others wanted them too. I buy old books at the local Bookfest each year, choosing ones with interesting titles, illustrations or great covers – yes, I judge books by their covers! Then I carefully disassemble them, separating the pages from each other and the covers. I select high quality art papers and cut or tear them to the right size for the book. I throw a few of the original pages back in with the new ones, chosen for their illustrations or content, and then I sew these all together and rebind them into the original covers. These books are great for journals as the original pages make great prompts or the basis for unique journal pages while the new art paper pages can take just about any type of media you could want to use in a journal.


How do you find time for your craft?
I am lucky enough to have a part time job that I love and the rest of the week to work on my art. I am continuing my studies and am currently part way through a Bachelor degree in art which I am undertaking online. It competes with my time for creating for my shop, but it also feeds the ideas that end up in the shop anyway, so it works well.

Do you have any upcoming shows? and what has been your experience with shows/gallery openings, etc. If you haven't participated in any, why not?
A few years ago I decided I wouldn’t exhibit any more and since then I think I’ve had more exhibitions than when I was trying to get them! At the moment I’m talking to another printer and artist book maker about sharing and exhibition locally next year. I would be thrilled if that worked out. Other than that I’m happy to just ‘show’ on my blog until the next exhibition finds me!


What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I’ve really only just begun working with artists books. I’d love to get a few editioned ones done and available in my shop. I love the experience I’ve had with my shop so far and I am going to be concentrating on adding variety and keeping interesting art, prints and books in it over everything else. The Little Shop of Horus is my main focus for the future right now.

Anything else you'd like to add? a favorite quote or words of advice perhaps...
I do have a favourite quote that I put on my blog and in my signature, on my fridge and on the wall of my studio. It is by Anais Nin, "Life shrinks and expands in direct proportion to courage." I hope it helps others, but mainly I put it up everywhere to remind me of what I need to keep in mind. I’m not naturally courageous and this quote has really helped to keep me focused
on what I want to achieve.

Printsy Interview: Kate Nydam Meberg

Nydam Press
Interviewed by: Marissa Buschow

Websites:
nydampress.etsy.com
nydampress.blogspot.com
flickr.com/photos/nydam

Brief Bio:

Well, I was born and raised on Cape Cod, MA. Graduated from a MA State college in 2004 with a BA in Fine Arts. Since then have lived smack dab in the middle of Connecticut with my bicycle loving engineer husband.

What printmaking medium do you most often work in:

Linoleum block printing. Although the recent acquisition of a Gocco machine has made my life that much better.

How & when did you get started in printmaking:

Like others my printmaking experience began in high school. I continued on in college where I took two courses in printmaking, focusing more on etching than block printing. Fast forward to the winter of 2005 and I was feeling remiss of my old college days. Aside from the occasional watercolor painting (my other medium of choice) my art life had been laying dormant. That Christmas I made a wish list for family to shop from on Dick Blick, chock full of block printing supplies. And the rest is history.

Describe where you work:

Currently I have a small studio area within the sun room of our apt. But, in less than a month we will be moving into our very first home! There I will have an entire south facing (light is key for my productivity) room all to myself. My head spins with delight just thinking of how I shall organize my future space.

What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)

Certainly pre-planned. I have never been much of a sketcher, instead I am more inclined to have a very precise and thought out drawing to work from. This drawing is always in an outline format, and during the carving stage that is when I add more dimension to the subject matter through highlights and such. So basically I am uptight during the first step of the process, which allows me to relax during the carving stage. Which brings me much happiness.

What do you enjoy most about printmaking?

The repetitive nature. There is definitely something so innately satisfying for me about doing something that involves repeating the same steps over and over. In the past I have been fortunate enough to work for other artisans (Anne C. Ross Fused Glass and Chatham Pottery) in their studios doing production. So I feel quite lucky that I am now able to devote some time towards the production of my own work.

What's your least favorite part of the process:

Cleaning up. I'm hoping our landlord does not notice the mess I have made out of our white kitchen sink.

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.):

I find most my work is directly inspired from my upbringing. From the environment of the Cape, to the great collection of antiques found in my parent's home. Sometimes I also find myself wandering the deserted stacks of the Non Fiction section in our local library.

How has your work changed and evolved since you started:

With each print I try to push myself out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to tackle on more complex subject matter/methods. Incorporating things like lettering, numbers and the use of multiple blocks, are all things that initially I was hesitant to try. I then got to a point where I asked myself why I was limiting myself. Since then I have been breaking through the previously inflicted barriers I had set upon myself.

How do you get past creative slumps?

You know, if this question had been asked 6 months ago I would have said "What creative slump?!". But during April I experienced a bout with my own "artist's block" and I simply wasn't satisfied with any of my ideas/drawings. I was at first very frustrated, but after some time I reminded myself that I am NOT a machine. And it is OK to not to churn out a new project everyday. I went on a trip the next month out West and it was definitely the shot in the arm, so to speak, that I needed creatively.

How do you promote your work?

I started by entering the craft fair scene in the summer of 2005, at the South End Open Market in Boston. Then in the fall of 2006 I opened up my Etsy shop which led to my Flickr page and Blog. Since then I participated in the Bazaar Bizarre in Boston and I also sell my work online through Little Paper Planes. I think the combination of a presence online and in person is very important. The other part of that equation is customer service, which is one of my top priorities. Also, confidence is key. If you believe in your work, then others will believe in it too.

Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints:

While formal art training isn't necessary, I do think participating in printmaking classes/workshops is a great experience. The dynamic of working alongside other budding printmakers is a fantastic experience. Then when you come home from class and you have further questions, I think the Printmaking group over at flickr is an excellent place to turn. Any question can be posed over in the Discussion section and many talented printmakers will offer up their experience in the matter. Easy access to knowledge at your fingertips. Can't get any better than that!