What does a new phone have to do with updating and expanding my popular Tutorial Ecoprinting Naturally? Everything! Especially when the camera app is far, far better than my expensive Nikon D70 I bought to use for my portrait clients a few years back. When I updated to a Samsung Galaxy 23, the deciding factor was the photo capacity and clarity! When you are a one person small business and have to do it all, just spending time revising all the photos for blogs, social media, etc becomes overwhelming!
So forgive my giddiness in sharing a few photos of flowers, taken with the "portrait" setting :-). In my defense, however, they are flowers that are fun to use for ecoprinting!
Sunflowers, by the way. need to be flattened rather dramatically to make sure they are flat enough to bundle! I loved being able to use my phone camera and not lugging around a full ensemble camera with a zoom lens!
Hydrangea petals do best with a dye blanket and they often do not print. However, the leaves and stems do!
OK so my photos of flowers are amazing (lol) but how did that translate to refreshing my Tutorial on Ecoprinting Naturally? Well, two ways. One was that I could now take far better images of the finished products that I make. An example is the collage (below) of my Ecoprinted leather.
The luxury of easy to take photos and the capability of being able to blur the background means not having to worry about the parked car or picnic table in the background!
And it also meant that as I updated my Tutorial photos, I could have better photos next to the descriptions! See below.
The ability to take indoor photos even in less than ideal lighting, is also another huge plus. I am currently trying to figure out how to put a mannikin in the art studio (where I took these) and not have to clean that section of the studio! We are working artists after all! So I AM excited to include new photos to a 5 star Tutorial. And I think I will leave some of these image large just because I love the details!
So, if you have taken one of my Ecoprint Naturally Workshops and need to refresh your memory, well my New Updated for 2024 Tutorial is perfect! What will you find besides new photos? Well, keep reading!
The Ultimate Guide to Ecoprinting on protein fibers! New and updated for 2024! This comprehensive 49 page instant download tutorial introduces you to the core techniques as well as a few more advanced techniques that you need to know to produce your own beautiful prints on silk or wool! You will use just the leaves and plants you have gathered from your own yard or neighborhood! Clear photos with links to videos on my YouTube channel. Learn about leaves, mordants, silk, wool, tools and the techniques to achieve beautiful results. Embrace this form of Wildcrafting and celebrate the gifts that Nature shares with you!
What I share with you is what I teach in my popular workshops across the USA! As an artist, I have worked in this art form for many years and my fiber art, fashions and accessories are in galleries and private collections around the world.
You are investing in my years of knowledge and experience and I can’t wait to guide you through what you need to know to create beautiful, one of kind imprints with leaves and plants gathered in your own garden and backyard!
The 49 page Tutorial is divided into 6 chapters
• Step by step instructions, images and photos from preparing your fabric to creating unique, one-of-a-kind works of art on silk or wool!
• In depth look at equipment -what you need and how to use it (most of which you already have!)
• All about plants, leaves, weeds and flowers
• Mordants -what I use and where to find them and why we use them (I have a bundled kit!) My mixing ratios and formulas.
• Sources for wool, silk and mordants (I also have a bundled kit for mordants!)
• Special “Theresa’s Tips” for successful imprints that will last for years!
* Links to How To videos on my YouTube channel!
* Troubleshooting-FAQ and how to solve any challenges!
Need supplies? I have a kit created just for this Tutorial! https://www.etsy.com/listing/915003494/ecoprint-supply-kit-for-natural
I am of course promoting my own work but hey, it is truly the ultimate guide to Ecoprinting Naturally with the simplest yet most comprehensive information available! There is no need to turn this form of Botanical printing into a complex, scientific thesis and I have watched the trend over the past 15 years go from simple to needlessly complex! So many Facebook groups have a few people deliberately sharing false information, altered photographs and trying to pass commercial products off as "one of a kind."
So let's keep the fun in Ecoprinting! Remember why this art form first attracted you and go back to your roots!
Isn't this image lovely? Keep it in the back of your mind as a good place to be whether you indulge in Ecoprinting occasionally or regularly. Take those photos and remember to share them with like minded artists in my Facebook group, Personal Journeys into Ecoprinting. This group is a "show and tell" about your inspiration for ecoprinting-not your products!
Until next time!
Hope and wishes that your 2024 is a glorious year!
Theresa
M Theresa Brown
Artisanal Fashions and accessories in Silk, Wool and Leather
919-880-7431