Silk-screen printing is most often associated with hard-edged, brightly coloured blocky images or Pop Art, and the looser more painterly side often gets neglected. It is, however, possible to use the screen as a drawing tool and in a much more spontaneous way than stencilling flat layers of colour one layer at a time.
By monoprinting through the screen, the limitations of screen printing become boundaries within which to play with combinations of flat colour and mark-making. You can make one-off images or build up prints with layers. The screen becomes a matrix through which to explore different media such as paint, graphite and pastel, creating one off monoprints or a series of similar prints that explore a theme. In effect, they hover somewhere between painting, drawing and printmaking.
The course will begin with a short talk and examples of prints, followed by a technical demonstration of the basics of setting-up and printing at your workstation. Mixing paint and medium will be discussed.
There will be a demonstration using acrylic paint and water-based pastel, and you will spend time experimenting with media as a single layer and a multi-layered set of prints. You will explore the use of soft pencils and graphite for mark-making and drawing through the screen. Use of watercolour, gouache or poster colour will also be introduced. There will be a summary as a group, taking time to look at what you have achieved, and suggest or discuss next steps. The latter half of the course will be dedicated to combining the different media in ways that are suited to the kind of images that you would like to create, and based on your experience so far.
It is expected that individuals may choose to take different paths and use different subject matter, achieving quite different visual outcomes on this course, so bring plenty of inspiration.
Included
- On this course, the tutor will supply some of the materials, including: A2 200gsm white cartridge paper, acrylic paint, screen printing medium and retarders, newsprint, masking tape, brown tape, talc and acetate.
What students need to bring
- Images for inspiration: these could be in the form of photographs, sketchbooks, collages,
- colour studies, or images on a laptop or iPad. Subject matter could be figurative, landscape based, abstract or pattern based and centred around your own interests.
- Cheap or old brushes are fine, (pastry brushes and house painting brushes can also be used).
- General art supplies, i.e. ruler, pencils, rubber, etc.
- Interesting papers, including textured or coloured paper. Any watercolour, poster colour and acrylic paint you may have. Screen printing medium, neo-colour water-based pastels. A good selection of differently sized hog hair and softer brushes, flat and round. Scalpel or craft knife.
- An apron to protect your clothes.
Available to buy
- Available from shop:
- General art materials, including graphite sticks, 5B and upwards pencils, graphite powder, rulers, rubbers, a good selection of watercolour and acrylic paint, a selection of differently sized hog hair and softer brushes flat and round, interesting papers, screen printing medium, Neo-colour water-based pastels, scalpels and craft knives
Additional information
Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio. This includes stout covered footwear, i.e. no open-toes or sandals.
Arrival Day - this is the first date listed above
Courses start early evening. Residential students to arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm.
6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included).
8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential.
Daily timetable
Classes 9.15 - 5pm, lunch is included.
From 6.30pm: Dinner (included for residential students).
Evening working - students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with their tutor's permission and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.
Last day
Classes 9.15am - 3pm, lunch is included.
Residential students are to vacate their rooms by 10am please.
(This timetable is for courses of more than one day in length. The tutor may make slight variations)
