More Linocut over Monoprint

In my combination mono/lino prints my initial explorations revolved around depicting water in monoprint. I tried a range of compositions and source images studying reflections and ripples in paint before recreating this as multilayered monoprints. I explored additive and reductive techniques and exaggerated colours to create vibrant skies and seas and muted them to create moody moonlit scenes.

 I then contrasted this with a stark leafless winter tree in the fore ground. I traced a couple of tree designs onto acetate and laid them over my monoprints and found that the more realistic tree looked out of place on my more experimental monoprints. I developed the design of the tree to make it less realistic, to allow it to fit in a more impressionistic landscape. This gave me the freedom to develop my monoprints in a range of directions, and still maintain some unity between the two components of the image.

I tried to develop these prints a bit by varying the composition. I added a second block in this first print. I created a reductive, loose mono print for the background, giving the effect of the moonlit sea knowing it will be mostly covered but the two blocks. . To create this I did not use traditional registration, I placed the blocks on the paper in the right position then turned all over, unfortunately they moved slightly, this meant the print was slightly blurred.
 

 I also tried offsetting the block to alter the composition. I had to mask off part of it to maintain a white border around the print. This was a simple way to create a new image and gave a different perspective on the mono print as more of it was visible, it became more of a focal point.

I have created an interesting range of prints for this project

When viewed together they show a range of ideas and techniques that I think shows depth of exploration for this project.