How to make a stamp from a photo

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1. Scan your object and bring up the jpeg on your photo manager or copy and paste it into a text program and adjust the size of the image to the size stamp you want to make.

2. Print the image. 

3. Using a very soft artist pencil, I used a 4B, draw the outline and details of the image simply tracing around the printed image.

  Make sure you get a good amount of graphite from the pencil onto the image.

 

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   Place the image face (graphite) side down on the carving medium. I used Speedy Carve. Rub the back of the paper firmly with the back of a spoon while holding the paper in place.

  

  

 

 5. 

-->Go over the graphite lines with a permanent fine point ink pen.

 

  

 6. I start with the thinnest blade in my carving set. I have a very inexpensive 5 blade set. I do the fine details first then increase the blade size and cut more and more of the background away leaving the image behind. I call this a positive image because when I stamp this the stamped image will be of the image on the jpeg. You could also cut away the image leaving the background. I call this a negative because when you stamp the image, the background will have color and the jpeg image will be a void.

 

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--> 7. When I have cut away all of the background leaving the image, I test stamp it on paper with ink. I can touch up the stamp image if I need to at this time. 

8. If I am happy with the stamp, I trim away all but a 1/2-5/8” boarder around the image. I stamp the image with ink onto a piece of wood then using GOOP attach the stamp to the other side of the wood. I usually do this for images I am planning to keep and reuse many times. Some stamps I carve for a one time use like my friends dog picture. I will probably not use this stamp again. Most of my stamps I reuse over and over. The wooden mounting gives the Speedy Carve material a firm support making goopy mistakes less probable.

 9. Here is the feather and its image in pearl acrylic paint on black fabric.

 

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--> I learned these techniques from Lyric Kinards "Surface Design Sampler Platter" DVD. I bought my Speedy Carve and carving tool from Dick Blick

 

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