Reduction Monotype

Monotype and Monoprint are two printmaking techniques that I have always gravitated to in my print practice. Both are a single unique image created from a plate. A monotype is made from printing ink from an unmarked surface, in this technique the image cannot be a multiple. After printing the ink from the plate, very little remains. What little ink remains after printing, can be printed again to make a 'ghost' of the first image. A monoprint is a unique print that is created from a plate or surface that could be more than one, but the choice has been to print it only once in that way. (i.e. printing an etched plate with different colour inks or styles of wiping, etc.) 

Over the years, I have collected many images and demonstration documentation and thought it might be good to share them here in a series on various types of monotypes and  monoprints.

Reduction printing is one of the techniques used in creating a monotype. It is sometimes called, the painterly print. I love the hands on immediacy of working in this way. Degas enjoyed this technique for being able to quickly capture people and events in a painterly style but with a bit more graphic results. In his practice he would later work on the second (or ghost image) print with chalk pastels or paint. 

Below are a variety of examples of my reduction monotypes from over the years.

This last image is Degas. The rest are mine. For more examples, google search 'reduction monotypes' in images. There is a huge range of what is possible.