Monotype workshop encourages experimentation

Gail

We experimented with the "anything goes" free-style of monotype printing yesterday. Using the sensitive gelatin plate enabled the production of prints without need of a printing press....easily done at home. All attendees were first time printmakers. We used a variety of papers and noted the differences in how each paper received the ink. We also had a variety of inks and textures to play with...and enjoyed printing as the gelatin plates became marred, with some actually splitting into interesting shaped pieces. Samples show the wide variety of effects. Thanks to all for sharing the day.

Nancy L

Nancy T

Gail's print (top) illustrates a texture (dried lemon cross section in black) that made a permanent mark in the plate because the dried lemon slice was kind of sharp. So that image/texture was on every print afterward. This print was the result of adding other impressed textures and painting directly on the plate.

Wayne's plate had actually split into 4 pieces by the time he made this print. The lines made by the broken sections are key in making this an interesting in successful print.

Everyone went home with at least a couple dozen nice prints!

Wayne

Gathering Textures for Monoprints

Autumn in Maine is all about color and texture. As I work on putting my gardens to bed, I'm gathering leaves, dried blossoms, stems to store away and use as textures in my monotype prints this winter. I use a gelatin plate which is very receptive to the finest of textures which transfer easily to the paper with simple pressure of hand rubbing. So, I don't need the use of a press.  I will make the gelatin plates the day before and spend the entire day, sometimes two days, printing with abandon and without intention. Then the next few days are spent assessing what prints work best. The most pleasing are almost always result of happy accidents.  Those that don't work as stand alone pieces, I will cut up and use in collage.  The first piece below is an example of one of those wonderful happy accidents.  The second one is a collage made from combining elements of several different prints.