monotype

Gelli Plate Monoprint with Ballpoint Emboss Drawing Transfer Gelli plate monoprints offer a festive and varied approach to printmaking without the need for a press. I’ve barely scratched the surface of all the innovative printmaking methods shared online with these gelatinous squares of potential. And I’m on a roll with gelli plate monoprint with ballpoint …

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Color Monotype Printmaking Portrait without a Press Making a color monotype print portrait (without a press) of my lovely cousin emerging from a swimming pool. These layered color monotype prints get more and more fun as I get familiar with what works, and what should be avoided. Have you tried to make one yet? Registration …

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Color Monotype Print without a Press Making a color monotype print without a press is officially addictive. (You can see in the two previous posts here, and here that I’ve been on a sprint with these fun, painterly prints.) There are monotype print sequence steps in several photos below. And can I please recommend you …

Color Monotype Print without a Press Read More »

Monotype Print in Layered Colors without a Press Creating monotype prints in layered colors without a press began as a demo for my group on Mastrius. Now, I can’t stop making them. Isn’t that the way artists’ minds work? Must. Chase. Shiny. Object. One of many splendids about this form of monotype making is how …

Monotype Print in Layered Colors without a Press Read More »

Color Monotype Portrait Printed without a Press This week in my Mastrius group, I demo’d an approach to making color monotype portrait prints without the use of a press. Here are some of the screen shots from the zoom demo (which is available to members of the group to re-watch for a month). This is …

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Color Landscape Light Field Monotype Print Here is a quick video demo (below) to show you the steps to make a full color landscape light field monotype print without a press. There is also a list of all the supplies (below) I used in the demo, with links if you’re looking to source some of …

Color Landscape Light Field Monotype Print Read More »

Gelli Plate Monotype Portrait Print Experiments with gelli plate monotype portrait prints have been underway in my studio, and they are FUN! The first test was reminiscent of storefront window paintings, layered by sign painters on the glass from inside to display on the outside. You begin by applying your darkest, most detailed line work …

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Wood Lithography (Mokulito) Printmaking – Anacapa Island Arch Experimenting with Wood Lithography (Mokulito) Printmaking continues in my studio. I really appreciate all the feedback and encouragement you sent about my deep dive into mokulito after the previous post. (Pretend I’m handing you a fresh-baked cookie and a cup of tea.) This mokulito print was a …

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Mokulito (Wood Lithography) Printmaking Printmaking mash-ups appeal to my experiment-loving, nerd-artist’s heart. In a previous series of blog posts this season (like this cat and tulip print), I relished mixing linocut with drypoint engraving. (More of those are coming soon.) And then, I took a wood lithography workshop – also known as Mokulito – with …

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What is a Trace Monotype Print? Trace monotype is a form of printmaking created by drawing on a sheet of paper thats been laid on an inked, still wet plate, so the contact and transfer of the ink on the back of your drawing becomes the print. Trace monotype, or drawing transfer monotype is very …

Trace Monotype and Drawing Transfer Methods Read More »

How to Print a Monotype without a Press Monotype printmaking is the “painterly print” option. This printmaking process is accessible to everyone, and it doesn’t require sharp tools, carving lines into hard material, or using a printing press. At its most basic, monotype prints are made by manipulating pigment into shapes on a smooth, flat …

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Monotype Print Still Life – adding Colored Pencil to your Art I spent a foggy afternoon transferring printmaking inks from leaky containers to new ones, sent gratis by the manufacturer. Good customer service! While pouring and scraping ink into shiny new containers, I rolled out a bit of leftover ink on a sheet of plexiglass …

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Spontaneous Monotype Still Life Print I’m in the midst of filming, editing, and narrating a video class on monotype printmaking. It’s complex work, and not in my creative wheelhouse. One of the best ways to shake off the monitor and keyboard is a spontaneous monotype. That’s how this one arrived. Fixing a Monotype Print – …

Monotype Print Still Life with Colored Pencil Read More »

