Monoprints

Trees have been a constant subject that I draw. To me, they represent innocence, much like the tree from the Garden of Eden. They are ever-growing; I might even say they are a representation of stoicism. While the figures in my work illustrate the emotional range of humans, the tree embodies the opposite.

A new start

Occasional workshop inductions and little experiments aside, I have little to no experience in monoprinting. It always feels very daunting, and the results are seldom successful. Fiona encouraged me to try mono-printing. This is the first piece I created: a three-layer monotype on wood. The image is inspired by a lenticular print of Jesus and Mary that I found on the street. I scanned it, allowing the two images to merge into one. I aimed to capture the moment where the two images intersect through this monotype.

There are two aspects of this image that I particularly appreciate. The first is the hands; they are vague, as I only drew them in silhouette. Amidst the surrounding details and noise, they stand out as the focal point due to their blindingly white appearance. The second element is the face. Jesus and Mary blend into one, and I am surprised by how much I can layer and overlap while still retaining their distinct features. This duality reminds me of the duck-rabbit illusion.

Monotype is fun, but I hated the grainy texture it inherently has. It is also really unpredictable because there are no accurate ways to register the image through different layers. It’s a lofi way to introduce the unpredictability and unique texture that printmaking could bring to the table. I will not do this for my work in the short term.

My first big monoprint

After the mono-printing experiments, I wanted to see if I could marry both drypoints and monoprints together. I first started with similar imagery that I had used before just to test things out. Drypointing on a thin aluminum plate is much harder than I remembered. I also heard from a classmate that aluminum is pretty toxic for human beings, so I started wearing masks and minimizing contact with the plate. These plates are free and great for experiments, but I would use a thicker plate next time. The thin plate wobbles around, and it is very easy to dent a corner or two. This is something I need to take into consideration when I am striving for perfection.

https://www.illusionsindex.org/i/duck-rabbit

An Evolution of Mary

After the first experiment with monotype, I soon moved on to mono-printing. There are two main ways to do it. The first is to draw with thinned-down paintings onto smooth surfaces, and print. This method shown on the left never worked as I wished it did. I think this method relies a lot on experience and feeling. The amount of oil or solvents it takes to thin the paint down to an optimal level when it is smooth enough to paint with a paintbrush but solid enough to be printed on paper. I haven’t found that balance yet, resulting in really streaky prints. The other thing is I haven’t figured out why I should do this kind of print, it is basically an oil painting that has been reversed. Something that I am glad I tried, but will not develop further in the near future.

The second method is to roll ink on a smooth surface, then use various equipment like cloth, brushes, and pointy points to wipe the ink away. I have always been interested in wood engraving, a process where I am carving light into darkness, this monoprint method is similar to that. This might be the reason I am very drawn to this method. The crispy white edges against the velvety black background never get old. I am still in an early development stage with this method, there are still a lot of improvements I could make. I screwed up on Mary’s face in my opinion. Using a cloth and a thick brush I was provided at that moment meant that I couldn’t get into the details. I wonder if I have more time to sculpt those faces and more patience to map out a complete image, what amazing artwork I can achieve. Every time I do mono-printing, my brain always pushes me to do it quickly. Maybe it is how mono-printing is perceived as the ‘faster’ type of printmaking, or maybe I watch one too many short videos on mono-printing. I need to finish them quickly, the result is often a hasty mess. This is a mentality that I need to change in order to produce higher-standard monoprints. I will look out for this sort of perception in the future.

A merge between drypoint and monoprint

This is the final monoprint I did and my favorite one so far. I tried to be looser with the drypoint process on the plate. Grabbing the drypoint needle like an ape, relying on my forearm to draw instead of my wrist. It resulted in deep scratches and uncontrollable strokes. After looking at those scratches, I had an idea to roll ink on top instead of inking it like an intaglio. Because of the raised burr lines from the scratches, the ink from the roller wasn’t able to touch the lines, it created a reversed intaglio. I then wiped the plate with a cloth to create light. Maybe the press pressure is wrong, or the paper is too wet, but the black parts are patchy instead of a beautiful black. The imagery is also very rough, the hands I have shown and kept in the previous images are gone. It is a fun experiment and I love how the unconscious drypoints I did are harsh, while the conscious wiping of the monoprints is soft. The textures of different techniques may be a good way to show the state of being I was in when creating artwork and converse with the audience when they are looking at the final work.