Lead by Elke Reva Sudin
Tired of seeing Stars of David? The original Jewish symbols were a menorah, lulav & etrog, and the Cohan’s hands. In this workshop you will learn to create your own Jewish symbol and get to replicate it with a DIY blockprinting technique. Part graphic design, part printmaking, part recreating history. No experience necessary.
Supplies:
– 100+ stryrofoam plates
– BBQ skewers (the cheap wood sticks)
– Black/colors block printing ink
– 3-5 block printing rollers
– Recycled cardboard/boxes to print on
– paper towels
– bowls of water
– paper and pencils, erasers
Instructions: Designing your logo
1. Know your history!
Original Jewish symbols: lulav & estrog, menorah, Cohen hands, Bait Hamigdush (show pillars in front and curved inside
Symbols on coins
- Goblet
- Plants
- Paleo Hebrew
- Shofar
- Megillah
- 7 grains of Israel
- 3 branched menorah
Palm tree showing lulav
Grape leaf
Burning bush - Ritual items: Tallit, Tefillin
Tip: Think about what is an authentic item to our identity
- The design (techniques to try)
Center image with text and design around
Draw a simplified version of two concepts that are important to you. See if you can combine them in a way that is clever. - Make a really simple shape. Overlap another slightly more complicated shape. Now fit the themes/words you are interested in on top.
- Think of an object, a natural element, a color, a pattern. Think of what aspect of Judaism that is relevant to you it reminds you of. Now simplify that image. Simply again.
- Draw in pencil, erase. It helps to fill your paper with boxes so that when you work on your different designs that each one is in a box and keeps you organized.
When you have a design you like make a larger version of it, at least 3×3 inches and no bigger than the flat area of the styrofoam plate.
Block printing process
- Take a plate. Draw out your design BACKWARDS. (Otherwise your print will come out backwards!)
- Carve the design out so there is a thick difference between the plate and your design. You can poke holes in it if needed though it might start making your plate fall apart.
- Go to the inking staton. Squirt a little ink out on to your plate, just enough so then when rolled out it will cover your design with a thin layer.
- Roll the roller over your inked design and then make your print!
- Enjoy!
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