This series of monoprints seek to portray the stark, dramatic energy of a winter in Wiltshire.

Desk to Monoprint: How 2 Guide

October 2026: During Swindon Open Studios this year I had several conversations with people about monoprints or as they often called monotypes. It is a printing process that uses a plate and ink (like most other printmaking processes).

However the nature of the process means that you only get one print. Hence the phrase mono and also it means that each print is a unique piece. I discovered a low-cost small-scale way of doing monoprint in the studio without a press with very good results. So I wrote down the basic principles and made a YouTube video. The step-by-step instructions are immediately below and the link to the YouTube video is at the foot of these. Also a callout for the man who inspired me to do this Dan Tirels.

BASIC PROCESS

Piece of thin card & cut in its centre a 5 x 7 inch aperture
This is your printing frame
Cover frame, both sides with parcel tape
The tape makes clean up easier after printing
Attach frame to a thicker card, your base board – hinge withparcel tape
Lift frame and insert a piece of paper larger than 5 x 7 inches. Secure with lowtack masking tape
Cut thin plastic bag to cover the aperture of the frame with about 1 cm all round. This plastic should be see -through. Or see-through ‘ish
Secure this on front of frame with tape. This is your printing ‘plate’
Run ballpoint pen round frame edge on the plastic (your print area)
Pull back plastic ‘plate’ and apply oil paint (this is the ‘ink’.Use small amounts spread with pallet knife
Drop the ‘plate’ onto the frame and use biro and other tools to make marks
Lift the ‘plate’ and see what you have achieved….
Keep going. Rinse and repeat.
Check how you are doing from time to time
When you think it’s enough peel back your plate and frame

Et voilà – your monoprint!

See my examples, process an early results here https://youtu.be/LQzK6xTY34s

Special thanks to the artist Dan Tirels. I was inspired by the film he put up on YouTube: Low budget Monoprinting with oil paint, his simple demo can be enjoyed via this link: https://youtu.be/kBtSKgNg1Bc?si=OyE8i9VietsiUbKi