Print 1. Project 13: Final prints

The monoprints have been made using a base of 3mm foamex board which has had some markings made in it.  Using a lino tool I cut a few flower outlines, cardboard diamonds were placed on the clean surface and the foamex run through the press to indent the shapes, a saw-blade and razor were used to cut a range of fine lines

I reverted back to my oil based inks for the monoprints and initially decided on ultramarine blue, quinacridone red and hansa yellow light.  In the past I’ve done a lot of colour mixing but as fun-fair colours are naturally bright and striking I decided that clean primaries would be best, with natural intermingling as I layer them.

Top row: I roughly rolled the colour on, overlapping in places.  The inked plate is on the left with the print on the right.  I quite like this.
Bottom row: without cleaning the plate I added more colour.  Once the main coverage was completed I reloaded a small roller with yellow and ‘bounced’ it on the surface, only allowing it to roll a short distance at a time.  On the second attempt more blue was  added in the same way.  I’m not sure about these two as the colours are quickly becoming more dull as they mix.

I continued to make more samples as can be seen from the prints below.

Both linocuts are printed in deep blue/black on 110gsm cartridge paper.  Left: The colour mix has worked well on most of this print although the blue hasn’t quite been integrated as well as I should have done.  There’s a bit of a colour line across the work.  Right: The background is too strong although I like the top and bottom right hand corners.  The scratched foamex and lino-printed flowers have come up well.

I believe you should show the bad as well as the good and these aren’t my best.  Both linocuts are printed in deep blue/black.  Left: 110gsm cartridge paper.  Awful, awful colour placement.  Just didn’t think enough about the end result.  Right:  Shin Mingeshi paper (what a waste!).  Marginally better but I think reducing or eliminating the blue might work better.  The background coverage on this isn’t quite so heavy.

Left: Awagami paper. Better integration of the blue on the monoprint, still blue/black horses.  Right: 110gsm cartridge.  I love the red horses, I hate the background.  I’d like to redo the horses with a much better monoprint.  Neither of these have come out great.

Left: Stonehenge paper (dry).  I know there is a tendency for ink not to transfer well on these thicker cotton based papers unless they are dampened.  However, I wanted to see the effect on this particular print.

The monoprint ink was very lightly applied by small rollers and then faintly spread with coarse dry brushes.  The horses are printed in dark purple.

I can see some progress here.  The horses are more prominent and the entire composition doesn’t appear so heavy.

Enough of this, it’s time to get smarter……..

I rolled a good layer of hansa yellow light over the whole plate, adding other colours with dry brushes and cotton buds and a mask was a laid over the surface where the horses will print.

Both linocuts are printed in a deep phthalo green/black mix.  Left: Kozo paper.  Right: Awagami paper.  Fantastic outcomes.  Slightly uneven rolling on the right-hand horses but really good backgrounds in both.
I decided to have another go with the colours from the left-hand print as I really like the effect, but the bottom right-hand side flowers haven’t come up quite as sharply as I would like.

The final print and I’m delighted.  I should move on but am tempted to do another couple with the horses in different colours.  Would like to try the red ones again, with a mask.

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