MASKED MONOPRINTS & WAXY TRANSFERS

TWO BRIGHT IDEAS TO TRY! 

MASKING with flat paper cut-outs enhances this

first technique, monoprinting. I usually roll

water-based printing ink onto a sheet of
Plexiglas and draw or scrape designs directly
on that surface. I used rubber tips and many
other scraping tools to make lines, shapes,
and patterns.

TIP: Work quickly so the ink doesn't get too

dry.

 Then add the paper masking shapes, which                            

you could prepare ahead of time if you know

what your theme or motif is.

 

Lay the paper shapes on top of the still-wet

ink, wherever more white is to be preserved.

Place the sheet of printing paper onto the

inked, designed surface. Press all over the

back with the flat of your hand. Peel the

I used oil pastels on this monoprint.

print off, let dry.

While the black-and-white
prints have graphic appeal,

they’re even more delightful
when partly colored. Use
dry media when the print is

thoroughly dry: colored

pencils or pastels (oil or chalk).

However, if you printed with oil-based ink or acrylics,
the print is not water-soluble and you can colorize

with inks or watercolors!



This page spread appears in the November issue of Arts & Activities
Magazine, which any visual arts educator should have!

IMAGE TRANSFER with waxed paper is exciting. 

Computer images that are graphic and black &            

white work best on the waxed paper.                                 

 

The final print will be reversed.

First, the computer image must be no larger

than 8.5” x 11.”  Cut both smooth watercolor

paper and waxed paper to that size, too.

Then dampen the watercolor paper with

water and wipe it off, because too much

water will make the print blur terribly.

Set that aside but don't let dry too much.

 

To prevent wrinkles or jamming the printer,

scotch tape the waxed paper smoothly to a                                                

sheet of printer paper at the top. 

Image transfer on waxed paper.

Or use repositional adhesive spray at the top end.
Either side of the waxed paper works.

Feed the sandwich into the printer and print.

 

TIP: Definitely use an inkjet printer.

Don’t be alarmed by the “faint” print you get

on the waxed paper…it’s supposed to look like

that! Gently lay it ink-side down onto the pre-

dampened watercolor paper. Holding the

waxed paper firmly down so it doesn’t move,

press all over with your hand. Then carefully

Watercolors on sealed print.

lift the waxed paper. It will still have ink,

so be careful not to drag it.

These prints are water soluble,

so colorize with dry media only.

Or spray the print with

clear acrylic when dry,

let that dry too,

then add watercolors or inks.

 

Both techniques are easy and fun to do,

so I hope you enjoy them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



HOW TO MAKE A COLLAGRAPH PRINTING PLATE

A printmaking plate can be created much 

as is a collage, by gluing relatively 

flat materials to a surface. 

The resulting prints are called collagraphs. 

The basic principle behind a collagraph 

is that of relief printing.

Some artists distinguish between a "collage relief print" and a collagraph, the latter of which is then termed an intaglio print. (If the collaged plate is inked up and then wiped of most of the ink on its uppermost surfaces, it is then run through an etching press with dampened paper. Recessed areas or indentations in the plate hold the ink and thus print on the paper.) Some printmakers combine both methods, intaglio wiping and rolling surface color onto the plate.

For our purposes, we'll refer to collage relief prints as collagraphs. Materials with different surfaces and textures are assembled on a flat base (called the plate). The base is often made of Masonite, wood, sheet metal, or heavy cardboard. Objects in low relief are first glued to the rigid backing. The heights of the various materials should be somewhat similar--there shouldn't be too much difference in elevation. Put down newspapers or plastic to shield the work area.

Simple collagraph printing plate before being inked up and used.

Possible Materials for Collagraphs:

Woven fabric
Lace
Doilies
Rickrack
Embroidery
Braid
Buttons
Toothpicks
Clock parts
Gaskets
Sandpaper
Coins
Textured wallpaper
String
Feathers
Washers
Flat rubber pieces
Mesh
Corrugated cardboard
Screening
Flattened plants

When the glue is dry, you can make the printing plate more long-lasting
with a coat of gesso, varnish, or acrylic medium. (Varnish is a protectant,
usually clear, that may also affect the sheen of the surface.)

When the sealant has cured, select a soft but strong printing paper.                                         

Printing the Relief Plate: 
Water-based block printing ink cleans up easily later. Squeeze ink onto a glass slab and smooth it out with a brayer. Ink up all the raised areas on the collagraph plate evenly with a brayer (an ink roller) . Varied heights require careful inking. If you miss any areas, try daubing ink on the printing surface with a brush or a piece of felt.
Quickly place a clean sheet of printing paper on the inked surface. If the paper is thin, cover it with another sheet of paper before you begin rubbing. Press over it with your fingers and the flat of your hand, gently rubbing to transfer the ink to the paper. Take care to keep from tearing the printing paper. Finish by rolling a clean brayer over the paper with as much pressure as possible without damaging the paper. Peel the paper carefully from the plate and set aside (or hang it up) to dry.

The printing plate is usually, but not always, re-inked for each impression. Sometimes enough ink remains on the plate that another print, a "ghost" image, can be made.

Variations include making a multi-colored print by inking up various parts of the plate in different colors, or printing only some elements separately on the same sheet of paper. You can even add more color by hand after the print is dry! 

The same plate was printed 4 times on one paper.

(For an interesting and unusual result, overprint several different collagraph plates to create a single artwork on the same sheet of paper.)

Short How-to Video, a Painting Technique

I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch this, thinking kind thoughts since I was soooo pushing my envelope to do it. It's an imprinting method to use with watercolor or thin acrylics or inks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6GKGH06Q8U

               This method appears in the book, Painting with Mixed Media.

Painting with a Roller, Part II

The first example is similar to one shown in my last post, done with a hard rubber printmaking brayer (or a foam roller). Remember, you can curve or zig-zag as you roll on the ink or paint.

The next photograph, below, demonstrates the use of a cheap foam roller to which I took a pair of scissors! Just cut out gouges here and there in the foam, at random or symmetrically. Then ink up the roller evenly on a pane of glass or on a flat sheet of metal, plexi, or china. Use block printing ink, acrylic paint...even tempera will work (but it won't be permanent).

Here, I allowed each color to dry before proceeding with the next, but how about THIS for an idea: Ink your roller with two different colors, one on each side, and roll them simultaneously? Choose colors that work well together.

What an easy way to create decorative papers!