This is a 6 week course, running on Monday mornings. There is no class on Easter Monday, 21 April 2025.

Gelatin plate monotype printmaking is a quick and simple process. Technically, a monotype is only one impression, so the work you create is a unique work on paper. But there is often the ability to create ‘ghost prints’. These are slightly faded impressions of the work you have made on the glass once the first print is taken. There is no need for a press, although one can be used, such as an etching or vertical pressure relief print press. The results can be surprising, subtle, dramatic, and painterly. All depending on how you work with this adaptable and exciting method of image making.

A fun course with lots of experimenting and play. Add another technique to your art tool kit. Suitable for all levels from beginner to advanced artist, with techniques that can stand alone as printmaking or be used for collage, mixed media, book making and fibre art.

Why gelatin plate?
It is so much fun, a bit like finger painting for grown ups; it will give you a kick start when your art is stuck. Prints can stand alone as a work of art, a mono-print.
Fantastic for making paper for collage. Great for fibre art. Yes, you can print on fabric. You can test out ideas quickly. Great for exploring new colour palette, and a great way to investigate abstract and abstraction.

What you will learn
First there is an extensive introduction, and we will cover best practices, tools, mediums and substrates. This will be in the first week. You will also learn how to make your own plate and explore the possibility of commercial plates. Still in the first week and second week you will play and make wonderful images and probably some uglies too. One of the great things about gelatin plate is the ease of rescuing the uglies. Using brayers, rollers and brushes with the gelatin plate and the options that you can use together with best practices and experimentation We will also explore colour is this section. During the next two weeks we will play and experiment even more. You will also develop your own ideas and explore possibilities to incorporate gelatin plate as a new tool in your own art practice.
The use of various mediums – with acrylic paints being the most widely used and easiest to handle. Acrylic paint is the medium we will use in this course. The other mediums are discussed or demonstrated. In the last two weeks we will explore many of the possibilities of gelatin plate including image transfers, layers, more colour palettes including transparent and opaque The last two weeks will also have a strong component of best practices for layering and developing your vision. How to use your finished works – Stand-alone mono-prints, for collage, etc

Materials
Attendees will need to purchase a kit for $22. This includes their own gelatin plate (to keep) and all papers, together with the use of Sandra’s brayers, rollers brushes and paints. If you use acrylic paints you may prefer to bring your own so that you have your favourite colours but it isn’t necessary.

Brushes, brayers, fingers and rags are useful, so bring along your fingers and brushes and Sandra will bring the brayers, rags, other optional tools and your gelatin plate.

You may also like to bring cheap baby wipes. Great to clean the plate with and for hands also