Monotyping is a form of print making, where it is very basic and simplistic in nature, it also takes much planning to accomplish with a desired result. The artist must work with a quick and steady hand to ensure a quality print. The most amazing thing about this form of print making is that each print will be unique as it would be impossible for an artist to repeat with complete accuracy the painting done for a certain print. Monotyping ensures uniqueness in a way that other forms of print cannot.
The process requires a great deal of planning and preparation on behalf of the artist. It becomes necessary to have the image to be printed solid in one’s mind or, if based on another image, said image handy as well as all paints of each color and brushes laid out and ready to go prior to beginning to paint. Once the artist has painted the image on a flat, non-absorbent surface they will take the paper dedicated for the print and lay it atop the painting. One will never know how the print will come out until the paper is removed from the matrix surface. To ensure the best results the artist must work quickly, the inks or paints must not dry before the paper is applied or the process will not work as desired.
Once the paper is removed the print must dry. After all is finished, the artist can see how well the process worked. The main reason these prints are highly unique is due to the fact that there is only enough time to transfer the image to one page before the inks may begin to dry, also in the removal process, the painted image may smear to some degree. On average these prints are considered an excellent investment. Purchasing one would mean that your home would have unique décor that was not possessed in any way, shape, or form by any other person in the world.
For more information about monotyping, please refer to Wikipedia.