AI Meets the Monoprint
Ready for artificial intelligence to chat with you about clay monoprints? Or perhaps listen to an AI radio segment?
Screenshot of a Google NotebookLM AI based on two Visual Realia webpages.
Google’s experimental (and possibly temporary) AI platform NotebookLM lets users provide text to train their AI on the topic provided. I used two explanatory Visual Realia webpages as the “textbook” for its understanding. You can see the result by clicking here.
In addition to predetermined sections such as an introduction, index, FAQ, and summary, at the bottom, visitors will find a chat box where they can ask questions about the medium. The AI will attempt to answer based on the information gleaned from the sources provided.
An impressive addition is a seven-minute “conversation” between AI characters about clay monoprints, very much like a radio segment or short podcast. You can listen to it below.
What do you think? It’s pretty informative, isn’t it? Give it a listen, then head to the notebook page to see what else you might learn.
City's Edge
Due to the relatively short history of clay monoprints as a medium, creating one always feels like an experiment. This is particularly true as I try to see how the prints interact with other mediums.
City’s Edge, ©2024 Andrew T. Smith. Clay Monoprint, Watercolor, Watercolor Pencil, and Acrylic
“City’s Edge”
16” x 20”
Clay Monoprint, Watercolor, Watercolor Pencil, and Acrylic
Andrew Smith / Visual Realia Studio
Due to the relatively short history of clay monoprints as a medium, creating one always feels like an experiment. This is particularly true as I try to see how the prints interact with other mediums.
Clay slip without pigment is an off-white, somewhere between grey and white. Unfortunately, one limitation of clay monoprints is the difficulty in getting a true white or a deep, rich black. I set out to use both via acrylic paints in this work.
To offset the dark city, nature speaks up colorfully in the foreground.
In both instances, the shapes and colors were present in the print, but I sought to emphasize what the monoprint brought. The use of watercolors and watercolor pencils helped with enhancing color. The monoprint, acrylic, and watercolors each bring subtle textural differences, as well.
Most monoprint images I share here are “cropped” to show only what will be visible once framed. In the photo immediately above, I thought it would be instructive to show the entire surface of the print before framing. The edges with less color can be caused by the wooden matrix (clay slab) frame or the taped edge where I intended to end the print. These areas will be trimmed or hidden by the frame.
Clay Monoprint Technique Demo Video
Here’s a half-hour look at some of the most common techniques used in designing a clay monoprint.
The Facebook live event was cosponsored by Visual Realia and the Hanover Area Arts Guild, located in Hanover, Pennsylvania.
Note: Hovering over the video should bring up several icons for better control, including one to view the video in a larger full-screen view.