# Gelli Printing



## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 19, 2022)

Anyone have any experience in it? I just bought an 8x10 plate today and waiting on my brayer to arrive ( tomorrow hopefully! ). Have been watching a few people on YouTube explaining their techniques. Looks like a good way for some abstracts.
Share any tips, ideas or thoughts, please!


----------



## terri (Nov 20, 2022)

I've never heard of this.   A plate, using a brayer...?   Kinda sounds like an image transfer of some kind.   I'll have to Google it!

    ....okay, so the little 4 minute video I watched had someone placing drops of paint on a glass plate, then using a brayer to roll them out, mixing a bit to get a pretty background.   Then several stencil designs were pressed in.  Some of these stencils were also painted on directly and pressed into the background colors.   Circles, flower shapes, etc.  

After applying several layers, a light coating of some kind of white medium was painted on, and then - yep, plain white paper was laid on top.  (I thought this would be the time to use the brayer, but apparently smoothing and pressing by hand works fine.)  The paper was peeled off, and the design had transferred to the paper.  The glass plate can be rinsed clean and used again. 

I'm guessing you could then paint or draw on the paper, once dried, and create something further.   Paper type, weight, etc. would have to be considered in advance.  

Interesting technique, one of those things that can inspire your imagination. 

So - you get to show us your results!    Sounds like it could be lots of fun.


----------



## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 21, 2022)

There are some very talented people incorporating design, color and textures into their black and white images. I haven’t seen anyone using glass plates. The tutorials I have watched use a gel material ( hence the technique name ) that isn’t porous. I will have to look for glass videos! Of course Amazon failed to deliver the brayer last night🥴, so I will have to wait until after Thanksgiving to try. Fingers crossed!


----------



## snowbear (Nov 21, 2022)

terri said:


> ... drops of paint on a glass plate, then using a brayer to roll them out ...


Sounds like taking fingerprints, but we used an oil-based ink.

I've never heard of this, either, but I guess I'm going to have to explore it.  Can't wait to see your results.


----------



## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 21, 2022)

@snowbear Most videos I have watched use acrylic paints, even in transferring images. It looks interesting.


----------



## Rickbb (Nov 21, 2022)

Litho printing, used to be done with polished flat stones.


----------



## snowbear (Nov 21, 2022)

Since another Jeep is out of the question, I put a Blick gift card on my wish list.  They carry the plates, so ...


----------

