Planning a Monochromatic Print
Ladies and Gentlemen Pull Your Phones Out
Some people hold the idea that art is created by the chosen few with all of the ‘God-given talent’. That a drawing is only good when it's drawn by hand or that CNC machines that carve blocks for relief prints should not count as true printmaking.
Well, I am sorry to break it to you, but artists have been using these tools at their disposal to make great art. Vremeer, one of the greatest Dutch masters, used a camera obscura, and we don't sit here debating if he was a real artist. If you don't believe me then read this interview with Alexis Nutuni, where he makes an excellent case about the use of new technology in printmaking.
The smartphone is one of those tools that almost everyone has in their pocket. This is how I use it to plan monochromatic prints.
For this example, I will be using an iPhone, but you can do this with any kind of phone, tablet, or computer with the already embedded photo editing software.
Start by picking your picture. In this case, I will be using this picture of Yosemite Falls which was taken in December 2021.
Go to your ‘photo’’ gallery and select the image you want to edit. Click on the ‘edit’ button on the top right corner.
This will bring you to the ‘adjust’ menu. Here you can play around with filters, exposure light, and contrast.
I always start by applying a filter. iPhones have three monochromatic filters to choose from: Mono, Silvertone, Noir. Each has a unique feel to them. I tend to work with Noir.
I then move on to exposure and adjust it until I find the right look for me. I work my way down with Brilliance, Sharpness and end up reversing the image.
At this point, I like to stare at the composition and determine if this will actually work or not. Since I already know how I carve, I get a mental idea of how this would look when complete. This picture has a lot going on and does not focus enough on the Yosemite Falls so you can see how I decided to crop it.
If I am satisfied with the way the picture looks, I typically print it out. If I am happy with it, I can start sketching it to get a feel of the composition, if I am happy with that sketch then I start transferring the image to my block.
So, there you have it! An easy way to plan out a monochromatic print without having to waste a block!
