Click on the picture to see a larger version.

Our pink dogwood is in full bloom a week earlier than last year.

I used a sheet of 8×10 inch plexiglass as a plate for this monoprint. I did six layers of colors over two days. I first printed the darks using a mix of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. Next I did the the greens and yellows. The third printing used white and carmine to make pinks. Then I overprinted with light yellow. Next I printed the darks again to make them darker and to clean up the edges around the blossoms. I then added more variety of pinks mixing white, carmine, rose, and red violet. I did a few touch ups directly on the print with a brush, and finally I added a few small details – the centers of the blossoms and a few stems – with colored pencils.

I like this method of painting. There’s lots of room for happy accidents. The paint does unexpected things when it is transferred from the plate to the paper. It creates interesting textures. Also there are unanticipated overlaps and gaps in the colors because each color is applied separately and needs to be painted in reverse.

Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media 9×12 inch (23×30.5 cm) paper, Schmincke Horadam gouache, Golden Acrylic Retarder, Albrecht Dürer Faber-Castell and Caran D’Ache Supracolor II watercolor pencils, cotton swabs, and Arteza flat waterbrush. Image is 8×10 inches (20.3×25.4 cm).

Jim

Click the picture to see a larger version.

Some art projects start with a “What if…” question. This morning I wondered, “what would happen if I used a retarder in acryla gouache to slow the dry time enough to use it to make a multi-color monoprint”? So, I made this little monoprint as a test.

Read more

Click the picture to see a larger version.

I did another 8×10 monoprint today. This time I combined gouache and watercolor pencil on the sanded plexiglass plate. I then transferred the pigments to paper. I soaked the paper for about 10 minutes, drained it, blotted it so it was damp, placed it over the plate, taped it in place at one end, and rolled over the back with a soft rubber brayer. l also rubbed the back with a stainless steel soup spoon. I was impressed with how well everything transferred to the paper. It held all the fine pencil line detail.

Hand sanded plexiglass plate 8×10 inches (20.3×25.4 cm), Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media 9×12 inch (23×30.5 cm) paper, Schmincke Horadam gouache, Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils, Arteza flat waterbrush, and a bit of Dr. Ph. Martin’s Pen White ink in a Molotow 2mm empty marker.

Jim

Click the picture to see a larger version.

I’m experimenting today with different monoprint techniques. I used a sanded plexiglass plate for this one. Previously I’ve been using overhead transparencies. The plexiglass is sanded so that it can hold watercolor and watersoluble colored pencils.

Read more

Click the picture to see a larger version.

This is my second monoprint. The process I used was to draw and scrape back watersoluble media on an overhead transparency film and then use a roller on the back of a wet piece of paper placed over the overhead to transfer the media to the paper.

Read more