O-M-Gocco! (Part 1)

I recently discovered a very exciting creative machine that a lot of artists are using in the independent artistry world. I know it's been around for a while-- so long, in fact, that it's already no longer in production. But the machines are out there in the modern world being used to turn every kitchen table into a miniature Andy Warhol studio, enabling artists to "mass produce" their own imagery via screen print. And it's so easy, you wouldn't even believe you've never heard of this before.

The machine I speak of is the Print Gocco machine. There are many models of the same machine, and those strange model numbers can get a little overwhelming to someone who is new to Gocco (like myself) who wants to get one, but doesn't know what kind to get, and wants to make sure that it's the proper kind for a beginner and for what you want to use it for.

I researched online as many places as I could, and found that most people seemed to be using what is called the "B-6" model, though truth be told, that letter and number combination means nothing to me. I saw artworks people were printing using that model, I watched tutorials with that model, I read about the pros and cons, learned about the struggles and joys, and decided that if I'm jumping head-first into this machine, I might as well just get the B-6. If it's wrong, oh well. I tried, right?

Tracking it down was the trickiest part, as I had to find an independent seller, since they're no longer in production to be sold through art suppliers. I eventually found one through ETSY. It had be very slightly used and was still in awesome condition. The listing showed that it came with lots of ink, bulbs, and screens. So even though it still hurt to pay (even less) for the used machine, I at least knew I was getting a semi-discount.

Yesterday was my first run with my Gocco machine and it was SO much fun. Read the next post to see my first encounter with the Gocco, documented step-by-step for you to see how it works and what kind of awesomeness it produces.