The process of "Monoprinting"
is an art form that has been practiced for many years.
The process involves making "one of a kind"
prints by manipulating paints on a non-porous surface
and transferring them to paper stock. Recent developments
in Acrylic Paint technology has allowed artists to extend
paint "working time," giving greater control
in monoprinting with water-based media.
Application Description
Monoprinting is a very loose style of creating printed
images. Almost any kind of paint can be used to create
a monoprint. Generally, the paint is applied with a
brush, roller, or other application device (including
fingers) onto a non-porous surface. The surface can
be a glass or marble slab, or a hard plastic or Formica
tabletop. Once the image is to the artist's liking,
paper is carefully laid on top. Using the heel of the
hand to apply even pressure, the paint is transferred
from the surface to the paper, and then peeled up and
allowed to dry. The surface is wiped clean and the process
starts over.
This technique allows artists to freely create prints
without having to develop silk-screens, engraved plates,
woodblocks or other printmaking devices in order to
create a print. However, this process does not allow
for multiple prints to be made that are exact copies.
Monoprinting can be a useful way to create art or develop
ideas for other printing methods.
Surface
Considerations
Almost any smooth, non-porous surface can be used to
develop a monoprint image. Be careful to choose a surface
that will not stain or be otherwise affected by paint,
water, or other cleaning products and processes. Most
monoprinters use a glass, metal or marble plate on a
table. Hard acrylic sheets or Formica countertop material
will also suffice, but acrylics have a greater tendency
to stick to these surfaces, especially if they are allowed
to dry.
If a printing press (like those used for wood block
printing) is going to be used, the material must be
flexible enough not to crack as pressure is applied.
An acrylic sheet like Plexiglas® or Acrylite®
will be able to resist this pressure, up to a point.
A thin metal plate would also suffice.
For a hand-rubbed print, glass or marble works very
well. Local glass houses often have sheets of plate
glass that were cut incorrectly, which they sell for
good prices. Be sure to have them round the edges to
minimize the risk of injury. Place a sheet of white
paper underneath the glass to better show what the print
will look like. Darker surfaces will not allow a true
image of the print. Glass and marble are also very easy
to clean with a razor scraper if the acrylic paint dries
on them.
If a translucent surface is used, the artist can also
put a sketch, photograph, or other reference material,
directly under where they are applying paint. Keep in
mind that printing gives a mirror image of what is applied
to the surface, so lettering needs to be reversed to
make it legible.
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Mixing Monoprinting Paints
Monoprinting with Oil Paints, Printing Inks
and Acrylics:
Because of their slow drying characteristics,
artist oil paints would seem ideal for monotype. However,
the linseed oil will break down the wood fiber and rag
content in the pulp, causing it to yellow and eventually
decompose1. Many of the earlier prints that were made
by artists have not survived because of this. The quick
absorption of the linseed oil into the paper will cause
the oil paint to rapidly become brittle and eventually
it will crack and delaminate. A heavy, high-quality
cotton rag paper (such as a 200 lb. watercolor stock)
would perform much better for oil paint monoprinting,
but the long term archival-ness would still be questionable.
Lithography inks or other printing inks have generally
been the main media for monoprints, but they too have
drawbacks and limitations. The main vehicle (what carries
the pigment) used in oil inks is a quick-drying linseed
oil, which can be blended with driers, greases, waxes,
solvents, anti-skinning agents, or other extenders2.
Resin-solvent inks have a resin-solvent varnish as the
vehicle. They too can have various extenders, driers,
and other modifiers added to them. Most litho inks are
developed with a combination of varnishes. An "oil
varnish" is mixed with a "resin-solvent"
varnish. Depending on the use of the ink, an alkyd varnish
can also be included.
Although these inks can work quite well for monoprinting,
they must be blended with volatile solvents for better
workability. Most of these solvents are flammable and
emit offensive vapors. Obviously, these inks are made
for printing onto paper, and are somewhat archival,
but thicker applications (of the kind that are applied
during monoprinting) can result in tacky, slow drying
prints. Working with these inks for most artists would
be difficult and potentially hazardous, especially without
proper ventilation.
Regular acrylic paints, such as GOLDEN Fluids or Heavy
Body Acrylics, typically dry too fast for a monoprint.
By the time even quick images are ready to print, they
are already becoming tacky, which results in poor printing.
GOLDEN Retarder will aid in slowing down the drying,
but requires more blending with mediums and water to
get a satisfactory paint mix. Although it is possible
to make good "inks" for monoprinting with
these combinations, extensive testing and experimentation
is required to produce repeated positive results.
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Acrylic
Mixtures
GOLDEN Artist Colors currently makes several slow-drying
additives and acrylic mediums that can work quite well
for monoprinting:
Retarder:
GOLDEN Retarder is a slow-drying additive that can be
blended with acrylic paints, gels and mediums. It allows
an artist more control over the amount of retardance
rate of their mixtures. To reduce the chance of any
adverse film formation issues, we recommend adding no
more than 15% GOLDEN Retarder to a paint mixture. However,
because the monoprinting image is usually transferred
to an absorbent paper, the normal concerns of adding
too much Retarder to a mix is less of an issue.
To create inks that have a greater translucency and
adequate open time, approach the mixtures in a two-step
manner. Begin by blending either the Heavy Body or Fluid
Acrylics with GOLDEN Polymer Medium, Matte Medium, or
GAC 100, 500, 700, & 800, to achieve the desired
translucency and brushing quality. Then begin to add
in the Retarder at increments of approximately 5-10%
of the entire volume of the mixture. The amount of Retarder
should allow just enough working time to achieve the
print.
