Monochrome printing

Mark making is a form of art which may initially have slightly primitively connotations and connections to early years educational settings. However as a postgraduate student, preparing to embark on a career in primary school teaching, I was enthralled in an expressive process involving simple resources and little direction to create monochrome printed and drawn pieces

The process begun by spreading black ink accross the table top, which in itself was somewhat mesmerising due to the textures which the paint roller created in the sticky ink. I then smothered my hand in the substance and began to use the different edges and parts of my ink covered hand to print onto the white sheet of paper. I explored the effects of pressure and saturation and moved my hand to different angles to produce interesting shapes and patterns from the skin. 

Having created a variety of shapes accross the space, I took some time to appreciate what I had created and consider a sense of meaning and form behind the simplistic but beautiful ink marks. By using a black pen to draw over and around the ink, I offered my interpretation of the art, transforming it into a new piece. 

 

Creating this piece gave me a freedom of expression without theme. The only constraints to the study were the resources, which in actual fact, proved to be liberating, as I didn't feel the need embellish my work.  I loved the rawness of the technique and became very absorbed in the abstract reflection and contemplation process. There was an strength to the piece as I had no pre-conceived ideas of where the work would go.

Following on from the use of the body as a tool, I progressed to using small 'counting blocks' which had  straight defined edges and circular cutouts. Approaching the blank paper with these blocks was very different as I had an expectation of the effect which the blocks would create. I used the different shapes to create pattern, altering the intensity of sticky ink to produce contrasting texture and tone on the piece. This piece felt almost architectural due to the edges and consistency of size which the shapes produced, contrasting considerably to the hand printing. 

This technique would work for children (or adults) of any age. It demonstrated the need for independent focus and the strength and the diversity of interpretation. 

The workshop could be paired with health and wellbeing, specifically the power of individual and celebration of difference. Furthermore, this lesson could lead onto a great literacy and English lesson based upon creative writing or poetry, influenced by the imagery subsequently drawn onto the ink marks.