Tag Archives: printmaking

monoprinting: a few results…

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Monoprint © Mari French 2017

Monoprint © Mari French 2017

Well, here are some of the results of my recent monoprinting on gel plate sessions (as written about in my previous post here). I’m fairly pleased with some of them, not so sure about others, but trying out a completely different process or medium is a great way of shaking you out of an artist’s block or the doldrums or that feeling of ‘what next’. I recommend it!

I soon learnt a few things too…
Printmaking paper may work better than watercolour paper (less size), so I’ve ordered some Somerset smooth white paper;
Open acrylics (Golden) definitely work better (as do Atelier Interactive) as they don’t dry quite so fast. Alternatively I found that adding gloss acrylic medium helped with consistency and slowed down drying time a bit;
Allow lots of time for cleaning up and do it often, acrylics seem to dry particularly quickly on brayers.

 

Monoprint © Mari French 2017
Monoprint © Mari French 2017
Monoprint © Mari French 2017
Monoprint © Mari French 2017
Monoprint © Mari French 2017
Monoprint © Mari French 2017
Monoprint © Mari French 2017

I’d still like to produce the soft look of the paint on the gelli plate itself; by the time the image has been transferred to the paper it’s lost that quality. Something worth working on.

After a few days of producing these prints I decided to have a break and go back to painting (acrylics) for a while, and it’s been interesting how the monoprinting has fed back into the new paintings. But more of that in the next post!

getting messy with monoprinting…

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Pulling the monoprint © Mari French 2017

Pulling the monoprint © Mari French 2017

I’ve wanted to try monoprinting for some time. The one time I had a go (years back) I was not impressed (excuse the pun) but I think I’d used the wrong type of paper, plate and temperament! A monoprint (or monotype) is a unique print taken from a plate on which ink or (in my case) acrylic paint has been spread with rollers. Marks, textures impressed into the ink/paint and shaped masks (eg. paper) can all be used to create and enhance the final image.

Recently inspired by the beautiful and original monoprints of artist Tonie Rigby I decided to try using a gelli plate. These are very popular at the moment but I’ve not been taken by the proliferation of bright colours and patterns often produced. Gel plates can be a bit tricky to get used to and some artists dislike the texture, but apart from the shape (A4, I prefer square sizes, so may have to cut mine down) I quite liked the slight give of the gel.

Having been stunned by Tonie Rigby’s ‘Urban boxes’ work (see her blog link above), I wondered if I too could achieve something different, a progression of my current painting series maybe. If nothing else it would be interesting and hopefully, fun to try.

 

 

Rolling the acrylic paint © Mari French
Impressing textures © Mari French
The ‘inked up’ gel plate © Mari French
Placing the receiving paper © Mari French

Well, today in the studio it was definitely interesting AND fun. I produced over a dozen bits of rubbish before I started loosening up and getting messy, employing more painterly techniques, which is when I work best. I used various acrylic paints and watercolour paper. As with my paintings I wanted to experiment – what would happen if I used this or tried that? …

I must admit I actually liked the look of inked up gel plate itself, perhaps because the transparent surface added another dimension. Today’s work was just the beginning, I’ve just started and have a way to go yet, but I’ll keep at it. Will post more of my monoprinting attempts at a later date.

 

collagraph experiments …

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Collagraph with transfer and chine colle.

Collagraph with transfer & chine colle. Mari French 2014

This week’s experiments with printing collagraphs… incorporating printed material (both found and self created on Lokta paper). 

The subject matter in these is deliberately more abstracted than my recent collagraphs. The plate was mount board with texture paste brushed on (perhaps a little too much on the last one below ‘Fathoms’). I use cerulean blue ink a lot, but mixed this time with a little raw umber, which gives a lovely depth of colour.

Really enjoyed producing these and I’ll be experimenting further along these lines. I’ll keep posting the results.

Collagraph with transfer and chine colle

Collagraph with transfer & chine colle version 2. Mari French 2014

 

Fathoms. Collagraph with transfer & chine colle. Mari French 2014

Fathoms. Collagraph with transfer & chine colle. Mari French 2014