Monotype is a painterly method of printmaking, essentially a unique single printed painting. The appeal of the monoprint lies in the unique translucency that creates a quality of light very different from a painting on paper or a print, and the beauty of this media is also in its spontaneity and its combination of printmaking, painting and drawing mediums.
Monotypes are created by manually adding (additive method) or removing (subtractive method) ink or in my case oil paint from a plate which is then printed. Many effects can be achieved in monotypes that are not possible with any other technique. In the subtractive method you cover a surface (metal or plastic plate) entirely with colour (usually with etching or litho ink or oil paint), then you remove the ink partially or wholly to expose areas of the picture being made. This process can be carried out using brushes, toothpicks, cotton buds, foam rubber, fingers, rags, etc. With the additive method, you start with a clean plate and apply the ink or media in various ways, I use a my normal oil painting normal brushes.
I was introduced to monotypes in Italy in 2017 and absolutely loved it from the outset, the idea being its a quick way of working out if a particular motif or composition will work as a design before investing too much time in a full painting. Bizzarely, I often find myself doing montoypes after a painting, I love them as an artform in their own right and they are part of my regular practice now.
