Tuesday, April 17, 2007


Monoprint 'La Garita de San Juan', (3.75"x4") (9cmx10cm) ink with watercolor/tinta con acuarela



Yesterday Jen asked for an explanation between a monotype and a monoprint. It's a great question since a lot of artists, especially non-printmakers, use the term interchangeably.


All monoprints and monotypes are unique and one-of-a-kind, thus 'mono' ('one'). If a printmaker decides to give it an edition number it would be 1/1.

A monoprint uses a plate which has some kind of permanent markings on it which can be repeated over and over, always looking the same regardless of ink or paper used. Using that plate the artist will then add more paint or ink. With a monoprint, because of those permanent markings, it is easy to run a series looks similar although each individual print is unique and cannot be repeated exactly.

In the case of my ‘garita’ monoprint, the garita image is from a woodcut. It can be repeated over and over. In this particular example, I pulled a second and third print without re-inking. Thus I had a ghost print to which I added watercolor.

A monotype uses a smooth, unmarked plate or surface, and the work is created on it (brushed, rolled, painted). Because the plate has no permanent information (cuts, scratches, etchings) there is nothing that can be repeated in any subsequent pieces.

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Ayer Jen me pedio una explicacion entre monotipo y monoprint. Es una pregunta sumamente buena porque muchos artistas, especialmente los que no hacen grabado, los transposen muy confundidas.


Todos los monoprints y monotipos son unicos y por eso se usa ‘mono’ (‘uno’). Si el artista decide indicar la edicion el numero que llevara seria 1/1.

Con un monoprint se usa una placa que lleva algun tipo de marcas permanentes en ella que se puede repetir una y otra vez, siempre pareciendo lo mismo a pesar de la tinta o el papel. Usando esta placa el artista sigue anadiendo mas pintura or tinta. Con un monoprint, a causa de esas marcas permanentes, es facil hacer una serie que parece similar aunque cada grabado sigue unico y no se puede repetirlo exactamente.

En el caso de mi ‘garita’ monoprint, la imagen de la garita fue hecha de un bloque de madera. Hice un grabado de segunda y tercera generacion sin echar mas tinta en ellos. Entonces tenia un gradado ‘fantasma’ al cual anadi acuarela.

Con un monotipo se usa una placa lisa sin ninguna marca y todo el trabajo del artista esta hecha en la misma placa (brochado, allando con rodillo, pintado). Por el hecho de que la placa no lleva informacion permanente (cortes, cinceladas, grabado a agua fuerte) no hay nada que se puede repetir en piezas siguientes.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ahhhhh! Thank you, Diane! That clears up a lot. It also "wets my whistle" (as my Dad used to say) to try the process myself! :o)

The Garita piece is beautiful!

Jen

Annie B said...

So beautiful!!

Diane Cutter said...

Jen... I was one of those using the terms interchangeably but once I started to give workshops I had to really clear it up for myself. I've found teaching is the best way of learning!

Annie... Again thank you. I'm always at your blog checking your lovely work so I appreciate your 'look-sees' over here!

Anonymous said...

Yes, I like the whole thing very much, ghosts can be useful, I'll have to remember that. Lynn