Monotype is one of the most popular areas of art therapy. According to those who are engaged in it, monotype is both a full-fledged art form and a method of psychotherapy. Everyone can be engaged in this art, regardless of age. Indeed, one of the main human needs is the desire for self-expression through creativity.
The art of monotype
The author of the method is Elizaveta Kruglikova, an artist who created etchings at the beginning of the twentieth century. Once she accidentally spilled paint on a printed board and, having attached a sheet of paper to the resulting stain, she suddenly noticed an interesting image that appeared on it. Subsequently, the artist began to use the effect in her works.
Translated from Greek, monotype is a single print technique. To get it, you can apply any paint and surface, and special drawing skills are not required.
Monotype for children: the beginning
The child largely copies the behavior of adults around him, therefore, to interest him in drawing, parents can play artists and try different ways of fine art with their children.
In the first lesson, you can try to draw a drawing on plain paper. Let the child draw in gouache what he can. Then, until the paint has dried, you need to quickly cover the picture with another sheet and smooth it with your palm. Then unstick the top sheet from the base, it will turn out a funny picture. This process is very popular with kids.
According to a more complex technology, monotype is carried out in kindergarten. To do this, you need to prepare a plastic board or plexiglass. In addition to gouache, you can use oil paint. On the prepared plane everything is drawn that you want using a brush or roller, and then a final paper print is made. Then you can finish the resulting picture with a brush.
Monotype technique for preschoolers
Monotype in kindergarten is increasingly included in the compulsory art program. If younger groups often use their own fingers and palms to get pictures, then starting from the middle group the repertoire of fine arts becomes more and more diverse.
With children over 5 years old, subject monotype can be used to represent symmetry. Thick paper like Whatman paper is suitable for this. You need to fold the sheet in half and draw, for example, a butterfly with one wing on the bottom. Then press the resulting pattern with the upper half of the sheet. It will produce a symmetrical imprint, and the butterfly will have a second wing. In the same technique, you can draw a reflection of landscapes in the water.
The simplest version of monotype is blotography, children like it the most. To get a picture, gouache of different colors is picked up with a spoon and poured onto thick paper. After that, the imprint is already described method. Examining the image, complement it to get a holistic image.
Window patterns
How to find out what monotype is used for? A master class on selected topics allows you to get comprehensive information and the necessary skills for using this technique.
For example, a teacher at his master class suggests making a festive postcard “Frosty patterns” using the monotype technique. To do this, you will need paper sheets - future windows, gouache and gel paints in blue and white, a plastic bag, threads, a tube and a recording of Tchaikovsky’s “Seasons”.
At first, everyone is given the task of looking at frosty patterns wherever possible. In the lesson, accompanied by music, poems are read on a given topic. Then the presenter tells that monotype is a magical technique with which participants can paint their windows with a frosty pattern.
Colorful spots are applied to the bag, and the paper is pressed against it. While the resulting print dries, you need to lay out patterns on it with colored threads and use a tube to apply droplets of silver gel on your pattern.
Monotype is a simple and attractive technique for developing children's creative abilities. It allows them to freely express their emotions and fantasies, as it does not require long training. Children learn to freely choose paints and themes for drawings, and ultimately get rid of the fear of independent choice.