A trace mono type is a form of printmaking that is very simple to do. It can be done with very little  any specialized equipment.

All you need is some water miscible oil paint, a roller (brayer), a slick surface to roll out the oil paint and some paper.

In class this week I distributed a sheet of acetate, A4 size which is perfect for rolling out your ink.

Water miscible oil paint is available at all art stores and I recommend the cheapest brand you can find. It should not cost more than $10.00 and will last a lifetime. I suggest a burnt umber, sepia or a dark blue as black is very harsh. If you are lucky enough to already have some printmaking ink that will do perfectly. Using acrylic paint is also fine, but bear in mind that it will dry so quickly when rolled out that you may not get an image.

Roll the ink on the slick surface very thinly and then place your pre-cut paper to size lightly over the inked surface.

Try not to lean hands or fingers on the paper surface as those  will imprint on the paper from the inked surface.

You can free hand draw on the paper with a blunt end of a paint brush of a run dry ball point pen….anything that is not going to be sharp and tear the paper.

If you have a drawing you would like to transfer, you can either trace over it or get another piece of paper and place underneath the drawing directly on the inked area. Place some masking tape down on the paper and the acetate plate to stop them from moving about.

When you have finished drawing the image carefully lift the paper from the plate. Bear in mind that as with all printmaking the image produced will be in reverse.

It will take some practice to get the pressure of the mark making right but it is very rewarding to see the beautiful marks that are made on the print. To start just use copy paper until you are confident with the technique.

These prints can be used on mixed media works, as stand alone prints or enhanced in many ways.

So happy creating and ask me if you have any problems.