Wednesday 28 January 2009

Screenprinting Week 3

A few photos from last night's session:

Screenprinting mosaic

Awesome old till they have there.

I am printing a Spooky Alphabet. It's an idea I've had rattling around for a good two years but finally I've had the opportunity to do something with it.

The one really clear image I've had in my head all that time is "H is for Haunted House". In my mind, it's always been a square format and purely black and white. You are looking down on the house and a ghost or two flutters from the window frames like ripped curtains. I don't know what it is - and I'm sure it's not just me - but I very rarely can I take what I can see in my brain and reproduce it exactly on the page (it's like singing, I suppose. In your head you sound great, but out loud....eek), but here is my approximation up close:

version2.jpg

As much I like this, this sneaky second, longer, thinner version started appearing...:

version1.jpg

...and I went with that.

The past two weeks we have been learning the basics - how to make a screen and how to print from it. This week we learned how to produce a "possie" (positive) from a drawn/computer generated/photographic image and made our own screens from it. There's a lot to remember from two weeks ago and I was thankful I made lots of notes afterwards! I still made a few mistakes making up my screen, but I think it's one of those things that you just learn by doing over and over. I managed to print the backgrounds (the orange part of my image up there), one lot in a dark orange and another lot in a sparkly limey green, and I'll go back and print the "key line" (ie, the outline, or everything that's black above) next week. Can't wait! It's so much fun and I really feel like I'm "creating" something. Obviously I create images all the time, but I'm really enjoying the physical aspect of this. Who needs weight training, eh?

4 comments:

Deb said...

sounds like you are having a great time Emma! screenprinting does make you feel like you are actually 'making' something. wait until you start editioning your work-that is weight training and a half! dx.

Jayleon said...

Will her arms go all muscley?

Anonymous said...

So cool...I heart the ghostiness...'tis cute :D

natural attrill said...

Lovely to see all this work of yours!
I like the long thin screen print best myself.
Love that old till.
P.x