PRINTMAKING screenprint

artoftheprint.info

supported by the Arago Press

PRINTMAKING

Baboon, (56 x 75cm), published by Curwen Chilford & the artist

Julia working in the screenprinting studio at Anglia Ruskin University 1997

While universities and workshops may offer professional screen printing beds, excellent results can be obtained by using a relatively cheap home made bed. (see below for details)

Vittoria Wellen: self portrait [2005] water soluble pastels and Rowney water soluble base, printed on Fabriano 5 paper.

MONOPRINT

An easy introduction to screenprinting is by drawing onto a prepared screen with oil pastels. A release agent can be created by mixing a portion of the extender base with screen wash. Place this mixture on the screen to form a reservoir as one would normally place the ink. From this draw the squeegee across the design and print.

The advantage of this process is that is cheap and fast. Prints can be produced rapidly and with few problems, as soon as the design is complete. Added to that the design can be printed in a full range of colours without the need to print each colour with a separate screen. This is called a monoprint but if one is careful it should be fairly easy to produce 3 or more prints that are similar, though rarely identical.

Water based inks are safer and should give results which are just as good.

PAGE TWO

How a simple screen bed is made - under preparation

PLEASE BE AWARE

The written notes and illustrations contained on this site are not intended as instructions or as a practical guide to printmaking, they have been made quite simply as background material for anyone interested in prints and the qualities that are inherent in the use of particular processes. Anyone wishing to make prints should be aware of the risks involved and they should seek appropriate first hand instruction in the use of equipment and materials.