Apart from photography, I also enjoy creating art, however, finding time can be a bit of a challenge.
If only there was a way to spend as little as 10 minutes to create a little artwork…
Well, you can, by creating a monotype print!
The joy of creating monotype prints…
The joy of creating monotype prints with a gel plate using colour, textures, layers, patterns. I first came across gel printing while in the Netherlands in September 2024. I got my first gel plate when I arrived back in Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand.
It is such a fun and creative printmaking technique, creating one-off artworks. And so easy to do! All you need is a gel plate, a brayer, and acrylic paint. We use acrylic paint from Atelier, Liquitex and Amsterdam.
With just some paint, paper, and your imagination, you can pull endless one-of-a-kind prints that can never be repeated exactly the same way twice. Experiment with colours, textures, layers, patterns.
Introduction to gel printing
Imagine spreading a splash of colour across a soft, squishy surface that feels a little like jelly and a little like a canvas. That’s a gel plate! Instead of brushes, you can use stencils, leaves, bubble wrap, and anything you find in and around your home, to make textures and patterns. Then, with one satisfying pull of paper across the surface, you reveal a print that’s full of surprising details.
The best part is that you don’t need special chemicals, a press, or years of training. A gel plate makes professional-looking monotype prints accessible to absolute beginners, kids, and professional artists alike.
Each print is an original piece of art, that can’t be planned or perfectly duplicated.
Check out the Gelliarts video here >>
Mini workshop: Monotype printmaking >>
