Making my own hanko stamp
I love stamps, and when I saw David Morales using one to sign his drawings in his course on Domestika, I knew I had to have one of my own. After learning that a genuine Japanese hanko wooden stamp with my unique design would cost around $200, I decided to make my own out of rubber using YouTube tutorials.
The Hanko stamp is a traditional Japanese stamp used to sign documents or works of art. In my project, I wanted to incorporate a wisteria blossom, which is my husband's family crest, as well as my initials arranged like a vine falling from the tree.
My design
I ordered the necessary equipment from Blick Art Materials and got to work!
Speedball Carve Block,
Speedball linoleum cutter,
Archival Ink Carnation Red ink pad.
I laid out all the equipment in front of me. It took me a moment to learn how to change the blades of the linoleum cutter.
I started by cutting a 1.00 x 1.00 in. square with a cutter.
Using a soft pencil, I drew the design.
I began chopping. It quickly became apparent that cutting out details on my stamp is challenging, even when using the finest tip of the cutter, or perhaps it was simply my lack of experience.
Finally, breathless, I imprinted the design on the red ink pad and then on the white piece of paper. It turned out that I had made a common beginner mistake, and the pattern was reversed!
The process was so much fun. It took me literally five minutes to create a stamp that I’ll be able to use again and again. Over time, I'm sure I'll enhance my design and include a wooden handle. However, for the time being, I enjoy its flaws. I'd still like to get a proper hanko stamp made by a Japanese artist someday, but for now, I'm having fun making my own stamps and not being too attached to one design.