Colored Pencils Enhance Monotype Prints Have you ever added colored pencils to refine parts of your monotype prints? (If you’ve never made a monotype, here is an introduction to dark field monotype prints without a press.) Whether your subject is portraits, abstract, still life, or landscape, adding colored pencil will transform a mediocre print into …

Refining Details on Monotype Prints with Colored Pencils Read More »

Repurpose Plastic Food Containers into Printmaking Plates Your enthusiasm for this post about converting a plastic cookie container into a drypoint engraving inspired another monotype printmaking experiment. I started clipping plastic from all the food and produce containers we brought home from the grocers to experiment with monotype, drypoint and collagraph prints. This post is …

How to Make Monotype Prints from a Plastic Blueberry Container Read More »

Colored Pencils to the Rescue Have you ever added colored pencil to your monotype prints? (If you’ve never made a monotype, read on…) Whether your subject is portraits, abstract, still life or landscape, adding colored pencil will transform a mediocre print into a monotype jubilee. I’m not kidding. If you have a stash of old …

Adding Colored Pencil to Monotype Print Portraits Read More »

Monotype Ghost Print Transformation Let’s add colored pencil to a monotype ghost print. If you’re not familiar with monotypes, visit this information page about monotype printmaking. If you like watching demonstrations, here is a monotype tutorial playlist on youtube. Each tutorial video on my channel has a list of associated supplies in the Show More …

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Painterly Monotype Portraits with Colored Pencil Painterly printmaking with monotype is a very accessible art project. You don’t need a press, or sharp tools, as there is no carving involved. Monotypes are simply pigments on a smooth plate, manipulated with tools into an image that is transferred to paper while the ink is still wet. …

Painterly Printmaking with Monotype Read More »

Monotype Printmaking Experiments Every printmaking adventure has some element of surprise. Add a drop of modifier to the ink, or swap a tried and true paper for a different brand – and you might pull a masterpiece, or a dud. Monotype printmaking experiments will inform and improve all the prints you make afterwards. Reserve a …

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Petite Monotype Transfer Drawings While making a video course, new artwork is created to demonstrate the process so you can see all the steps. This monotype transfer drawing portrait of a sleeping child was a test print for a course on Monotype Printmaking I’m filming and editing in my studio this spring. (If you’re interested …

Monotype Transfer Drawing Painted with Watercolor – Pendulum Dream Read More »

Adding Watercolor to Monotype Ghost Prints In this monotype group on facebook, there was discussion about what to do with very faint monotype ghost prints. Many folks new to printmaking aren’t aware that adding watercolor or colored pencil to monotype ghost prints is an option. The only caveat is noting the paper you’ve printed your …

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Gelli Plate Print Abstracts Gelli Plate Prints and Monotype prints are some of the most accessible types of printmaking to try if you’re curious about making prints at home. You don’t need a printing press, or sharp carving tools, or even printmaking ink. The popularity of gelli plates, and all of their instructional videos have …

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Making Pet Portraits with Monotype Prints Dark Field Monotypes (and monoprints) work very well as a media for pet portraits. These painterly prints in their monochromatic layout act as a perfect underpainting for experiments with other media, both wet (watercolor) and dry (colored pencil or pastel, etc.) If you’d like to watch demonstrations of the …

Dark Field Monotype Pet Portraits – and a video tutorial Read More »

Inspiration from Other Artists Thank goodness monotype artists share their work online, or we wouldn’t have any painterly printmaking to look at from the comfort of our coziest researching-the-internet chairs. Every artist who ever clicked the publish button on a blog post or social media to share images of their work gets a grateful hat-tip …

Monotype Ghost Print of a Cat – and links to Monotype Artists Read More »

What is a Light Field Monotype? Monotypes are a hybrid between painting and printmaking. The name monotype has the root “mono” meaning one. Monotype printmaking results in a single image. These beautiful prints cannot be printed in quantity or an edition, like other, repeatable printmaking methods (woodcuts, etchings, etc.). Light Field Monotypes are painted or …

What’s the Difference Between Dark and Light Field Monotype Prints? Read More »