Use a gel printing plate - commercial or home made - to create monoprints. There are an endless number of ways to use a gel plate, and an equally endless number of videos on YouTube to tell you about them and the media that work best with them. They are easy to acquire and easy to use, requiring very little in the way of supplies.

You will need:

• gel plate
• paint
• watercolour or mixed media paper
• roller
• brushes
• baren or large spoon

Do:

• Watch videos on how to use the plates on YouTube or manufacturer websites.
• Have fun!

Notes:

• Gel plates are reusable printing plates give you the ability to make monoprints without an etching press.
• Gel plates and gelatin plates very similarly, but commercial plates are permanent and homemade ones have a limited shelf life and must be refrigerated when not in use.
• Commercial gel plates are meant to work best with acrylic paints.
• No need to get the top of the line brands unless you want them. There are many student grade and more budget-friendly brands out there, along with brands you can get from a dollar store.
• My recommendation would be to stay away from the Speedball plates. They ruin very easily if you handle them the same way the other commercial plates can be handled.
• Make sure to read the FAQs on the sites/packaging for any commercial gel plate, because there are some materials that should not be used with these plates.