Blotted Line Monoprint Portraits

Hey, hey! I learned a technique called blotted line monoprinting to make portraits. Courtney Cerruti taught the virtual class via Creativebug. 

via Creativebug

In the class, Courtney mentioned a quote from Virginia Woolf, "For most of history, Anonymous was a woman." Since March is Women's History Month, this craft is a meaningful way to honor women, especially the anonymous ones or those we love who are living or have passed away.

Here are some of the portraits Courtney made using the blotted line monoprint technique: 

via Creativebug

via Creativebug

Aren't they beautiful? Let's try it, shall we?

We will need: (1) an image of an inspiring woman to trace (I'm using a cutout from a magazine for my first attempt), (2) transparency sheet, (3) washi tape, (4) drawing or mixed media paper as large as your image, (5) pointed nib pen, (6) acrylic ink (waterproof) in a container, and later, (7) watercolor and paintbrush.

Step 1: Lay the photo on your surface, making sure it is flat. 

Step 2: Position the transparency sheet on top of the photo and secure in place with washi tape. 

Step 3: Attach the drawing or mixed media paper on top of the transparency sheet with more washi tape. 

Step 4: Lift the paper so that the photo and transparency sheet are exposed. 

Step 5: Dip your pointed nib pen into the ink and trace an outline of the photo onto the transparency sheet. It doesn't have to be exact and you can use dots, dashes or lines. You have to work in sections because the ink dries quickly. Start with the hair. 

While the ink is still wet, lower the paper onto the transparency sheet and press gently. The ink should transfer on the back side of the paper. 

Step 6: Repeat Step 4 and Step 5 until you are happy with the image you've made. Put aside to dry. 

Step 7: Use a glass cleaner and a paper towel to clean off the ink from the transparency sheet. A little care allows us to use the transparency sheet over and over again.  

Step 8: A mirror image is produced...TADA! Let's add color, shading, and other embellishments using watercolor to give her more life. 

Step 9: I also added some shading with a colored pencil, highlights using a white pen, and some paint splatters...TADA!

Here is my first try using the blotted line monoprint style to make a portrait...TADA! 

I'll keep practicing and be mindful of the heaviness of the lines I make if I want to avoid the big ink splotches. 

The original image and the monoprint version. This is how I turned a blank sheet of paper from blah to TADA!

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