Mono printing

I wanted to further my experimentation by doing some mono prints. I strated off by creating a three layered stencil - one for the cage, one for the hands and one for the music. 

I started by doing a simple stencil print. I really like the simple broken down composition. I like how yes it is a cage, but I have managed to really simplify it so it isn't just a copy of a cage. The reduced detail of the hands work well and correspond nicely with the cage. I need to decide how nice and refined do I want it to be? 

Here are my first two prints. I really like the texture created through the pressure of the print and the multiple colours being combined. There is something really interesting about music notes coming out of the cage but I feel maybe they need to be lighter colours because i feel they over shadow the cage? I feel like this causes a sense of confusion of what is actually going on in the image. 

The overlapping of colours works really well and reflects that idea of feeling trapped. Not only that but it creates a sense of movement as well - something I want to portray in some aspect as I want it to look like Maya is moving the bars in determination for freedom. I don't however want to start over complicating the image by the combinations of colours as well as the repetition of shapes. creating a double exposure effect. 

I also experimented with using the cut out shapes of the notes as a way of inverting the shape. This created white, black and red combinations of notes, which I think works really well and adds an alternative spooky, sinister feel to it. I definitely think the texture works well, giving off a rust effect which reflects the idea of being there for a while - relating to Maya's long road to freedom. 

Overall, mono printing was a complete success and I feel I have created some really interesting compositions - I'm particularly fond of the texture created. Maybe I could create an alternative perspective by scanning these in and use Illustrator or Photoshop to create more refined graphic pieces of art.