So remember this painting a couple of weeks ago, and how I determined to try to put it into repeat and screen print it? Well I gave it a shot this week.
I began by cutting a photocopy of the drawing into four quarters. I then joined the left side to the right edge and pencilled in where it needed to repeat smoothly. I repeated the same for the top edge and the bottom side. Once the tracing was in repeat I matched top to bottom and side to side, I narrowed the colours down to five plus the base cloth colour and coloured the tracing in so that I could see if there were any colour gaps.
So far, so good. Then I traced each colour separately onto acetate and cut it out using a scalpel. Now I could get printing. And this is where any small intention I had of showing you a step by step process went belly up.
I mean why did I think that after 20 (cough, cough) years I would still be able to remember how to hand print five screens in exact repeat!?!
Why?
I muddled through from here on using a specially unique technique of masking tape with notes on to show where the screens should be placed.
On the whole it worked well until my trusty screen holding buddy and I got a bit blase and printed two screens upside down, No repeat happening anymore. We didn’t really care by that stage; Glee was due on in ten minutes! With Gwyneth Paltrow in (and if you’re a fan then you know that those have been the best.)
Luckily the design is the type that can take a little misplacement (even if that misplacement is upside down!)
At this point my unstinting helper remarked (as only a teenager can) that she had never noticed that it was meant to be rooftops. In fact she didn’t think it looked like rooftops anyway more like “some cool, futuristic, geometric pattern”.
That’s good enough for me!
It was a fun project, which is what holidays are all about; time to play around with hair brained schemes.
BTW can I congratulate you if you made it to the end of this very long, highly photographed and rambling recount of my silk screen adventures?!
6 comments
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April 27, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Nikkie
Way to take on the challenge! I love the little baggie you made out of it. Very cute! Thanks for sharing
April 27, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Jenny
wowww…a really cool and futuristic print.Looks amazing! I love seeing it as a finished sewn item too…so professional looking. VERY impressed
x
April 27, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Abs
PMSL! We have a teenager in the house too now, and I think she would be the same!!! Reminds me a little of an eighties duvet cover my brother owned!!! I think it will look great sewn into something though.
April 28, 2011 at 4:12 am
Christine
thanks for sharing your process…great work.
April 28, 2011 at 10:14 am
Helen Philipps
I loved reading this post and seeing all the pictures of your printing escapade! It reminded me of when I was at college and the unpredictable nature of screen printing – especially when it was me doing it! I loved your design and the little bag you made from it is lovely!
Helen x
April 28, 2011 at 1:07 pm
anne
I’m impressed! Even if it didn’t turn out as it was “supposed” to, the end product looks lovely.