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EXPERIMENT Try simple monoprinting by David Bellamy T he pattern of netting on a lobster pot can be achieved by painting the pot dark, and then either scratching the netting out with a scalpel, or painting it on with white gouache. Small areas can also be suggested by negative painting, but, in this example, I will use the monoprinting method with a small section of netting that comes with washing products. 16 Painting CHALLENGES APRIL 2020 www.painters-online.co.uk 1 Liberally coat the net with a mixture of white gouache and a touch of Naples yellow to take off the stark whiteness. Place it on a piece of scrap watercolour paper covered in a fairly dark colour and press it down with the roller. This gives an idea of how the result will appear and gets rid of the excess paint. You may need to do this more than once. 2 As soon as you are happy with the result, lay the netting over the image of the pot and roll over it; making sure that the outline of the pot, the buoy and the light foreground are masked off, and the dark background covered with paper to avoid any of the gouache spreading beyond the lobster pot. 3 The result in this instance has been reasonably effective. You may find that you need to tidy up the edges of the monoprint a little with a damp brush and tissue.