How to get started on a new set of prints?

Circus prints colour, movement, light and atmosphere

It can be difficult to get started on a new set of prints. The excitement is there with the inspiration for those new ideas bubbling under, but quite how to make a start can be tricky. I tend to begin by pulling all of the elements together at the start of a new series of work.

I’ve just completed four new collagraph prints on the theme of Circus. There are a lot of elements in this subject matter to play with. For example, colour, movement, light and atmosphere.

To start, I think about the colours I might use, these need to evoke the big top so no muted colours here!
They need to be bright, vibrant and rich colours. The colour palette for these prints has also been influenced by the colours used by my favourite circus Giffords Circus

In the workshop – Collagraph plates for the new set of prints

In addition, I’ll gather together my materials. If the image is going to be a collage, I’ll pull together my papers and can often spend a day or more printing specialist papers, for a particular series of work.

Collage papers  – collected and printed

And so after having looked at circus images, photos and footage. I’ll create drawings for ideas of movement and shapes I might use in the final prints.

Sketches generating ideas for new set of prints

Once I’ve created my drawings, gathered my colours, collected together my papers, I’m in a strong position to make a start on producing the actual prints.  
View the Circus prints in my shop