MONOTYPE TECHNIQUE

Monotype is a unique process in which a combination of painting and printmaking techniques are used. It gives a one-off image that has been developed on a flat surface, such as a plate, with oil or water-based media, and then transferred to another surface usually paper.

The image can be transferred either by hand or by press, For a hand transfer, a dry or dampened paper is placed over the plate and the back of the paper is rubbed with a smooth object such as the back of a spoon, a baren or a pot scraper. In a press transfer the plate and paper are placed on the press bed and mechanically moved under rollers (in an etching press) or scrapers (in a lithography press) to produce a print.

After the image is transferred, there is often some medium left on the plate called the ‘ghost’. This can be used as a base to develop a new monotype.

Chinwe utilises monotype techniques because of the directness and immediacy that can be achieved in the finished work. By varying this technique to suit her ideas, this process helps her make unique marks that are very difficult or even impossible to attain with other methods.