Monoprinting is a great introduction to printmaking. The process of making monotypes (the term for a single monoprint) is a simple one and can be easily accomplished in a home setting with a limited number of cheap and readily available tools.
What is Monoprinting?
As the name suggests, monoprinting is a method of printmaking which produces only a single print. Though it is sometimes possible to produce more than one image using the processes involved, usually any further prints are considered to be inferior to the primary work. The monoprint is often favoured by artists from other mediums such as painting because it produces a single unique image.
I figured that the best introduction to printmaking is a practical demonstration. This is how I learned, and you’ll get to see the in’s and out’s before you commit to buying any materials. I have therefore decided to make a video series. The first few will cover monoprinting, and from there I will move on to relief printing (woodcuts and linocuts etc.) and then silk-screen – the list goes on.
In many ways these are less tutorials and more explorations. I consider myself to always be learning and (hopefully) improving. With this in mind, you will see me make mistakes sometimes and produce images which may be less than satisfying. My aim is to show the techniques so that you may feel more comfortable exploring your own printmaking practice, rather than to show you perfection.
This is the first video in the series – Monoprinting Tutorial Video 1