Silk-Screen Medium:
GOLDEN Silk-Screen Medium was developed for blending
with the Fluid and Heavy Body paints to make a silk-screen
ink that minimizes drying in the screen. This product
also works quite well for monoprinting because the working
properties needed are similar. Blends of equal parts
paint to Silk-Screen Medium are a good starting point.
Increase or reduce the amount of medium to paint as
needed. For additional instruction, refer to the GOLDEN
Product Information Sheet on Silk-Screen Medium.
Acrylic Glazing Liquid:
GOLDEN Acrylic Glazing Liquid was made for interior
decorative and faux finishing. It is also proven to
be quite useful in fine art applications when a slower
drying paint is needed. Equal blends of paint to Glazing
Liquid are suggested to begin with, then adjust as needed
for desired transparency. Acrylic Glazing Liquid differs
from straight Retarder because it is a mix of Retarder,
acrylic and water that forms a film by itself. This
means that artists can add as much medium as they desire
without the concern of poor film formation. The freedom
allows the artist to concentrate on creating art instead
of worrying about blending concerns. Refer to the GOLDEN
Information Sheet on Acrylic Glazing Liquid for further
details and suggestions.
GOLDEN Glazes:
GOLDEN Glazes are premade decorative/fine art glazes
based on the Acrylic Glazing Liquid formula. Most colors
are approximately a 10:1 blend of Acrylic Glazing Liquid
to Heavy Body Paint (respectively). Metallic (Iridescent)
and Opalescent (Interference) colors are approximately
3:1. They can be used as is or blended with other glaze
colors or acrylic paints and do not require any adjustments
to achieve maximum open time. Brochures on the glazes
are available upon request.
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Paint
Application
Taping off Working Area:
Before applying any paint, tape off an area on the working
surface (glass, marble, etc.) approximately one inch
larger on all sides than the paper to be used. This
will make composing the print area much easier. If the
surface is translucent, as with glass or clear acrylic
sheeting, the work area can be sectioned off from underneath.
Film Thickness:
It is important not to apply paint too thickly, as the
image will not transfer as cleanly. With some experimentation,
an understanding of the amount of paint required will
develop. This understanding is extremely important when
several layers of paint are applied for one print. Any
thickness that appears as being thicker than a normal
brush stroke will most likely smear as it is transferred
to the paper.
Wet in Wet Applications:
For even easier blending, apply a colorless layer of
Silk-Screen Medium or Acrylic Glazing Liquid to the
surface before any paint additions. This can allow for
stronger, undiluted colors to be applied and manipulated
without drying too quickly.
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Preparing
the Paper
Selecting the Paper:
Without going too deeply into the question of what type
of paper should be used to create fine art, it is important
to know what makes a paper archival. This becomes critical
when the artist has done enough experimentation and
is ready to focus on creating fine art with the monotype
process.
Modern, "archival" papers, used for artwork
and high quality publications, are made with high "rag"
content. This means that they are produced from cotton
rather than wood pulp. Newsprint is made from wood pulp,
which fades and crumbles very rapidly. Watercolor paper
is typically made from rag fibers, which break down
much more slowly3.
"Acid-Free" is another important attribute
of an archival paper. Paper that is made with an inherently
high acidity (such as those produced with alum) will
break down even under ideal, ambient conditions. Today,
manufacturers of high quality papers produce papers
that are slightly alkaline, which serves to buffer the
paper from the harsh acidic environmental factors, especially
smog and acid rain.
Preparing the Paper for Monoprinting:
Traditionally, dampening the paper is required to allow
it to easily pull away from the surface. It can keep
the paper from adhering to the printing "block",
as fast drying inks tend to make excellent glues. When
monoprinting with slow drying acrylic mediums, it is
not necessary. However, some types of paper or conditions
may require it.
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Transferring the Image
Applying the Paper:
Once the image is complete, quickly, but carefully lay
the paper onto the surface. Be sure to not move or re-position
the paper once it has made initial contact. For larger
prints, slightly bow the paper and let the center make
first contact with the surface. Then allow it to flatten
naturally, which will reduce the chance of an air pocket
developing.
Rubbing or Pressing the Image:
There are several methods that may be employed for this
procedure. The simplest manner is to gently rub with
the palm or heel of the hand in a gentle circular motion.
Laying a cloth down first can even out the pressure
to create a more uniform print.
A brayer roller, used in printing to pick up ink, can
also work well to evenly press the paper down. Gently
roll across the paper, increasing pressure slightly
after the print has been throughly pressed initially.
A manual printing press can also be used for the mentioned
monoprinting techniques, although pressure normally
used for wood block or other methods of printing can
be excessive for a monoprint. Test which amount of pressure
seems to work best for different equipment.
Pulling the Print from the Surface:
To avoid moving the print while lifting, use one hand
to secure a corner and the other to pull up from the
opposite corner. Being careful not to touch the image,
place it face up onto a drying rack or wherever the
print can dry undisturbed.
Allow proper drying (all ink loses it's tack) before
further handling. Do not stack prints directly on each
other. The acrylic paint can act as a glue and adhere
it to the back of another print.
Refer to the GOLDEN Varnishing Information if the piece
is to be displayed openly, as the paper would have to
be properly sealed and varnished to protect it. Otherwise,
treat the print as one would any other fine art print
or watercolor.
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