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Using pastel on monotypes
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Posted
We don't have a printmaking section here and so I'm hoping one or more people here (Alan?) have familiarity with printing papers, as opposed to pastel. Last year I had a long dabble with doing monotypes, using all sorts of stuff such as oils, inks and acrylics. I kept everything. A few weeks back I got out my Pastel Innovations book by Dawn Emerson and revisited her write-ups on using pastel over monotypes. I've been having another go and adding pastel to a few of them, with interesting results (though none of them are exactly knock-outs).
However....my question is...what is really the better paper to use, to give the pastel a good grip? So far I've only used thick cartridge paper for the monotypes. Pastel can be applied to it, but it doesn't really grip that well, even after fixing. I've spent some hours researching pastel on monotypes and so far can't find one single example of anyone actually talking about how to keep the pastel on.
Do any of the usual printmaking papers have "tooth", even a modest amount?
Posted
Well I'll try and answer a couple of these points for you.
My preferred paper for printing both monotypes and also for drypoint etching is Fabriano Rosaspina. It comes in both Ivory and White and a reasonable 285gsm which allows a decent indent to be made from the plate after a pass through the etching press, without starting to buckle. It looks like hot-pressed watercolour paper but it's not the same. It has a bit of 'tooth', but of course it's difficult to get a good impression on rough papers which is why they aren't generally used. I've never added pastel mind you, so I can't help you on that one, and I can't go and try it on a piece because I'm away at present. Jackson's Art has a range of these and other makes of printing papers.
However, it should work fine if you are using soft pastels. I use Van Gogh soft pastels from Royal Talens, but there are softer one's on the market. Hard pastels will definitely be an issue on many papers, I don't like them particularly, they seem to squeak across the surface leaving little or no decent marks.
There should be some more advice on Google but that's all I can offer at the moment.