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Thursday, 18 July 2019

A little monoprinting... Turning Tide



Preparing a monoprint plate for printing   ©2018LisaLeQuelenec



I wish I could share the smell and sound of sticky ink as I roll a blend of colour. It is a very satisfying part of the process for the senses. The plate is a sheet of perspex (acrylic) the edges filed down and the corners rounded off. With the ink blend rollered on I begin to draw and paint with brushes, making marks and feeling the drag on the darker ink over the colour blend. Using a rubber tipped tool I make further marks lifting off areas of ink which will show as the white of the paper. The moon is a paper mask placed on top. Now it's ready to run through the press.


I place the plate face up on the metal bed of the press, line up a piece of dampened paper on top and cover over with a thick felt blanket. I turn the crank feeling the resistance as the plate and paper pass through the roller of the press then the give as it passes through the other side. Lifting the blanket and carefully peeling back the paper is always a moment of anticipation... you can never be 100% certain what will appear.




Turning Tide III   monoprint 19.5x27cm   ©2019LisaLeQuelenec


This time I am pleased, the blend has covered well and there is a nice variety of marks. So after removing the paper moon mask and without adding or removing any more ink I run the plate through the press again with another piece of dampened paper to get what is called a ghost print.



Ghost print ©2019LisaLeQuelenec
There is much less ink to transfer onto the new piece of paper and a much more faded image results. I love these ghost prints for drawing on and playing with ideas for new work. They have become a part of my process now.

After cleaning off the plate of the remaining residual ink I am ready to start again. Once more a blended roll of colour the drawing/painting on top with a brush, removing ink, adding paper masks. Placing the print with its paper and blanket in the press and running it through. I almost always take a ghost print before cleaning the plate and starting the process again.

I find it a very meditative process but after a half dozen or so prints I start feel a little tired and my concentration starts to lag. Then I stop - look over the prints that I have made, take some quick photographs, evaluate and them place them within sheets of tissue paper that are then sandwiched between heavy boards and wait for them to dry. This can take a couple of weeks depending on how thick the ink is on the paper. Every few days I will change the tissue over for dry sheets and pop them back to bed between the boards.



Turning Tide II   monoprint 19.5x27cm   ©2019LisaLeQuelenec



Turning Tide I   monoprint 19.5x27cm   ©2019LisaLeQuelenec


The original prints are available at Seaside Studios UK on Folksy  and reproduction prints and cards at RedBubble.



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6 comments:

  1. Judy18 July 2019 at 11:59

    Absolutely gorgeous! I so love your colour palette, reflecting your seaside colours! The ghost prints are inspiring as well. Thanks for sharing your process.

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  2. Aine Scannell18 July 2019 at 23:07


    Lisa - nice to see the process going on here in your studio........

    I have seen a print technician use Akua Intaglio "Release Agent" on GHOST PRINTS
    by gently rolling a brayer already covered with the release agent (it dries transparent)
    Brayer is best if it is a large one width and diameter) so ideally you can roll it along the plate in just one 'circuit' - if it is smaller then roll it one circuit remove and if any colour ink on it roll that off and reload with the 'release agent'
    THEN ......... leave it sit there (and do its thing) for 3 minutes...then run it through the press as per normal with the blotted printmaking paper. You get a lot more 'pick-up' than you do conventionally. I switched to Akua Intaglio inks about 6 or 8 years ago and it saves you so much labour. A large plate(eg 50 x 70 cm or slightly more) that used to take me nearly 2 hours to ink + wipe, will now take 30 mins at the very most....I'm so glad I did.

    Keep up the good work love love love those blues !!!

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  3. Bruce Sherman20 July 2019 at 20:14

    Good afternoon Lisa!

    These mono prints are quite simply ethereal.. all of them. The Ghost Print... very evocative of Turner's palette and skill with minimal color and light!

    Wonderful... all of them ... different and original. One-of-a kind creations..

    Keep on rolling!

    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  4. RH Carpenter23 July 2019 at 13:58

    I had to come over as soon as I saw that gorgeous blue color!!! Lovely work and I like the information about your printing process. I, too, like the ghost prints, which can be starting points for other work, too :)

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  5. Debbie Nolan23 July 2019 at 19:01

    Wow Lisa these are superb. The Turning Tide 1 is especially breathtaking. Thank you for sharing your process too. Have a lovely week. Hugs!

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  6. Lisa Le Quelenec24 July 2019 at 11:20

    Morning Judy, thank you so much. I'm in need of the blues in this heat.

    Hi and welcome Aine. Thank you for this great tip! It is one of those now why didn't I think of that! I use Akua Caligo safewash but I don't see why it wouldn't work in the same way if I do a roll over of Caligo extender which I have. ( I love the speed of clean up and the 'workability of these inks too) I will definitely be trying this - especially as the extender will offer up even more texture to work with after. Genius! Thank you so much for sharing.

    Thank you so much Bruce. I am ceratinly enjoying rolling along at the moment with my inky fingers :o)

    Hello Rhonda, I wondered if the blues would tug at your coastal heartstrings. It is so hot here it is lovely to work with cool colours.

    Thank you Debbie, I think that might be my favourite too after living with them for a while. I am trying to think of ways that I can build on it. I fancy a tall and narrow image. What do you think?

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