101 things I learned from making 101 prints, Part 1

I finished my 101 Woodblock Series the other night, so I thought, what better time to make a list post?

Everyone needs a snack.

These 101 prints were a lot of work. They are for sale to newsletter subscribers for the price of a latte at Starbucks. They go on sale to everyone in a week or two, and the price is gonna go up to about 25 bucks. If you want one, you save over 20 bucks by buying one now. Sign up for the email newsletter to get the goods.

Moving on, a list in many parts..

101 things I learned by making 101 prints.

  1. 101 is a lot of something to make.
  2. Making one hundred and one is as simple as Making 1, then repeating 100 times.
  3. Pink is an easy color to make look good.
  4. Orange isn’t. Sorry, Orange.
  5. Art is a product, like any other. It just has a different set of emotions attached.
  6. Reduction printmaking requires more planning than you did.
  7. Not all 9″x12″ blocks are the same size.
  8. I can go without food when I’m working on art, but not without coffee.
  9. Two pots of coffee is twice as good as one pot
  10. When I drink tea or coffee later in the evening, it is easier to work, but harder to sleep
  11. I get frustrated when I can’t mix the right color.
  12. I get excited when I mix the right color.
  13. Use rags liberally, don’t worry about conserving.
  14. Ink is certainly messy.
  15. If you get a lot of ink on your hands, soap won’t work. Time for paint thinner.
  16. A little paint thinner never hurt anyone. I hope.
  17. Wash your hands frequently. You’re gonna need the hardcore soap, the green stuff with little bits of pumice in it.
  18. If you really think a particular color won’t look good, don’t use it. Mix up another color.
  19. Careful planning can save you time, and ink.
  20. Too much planning can waste time, however. Thinking about what to do never got anything done.

The next 20 continued in tomorrow’s post.

Or, for the overachiever, jump ahead to numbers 41 to 60. Wash it down with numbers 61 to 80.

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5 Responses to “101 things I learned from making 101 prints, Part 1”

  1. Dave Doolin says:

    Dooney should probably be in bunny suit making the stuff she does. She’s in the hospital you know. Breakdown. And toxic fume avoidance on commissioned pieces.
    .-= Dave Doolin´s last blog post ..Most Blogs Written by Non-Writers for Non-Readers. Is this you? =-.

  2. Deacon says:

    Saw that.

    There is a weird relationship between art and self-destruction.
    .-= Deacon´s last blog post ..Inspiration, Perspiration, Motivation, and Grueling it out =-.

  3. Carlos Velez says:

    I tend to do my best thinking and planning *after* I’ve gotten knee deep into action. It’s a shame, but it’s true.

  4. Deacon says:

    @Carlos, I tend to START planning and thinking after I get into the action. It works fine for many things, but not woodblock prints.

  5. […] Instead, he’s started a new project in a new direction (figurative rather than graphic), wrote a post about how to frame his prints (THANK YOU), and a list of 101 things he learned from making 101 woodblock prints. […]

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