Making Prints

Monoprints

This easy mono printing art project for children is so fun to try. Find out how to make your own DIY stamps and try this beginners printing project to create your own work of art.

Mono printing is a type of printing where your print can only be made once. Mono is from the Greek language and means one, single or alone.

In other printing making techniques you can produce multiple images that are all identical but with mono-printing every single print is unique – you get only one.

The exact print created depends on many things such as how much paint you apply and how hard you press your stamp.

Famous artist in focus : Harry Bertoia

Harry Bertoia was an Italian-American artist, sculptor, and printmaker. He was born in Italy in 1915 and died in 1978.

He is famous for his chairs, sound sculptures, and monoprints.

Click through on these links to see examples of Bertoia’s work. As you look at the artworks, answer these questions:

What can you see?
What words would you use to describe the artwork?

Untitled, 1943

Untitled (#1577), ca.194

Untitled (#912), ca.1940

ART PROJECT :: MONO PRINTING

Let’s make DIY stamps and try our own mono-printing art project.

Materials needed

polystyrene containers such as pizza bases and food trays (clean, and not one that has contained raw meat):: scissors
:pencil or wooden skewer
:acrylic paints
:paper or card
:paintbrush or brayer

An easy way to try out mono printing at home is by drawing designs into polystrene, covering the polystrene with paint, and using that as a stamp to make a print. As the paint never prints with exactly the same coverage or strength, each print your make will be unique.

Then turn your stamp paint side down and press it onto your paper.

Use your fingers or a clean brayer to press gently and evenly over the back of your stamp to leave a clean print on the paper.

Carefully peel back your stamp to reveal your mono-print.

Variations to try

Collaborate to create a large-scale piece of art: lay out a long piece of paper and work together with some friends to apply a collection of mono-prints. Your finished piece will be as unique as your fingerprints! You might use the finished work as a play scene, backdrop, or gift wrap.

Try mon printing using fabric paint, printing onto a piece of fabric or a t-shirt.

For a different mono-printing technique, apply plaint over the surface of a mirror or a sheet of plastic. Create a pattern in the paint using your fingers or paintbrushes. Press a sheet of paper over the design to take a print of it. Carefully peel back the paper to reveal your monoprint.

And Remember...

How to make DIY stamps

Cut out circles, squares or rectangles from your pizza bases and food trays to make stamps.

Use pencils or wooden skewers to draw a design onto each stamps. Press your pencil down into the polystyrene to create dots, lines, and shapes. A simple, clear design works best.

Use a print brush or brayer to apply paint to your stamp.

Report abuse