Something a little bit different today… In the Cheng Khee Chee workshop he taught a technique that uses a monoprint as the basis for a painting. You paint thick, relatively undiluted watercolor on a shiny white masonite surface and then place a piece of japanese paper (he uses unsized Kozo paper) on top of it. You can lift it and if you don’t get enough transfer put it down again and spritz with water. You then mount the damp monoprint on a piece of masa and let it dry. Then you LOOK to see what you can find.
In this monoprint I thought I saw the sun peaking through a forest so that’s how I developed the painting. Again I used watercolor and colored pencil. I did a rough outline on the paper before starting to paint but I wanted to be careful with the paper. I’m not sure how fragile it is. I did find out that the unsized paper is very absorbant. It was really fun to work with. Very different. Here’s the final product. At least final…for now!
Monoprint 1 – Finished
Linda Halcomb's Blog 
sounds fun… reminds me of a happy accident i had 20 years ago when i was trying to make “3d” paintings by painting on different layers of transparencies and glass, and set them on top each other. one glass pane was not dry enough, and the paint squished under there like a biology slide… when i lifted it off, the colors pulled in on themselves, creating amazing patterns that remind me of sea coral or exotic fish skin patterns… some even look like big lightning strikes.
Lou, how interesting. Have you ever painted on Yupo? This is a common technique for starting a painting on Yupo. I love the technique and the interesting shapes and effects that are created.
never heard of it… i’ll google it… thanks!
How interesting and you worked so well expanding the under print. Japanese paper really tests doesn’t it. Like learning to eat with chop sticks.
You are so right. After our trip to the museum,, I took Cheng Lhee Chee and his lovely wife to dinner. We went to a Thai restaurent and he said, “Linda you are better with your chop sticks than we are!” Practice, practice, practice…
Nice development, Linda. Thanks for sharing this interesting technique.
Cheng Khee taught 6 techniques in 5 days….where to start!!!!!?????
What an interesting technique, thanks for sharing it. I like what you did with your monoprint base.
Thank you Carol. I got lost in the forest…loved it!
Great idea ….. I’m going to give it a try.
It’s fun to try. I love the monoprints so much it’s hard to work over them.