The Monoprint as a Technique to Explore.
Some times in the Visual Arts you see things that make you go “wow”, or “OH WOW…” many years back I had one of those experiences when a group of 1st Yr Diploma students started in printmaking. I was new to the technicians role and although Mono-prints were something I knew about I soon realised that at the time I knew very little (until that time I probably didn’t see the benefit).
What stood out was the sense of wonderment this technique produced in a short time frame. Ok so here is how it was set up, on laminex tables (usually done on a plate or a toughened chunk of glass.) ink was rolled out (the sort they use for linocuts), print paper layed on top and then the students drew designs on the back. Being strong black, the light lines drawn in pencil and pen on the back of the paper, brought vibrant strong lines to life. On other tables other colours were rolled out, but the black was the most popular the contrast grabbed attention and by using a range of devices to make marks with, a range of tone and textures were created.
It’s a simple process, and on pulling a few prints in the leanly rolled ink (less seems to be better in this case), a few more rolls to bring it back to “life” and you can create a whole bunch of images. That was one WOW factor for me as ink on paper usually involved lengthy processes, now here was one print technique that happened fast, and done well on the right paper the deep velvety look of the ink can be fantastic.
The other wow factor was watching students develop ideas on the run, a few sketchy ideas and they were off. The potential therefore for a printmaker/drawer to create a vast amount of works on a theme is very possible.
So next time you want to do more than a doodle or sketch, try out some mono prints (this method is only one of a number of techniques and does not require a press).
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