Gel Prints and Patterns: Explore monoprints + mixed media

Have you ever tried monoprinting with a gelatin plate? It’s so easy and fun. It’s a medium that is full of surprises and happy accidents. You never know what’s going to happen when you lift that piece of paper, could be a masterpiece? Could be a disaster. Doesn’t matter, you can always print over it. And move on to the next print. It’s all about letting go! 

In this class by mixed media artist Lucie Duclos, we will use a gel printing plate to create monoprints and mixed media artwork. You will learn how to make your own gelatin plate and the pro and cons of using a commercial printing plate versus a homemade plate. You will learn how to get inspiration from nature and how to create a fantastic prints with a 2 colour palette and how to work with the ghost image from a previous print. We will work with acrylic gouache paints (or regular acrylics), using masks and subtractive techniques, and then we’ll add line work, white paint pen and even watercolor.

In your class project, you will create a layered bouquet in a vase with a cool mid-century vibe. And I just added a bonus lesson that shows you how to do something different with your first print! Double the fun! 

As in all my mixed media classes, we will continue to play with negative space, shapes, textures and mark making, but this time we will add an extra layer, the ghost image!

Don’t forget to follow me on skillshare and share your project in the project section. You can also find me on instagram at @lucieduclos and tag #gelprintsandpatterns. Can’t wait to see what you do!

 *If you have any questions about materials or anything else, just post them in the community section and I will be happy to answer them as soon as possible. You can download the material list and the recipe for the gelatin plate in the project and resources section.

 Vases Pinterest board

• Introduction to Gelatin Prints
• Materials
• Making a Gelatin Plate
• Pros and Cons
• Collecting Textures
• Creating Masks
• Making Monoprints
• Finishing Touches
• Class Project
• Thank you
• Bonus Project
• Bonus: Making a 12 x 12 plate