Meet the Makers 2020
We’d like to start the new year with a dose of joy and inspiration! We have had a wonderful selection of talented printmakers to keep us inspired over the last year via our Meet the Maker blog feature.
Here’s a round-up of all the artists featured last year. Get yourself a cup of tea, put your feet up and peruse through this showcase of work alongside some advice and rousing words our printmakers offer to fellow creatives:
“Just DO IT! Process is the key and ideas come from engaging and drawing, always go back to drawing as the starting point and then draw again! “
“For me, looking at the sky or a landscape can open me and connect me to nature and the beauty of existence, and I want to express this in my work. “
” “EVERYTHING involved in the process of relief printmaking is intensely satisfying, sensuous and beautiful.”
“Don’t try and do too many different things. Concentrate your efforts on a couple of strong ideas or techniques follow them right through. This helps give your work consistency which is often what galleries and buyers want to see.”
“try not to get frustrated with yourself when you’re being so inspired by other people’s amazing work. Just enjoy what you and they are doing.”
“Be patient. Make prints that draw on your loves rather trying to make work following trends. Be nice. Have a master printmaker on hand for when everything turns to shit.*
* This may not be an option for many people but I highly recommend it. “
“Definitely experiment with ink! If it goes wrong you can just try again, some of our favourite and most popular makes have been using mixed colours or combining inks as they have a more unique/handmade appeal. “
“Go for it! Do what you enjoy and if something doesn’t quite work out the way you expected, learn from it, and use Handprinted!!”
“I would say don’t take yourself too seriously, enjoy the process and continue to learn. Instagram has a great and supportive community of printmakers and I have learned a lot from asking questions from printmakers that I follow.”
“Don’t be discouraged by failures or things not working as you’d hoped. Everything I’ve learnt has been a result of making mistakes! If you are struggling with any of the materials you have, try different ones – buy small amounts to try first to see if you like it. And ask advice from other printmakers, most happily share tips and advice.”
“My advice is to keep it simple and make work that interests you. Those not on Instagram I would recommend signing up as its a fabulous community and you generally get lots of good feedback and you will pick up lots of tips and tricks along the way.”
“I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to try everything and play as much as possible with what your working with – a lot of ideas I have don’t really work the first time, whether in concept or application, but there’s still a lot of value in going through that process. Often something that doesn’t quite work out will help me find the missing piece for some other idea or will be the start of a whole new thing that I hadn’t thought of yet.”
“I love the bold blocks of colour and building the image up in layers to produce an image. “
“Recently, like many other designers I’ve been massively inspired by the abundance of creativity across the country with rainbow illustrations, messages of hope and support for key workers pasted in windows forming street art galleries like we have never seen before.”
“Keep trying out new ideas or images and explore them with different processes; an image completed as a linocut may not be wholly successful, but as a drawn mono print it may be completely different.”
“Don’t be afraid to try something new, there are some great workshops out there that can teach you exciting new skills.”
“My advice would be, don’t overthink it …just have a go.”
“Work on something every day, even if it’s just gathering a few supplies, that way you will be in contact with your creative self, to be kind to yourself when things don’t go well, and finally to avoid making things that other people like, but you are bored with! I have met so many printmakers who say “I love your approach but this is what I’m known for so have to stick with it”.”
“Don’t give up and always finish a print. It’s easy to be discouraged when things don’t worked out as planned but persevere and complete the print. Although you might achieve a different outcome to the one intended it could be a pleasant surprise and someone else might like it!”
“I’d always say to other creatives to make the work that you care about and that excites you. When doing this it’s easy to keep feeling inspired and motivated. For me my work comes from a place of genuine interest or experience, creating honest representations and elevating voices. When you marry this with the experimentation and play that comes naturally to you as a creative, your work will keep evolving!”
“Make the things that excite you, try not to follow the norm. When something is not working or gets really hard – stop, do something else or leave it till the next day (if you can). Come back and start again and if you are still not happy, ask for help.”
“The main advice I’d give is not to be afraid to try new things and don’t be afraid to ask for help. It doesn’t make you any less creative.”
“Have fun, make mistakes and do what you love.”
“If you’re interested in taking up lino printing, my advice is to start with the Essdee cutting tool set. Build your set slowly, taking your time to get to know what tools work best for you.”
“Be patient, love your work, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes.”
“Just keep going, keep dedicated and believe that if you spend your days doing what you love it will all be worth it. I had some very rough and very poor times starting out where I wanted to throw it all in and get a job in a cafe, I’m so glad now that I had the support I needed and persevered.”
“Follow your own impulses. Printmaking rules can be broken. You don’t need loads of equipment to be able to produce something beautiful.”
“Learn by doing. Find your own path. Think of it as play, not work.”
“follow your dreams but be careful what you wish for. Ideas have a life of their own and can turn your world upside down if not carefully managed!”
“Start small, and then make it more intricate. The worst mistake I made was trying to start with a difficult project. If you start with a big task and you don’t get the result you are aiming for, you might feel demotivated and give up. It’s much better to start with a simpler design, and master that, and then cut more into it to add more details. As you get used to your tools and techniques, you can improve the easy design and end up with a better piece, but most importantly, a better mindset for yourself and for printing. And don’t give up!”