Organic Designs

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Cover your work space, then place several sheets of newsprint or paper towel between the layers of the to-be-printed T-shirt or what have you . . . so that the ink can't penetrate from one side to the other.

Next, mix your colors on pieces of aluminum foil, and fill several containers -such as paper or plastic cups-with water for thinning the paint and rinsing the bushes. Be sure to keep paper towels or rags handy, too, for cleaning up hands and spills.

Now, daub a little acrylic on your "stamp" with a small brush, then press the coated side down, firmly, on apiece of scrap paper. If your experimental print is too light, add more paint to your printing piece. If you get nothing but a blob, wipe off the excess coloring and try again.

To make an imprint of a leaf, apply the pigment just to its underside ... where the veins are more prominent. Then, care fully, place the painted side down on your test paper. . . put a clean paper towel over the leaf . . . and rub it gently. After a little practice you'll learn the a proper amount of acrylic to use and the pressure needed, to get two or three clear prints from each coat of paint. At that o point, you're ready to start printing on material.

THE GRAND DESIGN

If you're the tidy type, you'll probably want to measure and then mark (with a pencil) the precise spacings for each print. (The most foolproof method is to work on the borders first, and to use one color and one design at a time.) But if you lean more toward abstract art, just plop the stencils on in an inspired, random pattern.

You can create a variety of designs by letting one color dry and then overprinting with a hue that contrasts or harmonizes. Select shades that are either natural or nonsense: Stick to red apples and yellow lemons, if that's your style . . . or print a blue onion over an orange one. If the acrylic paints are watered down enough when applied-and allowed to dry thoroughly your prints will be flexible, permanent, and washable.

So go ahead! Be the first brave soul in your neighborhood to "Stamp Out Fruits and Vegetables"

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