Pressed for time

Monoprinting is one of the traditional forms of printing and as the name suggests, it allows an original to be printed only once.

“The prints can be made using any images or objects with a flat base. Using this method, one can either create the desired image or even a collage of images. There are various techniques involved in this form of printing like woodcut, etching and lithography. I practise woodcut and etching,” says Snehal Goyal, a printmaking artist from Pune, who is conducting a workshop in the city on Sunday afternoon. 

With the emergence of digital printing technique, the trend of printmaking seems to be dying. Goyal is trying to pique interest in monoprinting and is working actively on etching, woodcut and digital printing techniques at her collaborative art studio, Vistaar. “Initially, I started with woodcut and etching and conducted five workshops — three workshops of etching, one woodcut technique, and another cyanotype printing method. The monoprinting workshop is the sixth in the row and is a first of its kind in Pune,” says Goyal, who holds a Masters Degree in Print Making from MSU Baroda. 

With this workshop, which she is holding in collaboration with TIFA Working Studios, Goyal hopes to sustain this form of printing art. The artist who has pursued an advanced course in printmaking from Columbia School of Art, says, “This art is easy, spontaneous, chemical free and user friendly. We will be using watercolours and acrylic colours. Monoprinting technique does not involve too many tools. It is a simple fun process with experimental printing method.” The tools used are acrylic sheets, watercolours and any material that has a flat base like fabric, leaves, metal sheets and so on.
 
The process involves hand-painted additions, and a form of tracing by which thick ink is laid down on a table, the paper is placed on top and is then drawn on, transferring the ink onto the paper. 

“I wanted to create a platform which would be open to all and introduce this art form to all those who aren’t aware of this art but are open to learning new things. This workshop invites people with all levels of expertise,” she adds.  

ST Reader Service
Attend the monoprinting workshop on Sunday at Vistaar Art Studio, J M Road, 2 - 5 pm