Another option to create texture rubbings is with melted encaustic paint. In this exercise I use Enkaustikos Hot Sticks and a large aluminum plate that is heated by a box of lights. Alternatively, you can put an aluminum plate on a pancake griddle.
encaustic wax stick
grill thermometer
hot glue textured plate
recycled sketch paper
handmade found tool plates
natural hairbrush
anodized aluminum plate
printmaking barren
foam stamps
Heat up an aluminum plate to 150°F (66°C), then draw on it with an encaustic wax stick. Lay a piece of sketch paper on the hot plate. Dip a paintbrush into the melted paint and brush a few circles onto the sketch paper.
Place handmade toothpick printing plate underneath the paper and rub a wax stick over the top. This will bring the texture of the toothpicks through onto the front of the paper.
To print the texture on the paper, melt the top of the wax stick on the hot aluminum plate, then rub it onto the top of the toothpick printing plate.
Turn over the toothpick printing plate onto sketch paper and transfer the encaustic paint to the surface using a barren. Repeat on the top of the page a few times.
Place a hot glue cardboard plate under the paper and rub the top with wax sticks to reveal the texture from the cardboard plate.
Lift sketch paper from surface, then draw circle designs directly on hot aluminum plate using a wax stick.
Turn the front of the paper over onto the melted encaustic paint to pick up the print. Burnish the back of the paper with a printmaking barren. This will help transfer the print.
Pull back to reveal the printed texture.
Repeat. Doodle circles with the wax sticks by drawing directly on the plate.
This time place the painted paper face up and press the paper onto the melted paint to pick it up off the hot plate.
Melt more paint on the hot plate and press the stamp into the melted paint, then stamp the pattern onto the top of the page.
Add more painted circles using the melted encaustic paint. This is the final print.