Monarchy Variations

Both relief printing and monoprinting allow for the opportunity to experiment with variations to the original image.  The images yesterday used a combination of printing blocks to slightly alter the image.  While the butterfly remained the same, the flower being landed upon was different in each and included a milkweed blossom, a dry dandelion, and a small daisy.  The image that included the butterfly and the blossom of the milkweed was one block; the other two required part of the image on the original block to be covered and another block to align in it's place. 

Variations can be also created with the printing ink, the substrate printed on (paper, cloth, wood, metal, etc.) or the combination of mixing medias in a collage-type fashion.  The first image below is most of the original block with the hand-drawn addition of the stem and plant leaves.  In this printing, the color is added by hand after the black has been printed.  Printing and adding color in this way allow the artist to change every image, but tremendously adds to the time required to complete multiple copies.  To print this image using only the relief printing process would require four printing plates, with different surfaces raised to capture each different color of ink to be transferred to the substrate.  Additional plates may be required if the substrate is not white.  An essential key in a printing using a multiple plate process is the alignment of each plate.  This is usually accomplished using a registration system, such as buttons and tabs. 

Monarch on Milkweed Relief Print - Ranger black ink on gessoed tan 300 series Strathmore paper.  Stem and leaves added with .8 black Micron pen. Color added with FW acrylic inks.

 An entirely different effect can be created by changing the substrate and the additions to the ink drawing.  The butterfly below was printed on a printed, multi-colored paper.  The butterfly was then cut out and glued to a second printing of the butterfly and milkweed on the tan Strathmore paper; what looks like one printing is actually two.  What makes the image work is the the careful alignment of the edges of the butterfly to make the edges disappear.  The leaves on the plant were added by hand after the two printed images were combined.  This butterfly no longer looks like the traditional Monarch or Viceroy, but becomes a brand new species through creative use of paper. 

Butterfly on Milkweed Relief Print and Collage - Ranger black ink on tan 300 series Strathmore paper and on multicolored patterned paper.  Colorful butterfly has been trimmed and glued to the tan paper image.  Stem and leaves added with .8 black Micron pen.