My process

It all begins with a pencil drawing that is transferred and carved out of a rubber block. Ink is applied to the block (typically rolled on with a brayer), and transferred to paper with pressure by hand (for my mini prints) or with a small hand press (larger prints). Every print is original, with remnants of its hand-printed quality visible in slight differences in placement or ink variation. It takes anywhere from 2-4 days for prints to dry, depending on the season/amount of moisture in the air. I typically dry prints on a twine line above my work station, and sometimes on a collapsible laundry drying rack, my desk, or wherever I have space!

In this photo, you can see that I carve on top of a candle to give me some extra height. I use the top side of the same candle to apply even pressure when I’m printing. Nothing fancy!

The photos on this page are from a live demo I did at the Burke Museum on the UW campus. During this demo, I carved my “Tamarind” mini print.

You can find short-form videos of my process on my Instagram @acguina.art!