Mono Printing Backgrounds for Watercolour Painting

Preparing for 5 days of plein air painting, I thought I would mono print some backgrounds before leaving home. Sticking to neutrals as the watercolour paints will add the color, I monoprinted some leaves.

1. First I placed a thin layer of acrylic paint on the gelli plate surface using a brayer to even out the layer.
2. Secondly I laid down an arrangement of leaves. With the maple leaves I added some marks simulating branches.
3. Next I laid a piece of 90 lb Arches hot press paper and rubbed on the back to transfer the image.
4. If the shapes seemed to stark in contrast I removed the leaves and pressed them into the white shapes.
5. Then I laid another paper on the gelli plate to get the reverse print. Magic happened.

These may be to dark for the backgrounds I envisioned painting landscapes on but they are intriguing nonetheless and I am looking forward adding other media to complete them.



Mono printing with a gelli plate. Maple leaves.

A small section of the second pull of the maple leaves giving a 'ghost' print.

 In the dark area between the leaves, I pressed down lace in several places to remove some of the colour and to add texture. First print.

Second print

Same technique as the above but with burnt umber acrylic paint

 

Second print. This one has enough white space, I may be able to add a landscape in the background.

Textile. Do these prints call out to you, as much as me, to be printed onto fabric? I can't wait to try it. Over dye after? To many ideas to sleep well at night!!! For a post on gelli printing on fabric click here