A Monotype is unique image printed from a surface which has been painted with a design in ink. The image is transferred from the surface to paper by pressing the two together.
The surface can be a plate, glass or other matrix, the pressing together can be either done by pressing with a hand or baren, spoon or other item. Or the matrix can be pressed together in a printing press.
The image can be created by inking an area and removing ink by wiping away with rags, brushes etc. An alternative is to add ink to the blank surface using a range of tools from rollers, rags, brushes. Another alternative is to lay paper onto an inked surface and draw with a pencil or push items onto the paper.
Outside under an Umbrella, note the green bottle top used as a baren.
Materials needed:
Ink (either oil or water based).
Ink Knife (paint scraper is good).
A flat surface to roll out the ink onto.
Ink roller (brayer).
Paper (thin papers take the ink more readily) but try all sorts.
Something to apply pressure onto the paper: baren, spoon, bottle top lid. (something with a smooth surface)
Materials for applying/removing ink... anything - this is where you experiment.
Cleaning up materials: Veg oil for oil based ink, your favourite cleaning product for water based.
Here is how I did it in my back yard in the sun under a big umbrella. (Gotta love an outdoor print session!)
First I tore up some paper with a piece of wood from the shed, I forgot to bring steel ruler home, so used a carpenters square to measure with. (substitute folks... best way to learn).
I rolled out my ink (using Caligo relief water wash up) with a small roller (medium hardness). I was rolling onto a piece of Acrylic sheet (got it from the tip shop years ago)
I kept the ink to a minimum (lean) because I laid the paper down and pressed some objects onto the back of the paper: the objects were some things that I found on the beach earlier that morning.
The result was minimal with the lines and splodges looking quite abstract. (1st Print)
Objects pressed down onto paper that is lying on ink slab
Print 1
Next I rolled up again and removed ink with a stick using the same objects as my image.
I then placed some paper down and used a plastic milk bottle lid as a baren... it worked well. (Print 2)
Print 2
I rolled out some more ink and then created another image trying out some other drawing materials, such as sand paper and a block of wood. I wouldn’t recommend the sandpaper on the acrylic sheeting as it scratched it a bit, the wood made some great textural marks without scratching. (Print 3)
Print 3
Scratched slab…
I then cleaned off the ink and made an image using sticks and a rags to lay the ink down. I found that I had to be careful not put down thick blobs and with the rag I was being too lean. I ended up printing the image lifting the paper away carefully and anchoring it on one side so that I could re-apply some ink in areas that were really light and then lay the paper down again to print. (Print 4)
Print 4
I then cleaned the slab and tried another image this time trying with ink and water colour paint, then rolling ink onto a beer carton and thong (flip flop that you wear on your feet...) and pressed them onto the slab. When printing the ink worked well but the watercolour was a bit dry. So I applied some water colour to the paper direct, rolled up a different part of the beer carton and pressed it directly onto the paper over the previous print.. I thought it was the most interesting of all. (Print 5)
Print 5
As the sun was moving around and my ink was starting to dry out, I tried a final couple of images.
I washed off the slab and whilst it was wet applied ink with a rag hoping to get a washy image... The result was a bit indistinct. (Print 6).
Print 6
So I rolled up a slab and wiped back with a wet rag and stick to create a self portrait of me working under the umbrella. (Print 7)
Print 7