Workshop...

Mono Printing Workshop:

I was unfamiliar with mono printing so the workshop was really useful. The prints where created using a plate of ink, and then laying paper over it and running it through a press. You can then create shapes using cut paper, or even create textures by making marks on the ink plate. I found the process surprisingly experimental and uncontrollable.

I experimented with cutting bold facial shapes out of paper and arranging them on the plate in different ways. I cut the shapes out quickly and confidently which I think is relevant to the immediate way of working. Sometimes the shapes left a texture from the previous cut outs on the prints which looks really effective, this can be hard to control but adds to the experimental nature of mono printing. 

Mono type is another way of producing mono prints, this is where you roll out an ink bed, lay paper on top, and then draw on the back of the paper to create a print on the other side. You also use talcum powder to stop the paper from sticking to the ink too much. This process gave some really nice line qualities. I didn't think about the faces I was drawing I just let my arms move in random ways. Drawing the line quickly, gesturally and almost mechanically worked really well with the rough organic line qualities.

I printed on top of my shape based mono prints with the mono type, I think the combination of the two is really nice. The solid/crisp coloured shapes with the rough/organic dark black outlines creates and interesting mix of visual qualities. I think the things I have learnt from this process can be taken into my final print designs and could work really well to communicate my themes of psychedelia and hallucinating.

I wasn't expecting the results to be as successful as they are, I just wanted to get a feel for what can be achieved with the process. But this has opened my eyes to how print in general can be a very experimental process and doesn't have to be as precise and planned/controlled. This has made me want to approach printing in a looser way allowing natural print qualities within my work. And also let the process' have an influence on the concepts and ideas for future work.