This section was all about experimenting with masks, layers of colours, painted printing plates etc. To start off I experimented with layering colours using the same mask. First of all I overprinted a positive mask in a different colour and then overprinted with the negative mask in a third colour.
I liked the effect of this.
I experimented with different masks, here I used a piece of paper paced at an angle to create interest at the corners.
I also overprinted ghost prints to create multicoloured backgrounds.
Here I rotated the masks to get mirror prints
The next stage was to explore the possibilities of texturing the ink surface to add a further dimension to the final print. I had great fun with this.
Here are some of the initial textures I created by impressing various items into the ink:
Next I used a combination of textured ink and masks:
Next we were asked to make a print depicting a landscape or townscape. I decided on a townscape. I did this in layers with rollers and masks, texturing the ink with bubble wrap.I can see the possibilities to take this forward which I will do in the next section.
Lastly we were asked to create a design directly on the printing plate using a cotton bud to wipe away the ink. On the second print I used some torn pieces of paper to create a mask. I then overprinted onto a ghost print. Other variations are using the masks in a collage.
Here are some more experiments with a cotton bud!
I am looking forward to using a variety of these techniques in the next section where i will work on producing four completed final monoprints.