Chine colle ideas

My first practices of chine colle were a bit frustrating. I explored the papers and cellulose adhesive I plan on using though collaging over my less successful mono prints. I also tried cutting a large piece of tissue and applying foil behind small slits. It was too complicated, the paper folded up and I couldn't get the foil in the right place. What I did learn was that the ink behaves differently on different paper. I practiced some prints on some fine papers to get an idea which would print well and which would be too absorbent and bleed or not absorbent enough and not take the ink well.

I printed my block on very thin paper and found it showed through so well on the other side I had a reverse image I could use. This gave me the idea of layering the image over itself for my chine colle prints, I will need to extend the lino block for this to work, I will get funny embossing. I used my acetate drawing flipped over and laid over some prints to try out some layouts. This is extending ideas I had in my sketchbook of varying the composition of this print.

I got interesting results. The ones I like better are

I need to add something in the bottom left to balance this, perhaps a 3 rd impression of transparent ink layered over? Chine colle colored paper? chine colle leaves? mono print background? I could use leaves to create textured background.

This needs something bottom right to balance it, chine colle leaves? Large piece of paper for 2nd tree, whole width, no edges, bottom edge hidden by darker paper section.

I also laid the acetate over some prints that could be developed:

I like the simplicity of this, the acetate reflection is distracting in the photo. The textured blue could be a mono print, the chine colle tree would be torn edges and blended to create a soft edge. Or, use a palm tree block from a previous assignment and keep this base print, add some chine colle as small detail or texture. This could be a pair of prints, two trees.

The two trees could be a palm and the other new block, trunks together or apart over mono print of leaves, with chine colle leaves over, I have dried leaves brought back from England. This would be interesting with Saudi leaves to add.

This blue print may have been printed with water based ink, chine colle may not work well. Try printing tree over the top with some chine colle detail, perhaps at the bottom to balance it.