Monotypes

Last week was manic, working very long hours for Kew's 250th Anniversary Scientific Conference. Exhilarating though, and we've had very positive feedback. I debated on Thursday night whether I would go to my drawing class as I was exhausted but so glad I did - we were doing monotypes ( just like Tracey Emin!) Well perhaps not the subject matter. Drawing the large cheeseplant resident in the classroom reminded me of doing so at A' level. Are they obligatory for school art I wonder?
Although I've done monoprints ( paint or ink on glass or plastic, laying leaves or making patterns then laying paper or fabric on top), this was a different process and one that excites me.

First of all we inked up a perspex sheet then carefully laid a piece of cartridge paper on top of it. Used a pencil to draw on the sheet of paper and then peeled back to reveal the print where I'd drawn. The magic was the smudginess of where my hand had touched the paper, transferring some of the ink
The plate meanwhile had white lines where the ink had been removed

Repeating the process using the same perpex sheet and adding another drawing (pencil above) gave ghostly white outlines as well as the transferred black ones in the resulting print below

The monotype at the top is the combination of these 3 drawings - I love the liveliness and complexity. I don't know how well this method would work with fabric but there's one way to find out....

I couldn't resist bringing home the waste sheet of paper on which we'd inked up our perspex sheets!

Critics comment on the childish writing in Tracey Emins' drawings but as many of these are monotypes I'm wondering whether they are a result of having to do it in reverse?