These are the supplies you'll need to make a monotype print:
- Monotype Paint. I use Createx monotype paints; if you're going to get into mono printing, then they're a good investment. (Buy Direct)
- Watercolor pencils. They are a great thing to own, no matter how insecure you are in your art skills.
- Tempera Paint. Most people have experience with this stuff. Households with kids have it. You want a paint that can be cleaned up with water, and that is the point of tempera. (Buy Direct)
- Paper. Most will work, but watercolor paper works best. You want something that is absorbent and strong. (Buy Direct)
- Brayer. It's like a mini-rolling pin and mostly it's just art nerds who own them. (Buy Direct)
- If you haven't got a brayer, you'll need a rolling pin. More households will have a rolling pin than a brayer. I've got a marble one, found in a thrift shop. If you have a heavy one, that is ideal.
- If you haven't got a rolling pin, you'll need a wooden spoon. Pretty much everyone has a wooden spoon. This can do the same thing as a brayer or a rolling pin -- rub/squish or, in fancy words, burnish.
- Assorted Brushes.
- Sandpaper. I'm using 120, a medium grit.
- Piece of Plastic or Plexiglass. You want a non-porous surface to serve as the plate for the print. This is the most difficult thing to find is a piece of plastic or plexiglass; an old picture frame is one source. You could use glass, but I don't like to mess with it.
You can also use unflavored gelatin to make a plate. Basically you boil it up, pour it in a baking tray, then leave it to set. The disadvantage is that only keeps a few days.