Monoprinting with a DIY Gelli Plate

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April 16, 2018

Awhile back, I made a homemade Gelli Plate, and then I set it aside. Today I pulled it out to begin working with it. A Gelli Plate is basically a gelli-like surface you apply paint too and then make a one time print from it. There are a ton of different ways to apply paint, designs, and patterns to the plate. My experiment was VERY basic, quick, and rather messy (which I love).

materials

Materials:

DIY Gelli Plate
Paint
Paper (I used watercolor paper)
Water

Directions:

As I mentioned above, there are a ton of different thing you can do with a Gelli Plate. You can make your own Gelli Plate as I have, or purchase one.

Apply the paint

smear the paint
Many people use a brayer to spread their paint, I used my fingers! I know, messy = fun!

prints
Then you lay your paper on top of the paint, gently push down and then lift. You can try for a second print.
I added water to my fingers, smoothed it around on the surface of the Gelli Plate, and got another print.
I actually liked the watered down prints better.

variety of prints
I really didn't make a lot of prints, just enough for a project I have in mind.

Many people make a lot of different kinds of prints and then use them for scrapbooking, mixed media work, etc... The sky is really the limit and I will be revisiting this technique and be making more prints in the future.

I was glad to see my DIY Gelli Plate survived and worked after being neglected for so long. I store it in the pan I made it in. After I was finished, I just washed it in the sink and patted it dry, then returned it to it's pan.

So, what am I going to do with these strange prints? I am going to use them for covers (think bookbinding) for notepads or sketch pads. That will be an upcoming post in the future.

This post is part of a monthly craft challenge with Creative Craft Bloggers Group. The following projects are a part of this month's work where we were challenged to create with paint. Take a moment to visit them.