Monotype Prints - Seashells

A few weeks ago, myself and fellow artist Jeanette Jobson took to my studio (affectionately named "The Shed") and had some fun with monotype prints. For a complete definition of a monotype print, please see below for the reference from Wikipedia.

I had ordered a couple of Gelli plates from Gelli Arts and wanted to try them out! I also ordered some printing papers from Curry's Art Supplies....several thicker printing papers (Stonehenge and Velin) and a variety of Japanese printing papers (Okawara, Gampi, Kawairi and Kozuke). So I was all set to print.

I had an idea in my head for a while...seashells....I love seashells...so I made several prints....I did some other designs as well that I really liked. Over the next couple of days I made some more prints as well. Below is a sample of some of the shell prints I did....all are using acrylic paints.

We have another printing session scheduled for August 18th with the entire Arts Northeast group....can't wait!!!

Let me know how you like them!

"Callidoscope" on Subi

"Sandy Shells" on Velin

"Stars of the Sea" on Stonehenge Grey



From Wikipedia:

Monotyping is a type of printmaking made by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. The surface, was historically a copper etching plate, but in contemporary work it can vary from zinc or glass to acrylic glass. The image is then transferred onto a sheet of paper by pressing the two together. Monotypes can also be created by inking an entire surface and then removing ink to create a subtractive image, e.g. creating lights from a field of opaque colour.

Monotyping produces a unique print, or monotype; most of the ink is removed during the initial pressing. Although subsequent reprintings are sometimes possible and are called "ghost prints." Oil and acrylic paints can also be used in lieu of inks.

Historically, the terms Monotype and Monoprint were often used interchangeably. More recently, however, these are now used to refer to very similar types of printmaking which are somewhat different. In the case of monotypes, the plate is a featureless plate that contains no features that will impart any definition to successive prints. In the absence of any permanent features on the surface of the plate, all articulation of imagery is dependent on one unique inking, resulting in one unique print. Monoprints, on the other hand, now refers to the results of plates that have permanent features on them. Monoprints can be thought of as variations on a theme, with the theme resulting from some permanent features being found on the plate—lines, textures—that persist from print to print. Variations are confined to those resulting from how the plate is inked prior to each print. The variations are endless, but certain permanent features on the plate will tend to persist from one print to the next.