Author: Marina

L Letterpress Combo Kit Review

I finally got it!!! I’ve been looking into this letterpress for months now and was not sure if it was worth the money due to its bad reviews almost anywhere on the internet. Then I came across a review from PaperCrave which led to another review from Boxcar Press, and guess what..I thought maybe it is worth trying!!! My boyfriend was in San Francisco last week……what better than this as a birthday present…and although the extra weight he had to carry…here it is, my brand new letterpress.
So I gave it a go with the basic tools provided, including some extra tips from Boxcar and these are the results:
1st attempt
2nd attempt…much better!
I can see where this tool lets you down a bit…the supplied plates are cheap, very cheap!!
You cannot expect professional results, but overall I was quite excited with the potential of it, especially if you can get customised photopolymer plates! In addition the tool comes with die cuts (round shapes only, but I’m planning to buy different shapes):
You can also buy embossing folders which give you the most amazing effect:
I’m now waiting for some coloured paint and more plates to arrive…..

Sycamore Maple Study

It has been a while since I have done a botanical study of some sort. The acer pseudoplatanus, also known as sycamore maple, is very common in my area; it grows everywhere and there is continuous supply of buds, leaves and branches. Spring buds are the best, with their velvety texture and pink/brownish colours. The leaves are more difficult to paint, first because I find it extremely difficult, second because of the texture…so many wrinkles! It was a good exercise, although my observation skills are not as good as I’d like. However, I enjoyed the entire process, the overall idea of creating pages like this in my pad, with a mixture of notes, pencil drawing and watercolour painting.

RWS Friends Sketching Day – 20th March 2011

Wonderful day along the river today! We visited the RWS Spring Exhibition first, with one of the Friends giving us a guided tour through so many inspiring paintings (some others not so much!). Then we headed off towards the Tate Modern. One of the Friends and I found a nice spot on the steps just below the Millennium Bridge and, although it was crowded as usual, the view was not interrupted. I liked the overall view with the modern and sinuous silhouette of the bridge and the very classic St Paul’s Cathedral at the end. I did underestimate, however, the very complex shape and perspective of the bridge! I also realised, after so many years sketching in London, that the colour palette that I use the most is always the same: cobalt blue, yellow ochre and ivory black…..not very exciting! I think I’m going try a different approach next time, I’ll take out these three colours from my sketching kit and let’s see what happens.

St Raphaels Church from Kingston Riverside

What a sunny day! It was warm and calm; we went for a nice walk along the Thames and sat relaxing in the sunshine. The colours of the riverside walk are slowly changing, yellows are starting to show and beds of early spring flowers are announcing the coming season.

Hedera Helix or Hibernica?

I finally finished this painting which I started back in November last year. I had to wait for few months until the berries were ripe, and that led to early February. I then decided to add a pencil drawing at the back. The decision was purely made to cover a mistake with the stalk, it was to stiff and I wanted to add an extra leaf, but didn’t work out very well. So here it is, early March and it’s finally done. I’m still not sure what type of ivy this is, both species look the same to me!