Most of my monotype printing starts with rolling out a layer of paints onto the Plexiglas plate. I start with a couple colors of paint, and typically I don’t mix the paint thoroughly because I like to see the variations of color on the print. This base layer of color will be the first layer on the print.
11" × 14" (28cm × 36cm) Plexiglas sheet
OPEN acrylic paints
soft rubber brayer
paper
paper stencils
Place one to two dollops of OPEN acrylic paint onto the Plexiglas surface. You can also use the homemade basic gel plate we created on page 78. Use a soft rubber brayer to roll paint across the top of the Plexiglas.
The surface should be completely covered with paint. Now it’s ready to start the monotype process.
To clean the brayer, roll paint onto a piece of paper to remove the excess paint. Experiment with rolling over paper stencils for added designs. These clean-up papers can be used during the monotype process to add more layers.
I recommend using Golden OPEN acrylics for Plexi printmaking. They allow you to work with the paints for a longer period of time without drying out and also clean off the plate more easily.