Graphite Transfer to Soft Block
Artwork, Photography and directions
by Sunni Bergeron
Click on thumbnail for a closer look.

Supply List

• Standard Pencil

• Plain scrap paper

• Something to rub with - (back of a spoon, your thumbnail, bone folder, glass blob, whatever works)

• Softblock Carving Material

• Carving tools

Procedure

The vine stamp in this tutorial is made in such a way I can twist and turn it to make it look like it isn't the same stamp as I make the vines on paper "grow."

 

    

Draw or trace your design in pencil. The vine is free handed, but you can cut out a graphic and go over the lines on it with the pencil to get the same effect. The object is to "color" the lines thickly enough with the pencil lead so there is plenty of graphite for transferring.

When you've finished "coloring" your graphic with pencil, pull the softcut block (shown is PZKut) to you and grab your burnishing tool. I used a glass glob, but anything with a smooth, hard surface will likely do the job.

Flip your graphic so the graphite is facing down and position on your carving material. Hold the paper firmly in place to prevent slippage and burnish by rubbing back and forth, then up and down. Press firmly, not hard. Lift a corner to peek occasionally to see if you have all the image transferred.

Some people go back over their transfers, especially if they are light, with an ink pen. I don't, because my transfers meet my needs.

Once transferred and carved, I marked the sides where the vines go so I can line them up as I twist and turn the block as I make the vine "grow" on the paper.

Using the window for a backlight, I traced over the vines on the back so I can "see" where I'm putting the design. This step is optional. Another way to help with stamping alignment is to trim away as much of the exterior of the stamp as possible, even right up to the outermost lines. See the last picture and how some of the leaves are trimmed.

Free hand drawings of three different kinds of leaves to put with the vine.

Finished vine and leaves.

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Copyright 2005-2006 Jacqueline Fitzgerald Graham
Last revised: May 16, 2006.
Webmistress: Sunni Bergeron