Hi everyone!

[B]Strange question but, how does one go about using watercolor paint for white-line prints and monotypes?[/B]

Do you paint the block with all the layers you want, let it dry and then print? Or do you paint a layer-print-paint a layer-print before each layer of paint dries on the block (or plate)?

Can you print with dry paper? Or lightly misted paper? Does it have to be soaked?

How in the world do you straighten the paper if you’ve wet it? LOL.

Any help would be appreciated!

Jen

Hi Jen
not sure I fully understand what you define as a white line print? are you referring to a jigsaw print with separate pieces having water based paint or ink applied to each individually and reassembled?

For watercolor medium you might be best to print onto a slightly damp surface so yes misting will aid with that. For white line I apply watercolour or water based ink to the sections and print everything at once either using hand burnishing or passing through the press.
When doing a monotype you can engage similar method (everything painted onto the matrix and print all in one go) or you can build it up in layers. The secret there is keeping the print paper and surface from which your media is applied (plexi, glass, metal, etc….) in some form of registration even as simple as hinging your print paper to fold it back while you rework the matrix.

I have used gum adhesive butchers tape and secured my damp paper to a larger board (thin mdf hardboard works well as does flat wall panelling type product). This allows the paper to settle and remain flat without developing a buckle in it while it dries. Learned this from watercolor painting techniques many years back.

Good luck!

thanks for the clarificatin Jen
Diane has a link to the baren forum for the Provincetown method. It has a sort of influence of Japanese woodblock to it, perhaps mostly in the watercolor being painted onto the block in stages

some additional info. you might find useful in relation to monotypes
Duralar make a wet media film (9 x 12″ and up to 20 x 25 “) that accepts water based media beautifully without beading.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/grafix-dura-lar-wet-media-film/
Last year I gave a workshop in monotypes and participants tried it out with great results in most cases. However we did use a press which gave a slightly better image transfer than that from hand burnishing.
http://www.myprintmakingjourney.blogspot.ca/2011/04/hosting-monotype-workshop.html

Yes damp paper will reactivate the watercolor to a certain degree but I found a very light misting to the paper surface just before printing helped reactivates the dried watercolor paint to transfer better. Be careful though…you do not want it too wet or you’ll get bleeding of the media.
If you are working off a plastic surface you can lightly sand the surface and apply a thin layer of liquid dish detergent or gum arabic solution before adding in the water based media. This will help contain the watercolor and aid in prevention of beading occuring.

Hello Jen,

Here is a link to some experimental work (monoprints ) I made with lino and watercolor.
I applied thick tube watercolor on the blocks (one uncarved one for the background and one for the main picture) with a brush, sometimes varying the colors. Then I textured the paint with bubble wrap or by spraying water on the block.
I slightly dampened my paper before printing. I experimented both with watercolor paper and printing paper and printing paper (BFK Reeves) was better.

I just ran across this whiteline print thread and was delighted to find it. It’s been awhile since I’ve done monoprints or woodblock prints. The white line process sounds fascinating and I will have to give it a try.

Thank you all for bring it up and all the great links you provided.

I’ll have to find a subject that is fairly simple, unambigious but that can still grab my interest. That will be an awsome task…..:wink2: