How To Guide: Experimental Botanical Monoprint Collage

How-To Guides

Bring different monoprinting techniques together to create a colourful botanical still life.

In this step-by-step printmaking project, we'll create individual plants and a vase using additive monotype, subtractive monotype, trace monoprinting, texture transfer and chine-collé, before cutting out and layering the prints into a finished composition. A woven paper tablecloth and split fountain background add even more colour, texture and pattern.

It's a great way to take the individual techniques from our Monotype and Monoprinting Techniques series and explore how they can be combined and developed into a finished piece of artwork.

Techniques Featured

Additive monotype printing
Subtractive monotype printing
Trace monoprinting
Texture transfer monoprinting
Chine-collé
Split fountain rolling
Collage and paper weaving

You don't have to use every technique in exactly the same way. Experiment with different combinations and make the final piece your own.

Materials Used

Monoprinting plate
Watercolour Block Printing inks
Roller
Cartridge Paper
Brushes and mark-making tools
Plants, leaves and flowers or botanical reference images
A photograph or image of a vase
Coloured tissue papers for chine-collé
Pencil or drawing tool
Scissors
PVA Glue

Step by step - Let's Create

Choose Your Plants and Botanical References

Start by gathering a selection of plants, leaves, flowers and stems to inspire your prints.

Look for a mixture of shapes and textures, broad leaves, delicate stems, flowers, seed heads and unusual silhouettes will give you plenty of variety when you start building your final arrangement.

Work directly from real plants or use your own botanical photographs and reference images.

Trace Monoprint the Vase with Chine-Collé

Tape your monoprinting plate to a board or the table to secure it.

Introduce chine-collé using lightweight coloured paper to add areas of colour and texture to the vase. Rughly tear the shape of the vase out of the coloured tissue paper and stick onto the paper.

To create the vase using trace monoprinting. Place your paper with the coloured tissue paper , face down over a thinly inked printing plate, then lay the image of your vase over the top and trace the vase, allowing the pressure from your drawing tool to pick up the ink underneath. Remember not to accidently rest your hand on the paper. Lift to reveal the trace of your vase.

Create Your Botanical Monoprints

Now create a collection of individual flowers, leaves and plants using different monotype printing techniques.

Try additive monotype printing by applying ink directly to the plate with brushes and mark-making tools to build your plant shapes.

For a different effect, use subtractive monotype printing. Cover the plate with ink and remove selected areas to reveal leaves, stems, highlights and details.

You can also experiment with texture transfer, using real leaves and textured materials to introduce organic marks and patterns.

Create more plants than you think you'll need – having plenty to choose from will give you more freedom when you arrange your final composition.

Add Colour with Chine-Collé

Use chine-collé on some of your botanical prints to introduce splashes of colour.

Try adding coloured paper to individual flowers, leaves or details rather than using it everywhere.

Keeping some of your botanical prints black and white creates contrast against the brighter areas and helps the different layers stand out when they're brought together.

Paint Additive Monotype Flowers and Plants

Create more botanical elements using additive monotype printing. Paint flowers, leaves and stems directly onto the printing plate, experimenting with different brushes, tools and marks before taking each print.

Build up a collection of different plant shapes, floral forms, colours and textures.

Don’t worry about creating a complete arrangement at this stage, these individual prints will be cut out and combined later to create your final botanical composition.

Try varying the scale and style of your prints so you have plenty of contrasting elements to choose from.

Create Printed Papers for the Tablecloth

Roll different colours of printing ink roughly across sheets of paper to create your own textured monoprinted papers.

Don't aim for a perfectly smooth finish. Visible roller marks, overlaps and variations in colour will make the woven surface more interesting.

Weave Your Printed Tablecloth

One dry cut your textures printed papers for the tablecloth int strips. Take your strips of monoprinted paper and weave them over and under one another to create a simple basket-weave effect.

Mix different colours and tones to create variation across the surface.

Rather than cutting the finished weave into a perfect rectangle, leave some of the strips longer and keep the outside edge irregular. The rough, uneven shape complements the expressive quality of the monoprints.

Once you're happy with the weave, secure the strips together with masking tape on the back.

Create a Split Fountain Monoprint Background

Next, create a colourful background using split fountain rolling.

Place two colours of printing ink next to one another – we've used pink and blue – and gradually work them with your roller so the colours begin to blend where they meet.

Roll the colour across your background paper to create a loose gradient.

Allow the edges and roller marks to remain visible rather than trying to create a perfectly finished block of colour. These imperfections become part of the printed surface.

Cut Out Your Monoprinted Elements

Once your prints are completely dry, carefully cut around your vase, flowers, leaves and botanical elements.

Don’t worry about cutting every shape too precisely. Leaving some rough, irregular edges helps retain the expressive, handmade quality of the monoprints.

Lay all your cut-out pieces together so you can see the full collection before beginning your composition. Having a variety of different shapes, sizes, colours and textures will give you more freedom when arranging your botanical still life.

Arrange Your Botanical Collage

Now it's time to bring all your individual prints together.

Position the woven tablecloth first, then add your vase and begin arranging the printed plants, flowers and leaves around it.

Don't glue anything yet.

Move the pieces around and experiment with different arrangements. Try overlapping plants, changing their heights and allowing stems and leaves to cross over one another.

Think about where your strongest colours sit within the composition and balance the black-and-white prints against the brighter chine-collé elements.

Once you're happy with the arrangement, take a quick photograph so you have a reference when you start gluing.

Assemble Your Final Monoprint Artwork

Start by gluing the woven tablecloth into position, followed by the elements that need to sit furthest back.

Gradually build the botanical arrangement forwards, layering and overlapping your printed plants as you go.

Add the vase in the appropriate layer so that the stems appear to sit naturally inside it.

Take your time. You can continue adjusting individual elements as the composition develops.

Add the Finishing Touches

Look at your finished botanical monoprint and decide whether the composition needs anything else.

You might introduce another flower, add a small area of colour or bring in an additional printed texture.

But don't feel that every area needs filling. The contrast between monoprinted marks, cut edges, woven paper, bold colour and areas of white space is part of what gives the finished artwork its character.

Make It Your Own

The aim of this project isn't to recreate our botanical still life exactly.

Use the process as a starting point for your own experimental monoprinting project. Change the plants, choose a completely different vase, work with another colour palette or introduce techniques such as ghost printing, stencils and masks or multi-layer registration.

You could even move beyond a traditional still life altogether.

The important part is to experiment, combine and develop. By bringing different monoprinting techniques together, individual experiments can become the building blocks for a much more developed final piece.

Watch the full step-by-step video on our YouTube channel

Chrissy Cottrell

Creative Marketing Manager

Chrissy Cottrell is a creative marketing professional specialising in brand strategy, content marketing and customer engagement. As Creative Marketing Manager at Specialist Crafts, she leads content and brand initiatives that connect products, creativity and learning. Outside of work, she maintains an active creative practice with a particular passion for mixed media and printmaking, exploring materials, techniques and experimental processes, bringing both industry knowledge and hands-on experience to her content.