Today I worked with a technique known as Trace Monotype. This technique produces a style I find invigorating. With each type of paper, I get a very different line quality and overall image. During this session I used a light weight gampi paper, Japanese kozo, handmade cotton and abaca mix, 300 series drawing paper and 400 series mixed media paper. Quickly I learned how much I love to use gampi paper in this process. While drawing on top of the paper to create the traced image, the gampi is so thin it allows you to see every mark you make as the ink bleeds though the fibers. The gampi is able to pick up the ink is subtle ways, creating interesting affects such as in the first image, Evidence of Civilization.
Using the handmade paper continaing an abaca and cotton mix produced a variety of results because of the inconsistencies throughout each sheet. The line quality was visibly thicker than when using a lighter weight paper with smaller fibers. This paper was not too stiff allowing it to gently rest on the surface, rarely picking up ink from unintended areas.
The 300 series drawing paper and the 400 series mixed media paper was like a rock in comparison, and picked up much more of the ink throughout the surface, developing a grainier image. I preffered to use the stiffer paper to pic up the ghost print in round two.
I adore this technique because of the illustrative aesthetic and the variety of line types I can achieve using various tools and materials.
Evidence of Civilization - Gampi paper
Evidence of Civilization (ghost print) - Gampi paper
Magnesium and Charbonelle Aqua Wash ink, waiting patiently to be mixed.
In process print, the Gampi paper is so thin the image is clearly visible before removing it from the plate.
Kataharamachi
Kataharamachi (ghost print)
Kataharamachi II (ghost print)
Linear Mapping - Handmade cotton abaca mix paper
Mundane Proximity - Gampi paper
Mundane Proximity (ghost print) - 400 series mixed media paper
Window to Somewhere - Gampi paper