Black Monoprint

A couple of monoprints I have been doing today! 

Monoprinting

Today I have been really busy developing my drawings for the new brief and thinking of lots of different ways to create unusual motifs for the theme 'folklore'. One of my favourite techniques I have been working with today is monoprint. It's a very simple technique and can sometimes look a bit boring (I think so), but if you have a play around with it and experiment with different ways of creating a monoprint, you can get a really interesting outcome. 

Here's one I did today!

There is a few ways you can monoprint and people tend to have their own habits. But this is how I do it anyway...

I started off by choosing a drawing from my sketchbook that I wanted to develop. I began to trace it because you will need to stick it down on the back of the paper your monoprint will be going on. You could also photocopy it but It's only a simple design so I thought i'd quickly trace it. 

I wanted two layers of colour on my monoprint, so I traced the thick stalks of my flowers first on one sheet of tracing paper and on a separate sheet, I traced the flower heads and a few leaves.  

I then prepared my board by squeezing a small dollop of mono paint and rolling it until it's a very thin layer. With masking tape I then stuck down my first traced image on the back of the paper where my print will go. I then went over the image with a pen whilst being careful not to lean on the rest of the paper because it will smudge the monoprint on the other side.

Then gently peel off the paper to find your first layer. I then repeated the last few steps for my second layer but using a different colour. 

...and here's my final outcome! I think it has created a really nice motif and has the potential of maybe being used in a final piece after a little cleaning up and a bit more development. 

Dreaming About Wolves.

I always have dreams/nightmares which involve this wolf! I wonder what the meaning is for that? If there is one... 
I drew this using charcoal, graphite and ink. 

Drawing Techniques and Media

I haven't posted anything for while as I have been super busy over the summer with various things. But now I am back at college I have more time to concentrate on the subject I really love. Here's a few bits and bobs I have been working on this week. 
My new brief is to create 3 garment fronts based on my chosen theme 'folklore'. So like any project, I start of by drawing a few sketches including techniques such as blind, opposite hand and continues line drawings using different shades of graphite and fine liner. I then go on to draw more analytical and tonal drawings using a wide range of media such as graphite, stick and ink, pen and watercolour. These drawings are just the early stages before I start to develop them in to something much more interesting. 

Recycling Skateboards

Woah! Japanese artist Haroshi sculpts amazing three-dimensional art pieces by using old, recycled skateboards and an unusual technique to create a mosaic effect. 



  

Jen Stark

I am in love with LA based artist Jen Stark's colourful and wonderful work. Her unbelievable attention to detail emphasizes her eye for colour and imaginative style through out her sculptures and drawings.

Deformed Faces

German based artist Annegret Soltau creates a reflection on identity through her work by collaging and manipulating photographs of her self. Throughout her work in the series Selbst (self) she uses black thread by tying it around her face to deform her facial features then photographs herself. With the outcome of the photo she would then stitch over it to create a filigree of threads over her face.










































Another interesting series of work by Solatau is the series Mutter-Glück (Motherhood) which involves photographs of a mother with her daughter and son. This is another collection of work which is based on manipulating and sewing over the tops of photographs to create a deformed face. 







Here's a few more from various series of work by Annegret Soltau...