Monoprinting
I often get requests for online art classes for those of you who don't live here in Adelaide... so I am going to do my best at posting a few of my favourite little projects for young children over the next couple of months. They will be short and hopefully something you will feel comfortable doing at home... Of course, in Nest classes we go into much more depth and don't only focus on the method as done here... you could go for a walk or read a favourite book etc .. to get imaginations flowing.
Step 1 you will need :: block ink (it is sticky not runny), ink roller, paper, plastic sheet (or plastic placemat you can ruin), pencil & butter knife
Step 2 Using your butter knife, spread a large grape sized dollop of ink onto the plastic sheet
Step 3 Roll the ink gently in an up/down rolling motion, until the ink has spread the width of your roller
Step 4 Now roll the ink in a left to right motion until you start to smooth it out over the length of the plastic sheet
Step 5 Aternate this with the up/down motion until the whole sheet is covered nice and smoothly and thin
Step 6 Gently place the paper over the ink covered plastic sheet, DO NOT TOUCH the paper as it will leave big fat finger marks.... you may like to hold the paper down in the corner where there is no ink for your little artist when they begin drawing. Now this is the fun part.... START DRAWING (but remember not to touch the paper, show your child how to hold the pencil upright so that their little hands don't rest on the paper... although sometimes this can make for a nice texture)
Gently pull the paper away and presto! a really stunning monoprint appears, this photo does no justice to the delicate texture that the ink creates under the pressure of the pencil.
Try using different things to draw with (fingers, sticks..) and you can let this dry and get out other ink colours for a layered ..two/three/four coloured monoprint. Lily went ahead and used watercolour pencils to add some colour to her prints :: Above print is a cat with lovely long whiskers :: Top is another cat but this one has many wings for flying.... next to Lily on her first day of "proper" Kindy this week.
I have so much fun with my Moopy's art ... here is the "flying cat" with digital colour added and printed up on my trusty bubble jet.
Wow! I love the idea of scanning the kids' artwork and adding the color on the computer, then printing... I think I'll make some greeting cards as gifts for grandparents!
Posted by: Julie | 27 February 2009 at 02:46 PM
Wow. Very lovely result!
g.
Posted by: g. | 19 February 2008 at 07:02 AM
Guauuuu...great!!!!!...lovely
Posted by: belula | 19 February 2008 at 02:32 AM
A great tutorial :) And look at Lily! What a sweetheart ... love the drawings, very beautiful.
C
xoxo
Posted by: button | 16 February 2008 at 11:55 PM
Thanks for sharing. I'd love to know the process for digitally adding color if you ever have time.
Posted by: zoesquid | 14 February 2008 at 02:30 PM
Ah this is sure fun.. =) Thanx to share the project. I should make this with my little sisters. Have a nice day.
Posted by: pupu | 12 February 2008 at 06:29 PM
That is really neat! Something my little one would love to do!
Posted by: Haylee's Gifts | 12 February 2008 at 01:13 PM
Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing!
Posted by: Carrie | 08 February 2008 at 01:57 AM
Thanks for sharing this project, I haven't tried this technique with my young kids before but it's perfect. Oh my and I especially love the added color !
Posted by: Laura | 08 February 2008 at 12:44 AM
I tried it myself this afternoon. It's so easy and quite a different effect to drawing.
Posted by: Claire | 07 February 2008 at 01:17 PM
Brilliant, I want to do one of these myself!
PS. The You Make My Day award is waiting for you over at my blog.
Posted by: Spin Spin | 06 February 2008 at 10:13 AM
Thank you for sharing this method. I have been wondering about monoprint for a while (even had discussions with my all-knowing father: 'why do you print, if you can only do one of a kind ? Why not draw right away...?'... the finesses were lost on him, I guess) and hadn't found photos of neither technique or result.
Posted by: Julia | 05 February 2008 at 11:55 PM
The texture is the thing with monoprints that totally make it! Very lovely drawing as well. I love working with ink over the print as wells.
Posted by: Anna Laura | 05 February 2008 at 11:02 PM
I have never thought about doing monoprints like this and would never have guessed that it would work so wonderfully! You avoid all that carving with the little ones. Thank you for sharing this! Your daughter is so adorable!!!
Posted by: bethany | 05 February 2008 at 10:44 AM
that came out terrific!
thanks for sharing.
Posted by: kat | 05 February 2008 at 09:54 AM
what a great project! it sounds really doable with students of all ages - definitely something i'll have to try. thanks for sharing the pics!
Posted by: shisomama | 05 February 2008 at 06:45 AM