I’ve been playing with my gel plate again, and this time I’ve been experimenting with talcum powder.

I shared some papers I made using this technique over on Instagram and a few people asked if I would do a video showing how I made them, so I’ve put one together.

I really love the effect you get. The papers have lots of layers and texture and, when you use wet strength tissue paper, you also get areas of transparency which I think will be really useful for collage.

So far I’ve tried printing onto both coloured paper and wet strength tissue paper.

Playing and experimenting

I’d never actually done this before. I’d seen examples of people using talcum powder on a gel plate, but I hadn’t watched any tutorials or tried to learn how to do it properly.

Instead, I just wanted to play with the materials and see what happened.

That’s how I learn best.

I prefer to work this way because I’m not trying to create something I’ve already seen someone else do. I’m starting with the same materials and seeing where they take me.

And that’s what I’d encourage you to do too. Don’t try to recreate my papers. You’re never going to get them exactly like this. Just use the same starting point and see what you can create.

A time for neutrals

I normally love using really bright colours, but this particular batch of papers needed to be much more muted.

I’m working on a project based on trips to the Mediterranean, using photos of crumbling old walls, weathered plaster and faded building facades by the sea. I’ve also been making stencils with hard, sharp edges and geometric lines so I’m hoping these papers will offer a bit of contrast.

I wanted texture and depth, and that slightly weathered, aged quality you get from things that have been exposed to the elements. I wasn’t worried about keeping the colours pure and bright. I actually wanted them to mix together and become more earthy and muted as the layers built up.

You don't need hours

One of the things I really love about this sort of playing is that it doesn’t have to take very long.

Once everything was set up, I was printing for about 20 minutes and ended up with a whole stash of papers to use in my project. It’s a good reminder that you don’t need a whole afternoon to make something. Sometimes you can just get your gel plate out, play for 20 minutes and see what happens.

So, if your gel plate has been sitting untouched for a while, maybe this is your excuse to get it out!

And if you give it a try, don’t worry about making papers that look like mine. Just have a play and see where it takes you.