Blog | Legion Paper

Turn Your Art Into Prints

Tell us about yourself and your art!

My name is Elizabeth Karlson, I am an artist from Northern Illinois. I create calming, ethereal abstract artworks using primarily alcohol ink.

What materials do you use for your artwork & prints?

I create most of my paintings on synthetic paper, like Yupo! My favorite paper to use for prints is Moab Entrada Rag Bright White.

Why do you print your artwork?

I print my work because it provides a cost effective option for those that have a limited budget. It also allows me to print copies of my work and share them to people all around the world.

What is your process for printing your art?

  1. I start by scanning my artwork on my Epson v39 scanner at a high resolution, like 2400dpi. This allows me to take small images and be able to print them at a large scale.

  2. I open the scan TIF file in photoshop and edit out pieces of microscopic dust, hairs and fuzz. It usually takes me at least an hour to edit the image, sometimes much more than that depending on the image.

  3. Once I have my image finished, I open a new document in my desired print size, then paste my image onto that document and crop it to the correct size. I print on Moab Entrada Rag Bright White using my Epson Surecolor P900. I can print images up to 17” in studio.

  4. If a customer wants a print larger than this I use a company called Finerworks. With Finerworks, I can order prints in very large sizes, the print quality is great and you can select your favorite paper or material to print on.

Advice for artists that wants to start printing.

My advice to artists that want to start printing their work- always get a good image of your artwork. I recommend getting a scanner, this way you can have high resolution images and make an image portfolio. For larger works you can take a picture using a digital camera and a tripod so the image is sharp.

You don’t need to invest in a fancy printer at the start, you can find great companies online or local print shops and take your file to be printed there. (Here ‘s a list of photo labs printing on Moab Paper.)

Having a good image makes all the difference, you can use it for prints/ reproductions, licensing deals and a variety of other things.

Get a flash drive, hard drive, or upgrade your cloud space so you can store all your images there for easy access. You never know when a customer or potential client wants to work with you and you’ll be prepared with a high resolution image portfolio.

Stonehenge Oil: Learn from the Artists

Stonehenge Oil is light, durable 100% cotton that welcomes layers and layers of brushwork while retaining every detail.

Stonehenge Oil doesn’t just do what a canvas can do. It allows you to do so much more and to do it without the need for primer or gesso (That’s right: Zero prep required).

Learn from artists how they are using Stonehenge Oil and why.

Courtney Myers

Tell us about yourself and your work.

My name is Courtney Myers and I am an oil painter. I would say that up until this year I have specialized in landscape painting, but recently I have been trying to branch out and improve my skills in still life and portraiture. 

What materials do you use with Stonehenge Oil?

When painting on Stonehenge Oil Paper, I used my typical oil paint (Winsor and Newton Artist Oils) along with my usual underpainting method which consists of using a mixture of oil paint and mineral spirits. 

How does Stonehenge Oil compare to previous surfaces you were using?

In the past, I have painted on stretched canvas, and canvas panels. I found that painting on Stonehenge Oil Paper was much smoother than painting on a canvas surface.

Why does Stonehenge Oil work well for you?

Stonehenge Oil Paper was absolutely incredible because of it's smoothness. One additional quality that I discovered was that photographing/filming my work on Stonehenge Oil was so much easier than a canvas because although my painting was still wet, it looked matte. My experience with canvas is that it can be difficult photographing my work because I get a bright glare off of my artwork.

What’s your process like in creating a piece?

When painting on Stonehenge Oil Paper, I used my normal process that I would use on canvas. First I sketched out my composition with graphite pencils and set the sketch with a workable fixative. Next, I used an imprimatura underpainting method to give the paper an even wash of an orange/brown color to paint on top of. Lastly, I painted on top of that with my oil paints. The only thing that I did not do that I typically would do on canvas was varnish my finished artwork. 

Advice for artists using Stonehenge Oil.

My advice for anyone using Stonehenge Oil would be to be aware of how much it absorbs. The paper held up amazingly when I toned it with oil paints and mineral spirits (there was absolutely no warping) but next time I paint on Stonehenge Oil, I'll use a thinner underpainting mixture so my underpainting isn't too dark. 

Tell us about yourself & your art.

I’m an artist and instructor from South Carolina. I’m a portrait artist who explores the relationship and intertwining Nature of light and shadow and the composition as a whole. 

What materials do you use with Stonehenge Oil?

I’ve used Winsor and  Newton water miscible oil paints and charcoal with Stonehenge oil.

How does Stonehenge Oil compare to previous surfaces you were using?

Stonehenge is a great surface to work with compared to other oil surfaces without the prep. 

Why does Stonehenge Oil work well for you?

Stonehenge paper is convenient. It allows me to create custom sizes without using standard sizes and canvases easily. Stonehenge paper can also be stretched over stretcher bars if I still crave the canvas bounce. 

What’s your process like in creating a piece?

I can’t recall there being anything special I do differently with Stonehenge vs. other oil substrates. I begin my process by figuring out the dimensions for the painting that best works for the overall composition. I start sketching with a soft pencil or charcoal to avoid scratching the paper as it is very soft. I seal my drawing with a fixative if I haven’t drawn the composition directly with oil first, then I paint. 

Advice for artists using Stonehenge Oil.

Stonehenge is very soft as it is 100% cotton, so you have to be careful not to use any hard materials to scratch the surface that could be seen in the finished product. 

Stonehenge oil is very absorbent, so it allows for more time to work the oil paint before overworking it into mud or moving to new layers faster. 

Stephen Bauman

Stephen Bauman is a classically trained artist that spent 12 years as an instructor in the drawing and painting program of the The Florence Academy of Art. In addition to that, Stephen was the director of the Anatomy & Ecorche Department for 6 years, first in Sweden and then in the USA. In 2020 he left the academy to focus on his efforts on my art career & online courses.

Why does Stonehenge Oil work well for your art?

Legion's Stonehenge Oil paper is my undisputed go to for alla prima and direct oil painting. It holds the brushstrokes perfectly and allows me to work up even gradients unlike any other surface I've worked on.

Why do you prefer Stonehenge Oil over a primed Canvas?

The primary difference between stonehenge Oil and oil primed linen is absorbance. Oil Primed Linen is slick and more difficult to get a pure opaque color onto at the 1st application. This means painting alla prima (in 1 session) is more challenging. Stonehenge Oil absorbs the oil more and so you can lay down clear color values better.

Do you stretch Stonehenge Oil?

Yes, the process is very similar to stretching any paper. Here’s a tutorial on stretching Stonehenge Oil and painting on Stonehenge Oil.