Yesterday, I took a monoprinting class at The Crossing Arts Alliance in downtown Brainerd (Minnesota). "Monoprinting is a form of printmaking that has lines or images that can only be made once, unlike most printmaking, which allows for multiple originals." To print shapes, words, lines, etc on paper, the instructor provided a wide variety of materials to spawn creativity like purchased and handcut stencils as well as items commonly found around the house such as bubble wrap, string, cheesecloth, non-slip shelf-liner, wooden skewers, lace, etc, etc.
This is how we did it: 1) With a brayer, roll desired color(s) of paint onto GEL Press printing plate. 2) Over the paint, lay down item(s) selected to produce a pattern (i.e., stencil, string) 3) Set printer copy paper atop. Press and smooth your hand (or use a tool for burnishing paper) across paper's surface. 4) Slowly remove paper. *If you want to create a layered effect, repeat steps with a different paint color and stencil but use the same paper. Note: Although monoprinting technically means one print, if you press a second and sometimes third piece of paper onto the gel printing press, you can get a lighter print. Or, you can create a "ghost" print by removing the stencil and pressing down a piece of paper.
During independent work time, we made a variety of patterned prints then chose ones to create a collage. Upon spreading out the prints on my work table, three different papers stood out instantly. In my mind's eye, they immediately formed a contrasting bond...a cityscape, a barn and silo, and a field. My collage is not yet finished, as I will mount the prints on watercolor paper then coat them with matte or gloss medium (i.e. Golden brand or Mod Podge), and/or secure them behind framed glass, or make copies to create greeting cards. In addition, I may paint the watercolor paper background, add ink pen drawings or writing to my collage, or add another stencil layer, but the photo I am sharing is what I finished in class. For the collage on the left, I created the chunky "buildings" in my cityscape by rolling paint across the gel press with the brayer but I didn't entirely cover it. I pressed down a sheet of paper on top of the painted gel press, then removed and allowed it to dry. Meanwhile, you can wash the gel press to remove its paint or, instead, I rolled a second color directly over top of the previous paint. After coating it with the different color, I set a grid-pattern stencil down, pressed the previous paper over top, then removed to dry. For the print on the right, I used two metal stencils. I placed the word "now" underneath what I envisioned to be an old building in a city's warehouse district. You know, the industrial buildings that are being renovated into apartment buildings, restaurants, and shops across the country. The former grandeur and strength of what I see NOW as a "crumbling building" can be seen. That's the intrigue of the monoprinting process. Going in, the end result is uncertain.