A
monotype is created by covering a metal plate
entirely with etching ink, then removing the ink
partially or wholy for the lighter and white
areas of the picture you are making. This process
is carried out using brushes, toothpicks, cotton
swabs, foam rubber, your fingers, etc. One can
also start with a clean plate and apply the ink
in various ways, but as etching ink is a fairly
unmanageable substance it is hard to achieve the
intended effect. If the ink is too thickly
applied it will spread from the pressure when
printed, forming a blot. If too thin it won't
show up at all. Also if the ink is too thick I
suspect that in a few years the paper on which
the monotype is printed on will show
discoloration from the excess oil contained in
the ink.When the picture on the plate is
finished, it is run through an etching press with
dampened rag paper to form a unique one of a kind
print. Almost all the ink transfers fo the paper
so it is not possible to make more than one
print, hence the prefix mono. This is a difficult
technique because not only is the image reversed
when printed but while working on the plate it is
hard to see what the final effect will be when
the print is made. Many effects can be achieved
in monotype that are not possible with any other
technique.
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