Materials list
acrylic paint
corrugated cardboard
gesso
paintbrush
paper of any kind
Corrugated cardboard is something that arrives at your door on a regular basis if you are an Amazon shopper like I am. If not, you can find free cardboard boxes from your local grocery store or Costco. This technique makes a wonderful second or third pass for your already embellished papers. The corrugated lines are much more organic and nonuniform once the cardboard has been pressed several times; it gets better with age!
Tear or cut open a piece of cardboard, separating the layers to reveal the corrugation in the middle.
Coat the corrugated surface with a layer of gesso on both sides and allow it to dry. This prevents absorption of moisture from the paint, which would deteriorate the cardboard before it gained character.
STEP ONE: Apply undiluted paint to the corrugated surface using a brush.
STEP TWO: Press the cardboard in either the same or overlapping directions onto any paper surface, experimenting with different types of paper and colors. Here I’m stamping on paper that has already been painted, but you can also stamp on unpainted paper. Again, this is the perfect time to experiment—there is no wrong way to do this.
Working your way around the paper, you can add so much texture by introducing new colors or simply by rotating the corrugated cardboard stamp. Just watch how your cardboard stamp adds character!
As the cardboard degrades from repeated use, the lines become less rigid and more organic, giving the print more character.
