Monoprints and monoptypes
The most painterly method
among the printmaking techniques, monoprints and monotypes are essentially
printed paintings.
The characteristic of
this method is that no two prints are alike; although images can be similar,
editioning is not possible.
The appeal of the monotype 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.
The process of monoprinting and
monotype printing is the same: the artist applies colour directly onto a
surface and then prints it running it under a press. Monoprints though have
a pattern or part of an image which is constantly repeated in each print.
Artists may use etched plates or some kind of pattern such as lace, leaves,
fabric or even rubber gaskets, to add texture. Monotype prints instead are
in ONE copy only. A clean and unetched plate is used and images are created
with nothing that can be reproduced.
