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You found us.

I'm not going to get all informative on you just yet with a bunch of rules and propositions about what this site will do. You can tell me what you want.

Here are some of my monotypes from my undergraduate classes (back in '98 at Illinois State University):



Each one is about 28 inches tall and was completed in a day.



I used a piece of Plexiglas, a roller, some rags, Q-tips and an arm-load of magazines for reference.



Monotype: This Planographic technique challenges one of Printmaking's main features, which is the "multiple original" concept (each print of the limited series is an original work of art in itself). Monotyping results in a single, unique print because it's made by painting or drawing the image on an unrestrained surface and then transferring it onto a sheet of paper. However, the results are distinctly graphic and their unique quality cannot be compared to those obtained by directly drawing or painting on paper.

Invented in 1640 by Italian painter Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, the matrix's surface (traditionally polished copper plates, currently any smooth, non-absorbent material such as glass or acrylic) has no permanent marks to be transferred, so the entire image depends on the unique inking and results in a unique print. The image is often executed with no previous sketch, painting or drawing on the surface of the plate. Reductive methods are often used, rolling ink on the entire surface and then removing it with brushes or rags to create light. Printing is done by pressing a sheet of paper against the matrix, and while using a printing press will result in more defined, sharper images, it can also be done by hand which makes this a great introductory technique because it doesn't require an equipped studio.

Some monotypes by Aubrey Schwartz.


"Blue Teresa" / Monotype 24 x 21"


"Susan" / Monotype 21.5 x 13.25"


"Claude Monet" / Monotype 12 x 10"


"Vincent Van Gogh " / Monotype 23 x 19"


See you in class,

-Matt