Screen printing workshop– Week two

Displayed above is my halftone photo stencil layers that I would be utilising in this week two of my screen printing workshop. Allowing me to achieve my beige, yellow and black detail layers, originally trialled last week using a stencil approach. However, as detailed and explained in last weeks blog post I resorted to using a much more modern and accurate technique of photo stencilling these final layers in this weeks workshop as displayed here. A process that turned out to be much easier and straightforward to not only create, but to work alongside and develop my prints with. It also allowed me to generate much more crisp, defined and accurate reflections and representations of my design inspired by my self taken photo. Making it something, that alongside stencilling, I will look to call upon in future events where I'm screen printing an image I wish to portray a crisp, defined look and aesthetic. 

 

As detailed in last weeks blog post, this week I looked to research the work of Paul Catherall deeper, creating a research page within my sketchbook I can refer to within my screen printing workshop, during future workshops and in any designs I look to create. Drawn particularly to the geometry, perspective, colour schemes and layering within his work, inspiring me to integrate these further into my own prints and designs. The use of contrast in colour schemes, within both his work and mine, could also link to the juxtaposition concepts that run throughout my theme. This concept juxtaposition could link to the unpredictable nature of the future and prospects for our environment and world if we don’t get a hold of the increasing climate crisis. Alternatively, this juxtaposition could link to how dramatically different our environment and climate might be if we don’t choose to, as a society, become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, the layering within his work and mine could link to how much of a multi issue, concept and complex situation that is the climate crisis and fashions impact on the environment and society. Alternatively, this layering concept displayed here could not only reflect how, if we as a society collectively join together we could begin to make great change and positive impact, but also how personal small changes in individuals collectively develop to work towards far greater and impact for positive change. These were just some of the key reasons I chose to further investigate and research Catherall's incredible work and designs. Continuing to allow them to inspire and inform elements and concepts (many from my initial research using 'True Cost' documentary)within my designs and work.

Process of me using my half tone photo stencils to add my stone and yellow shades within my design. Here, I personally chose to slightly alter my stone shade to a lighter, muted tone. I also intentionally chose to integrate a vibrant and vivid yellow to my design here too. Both of these choices were made consciously to increase the juxtaposition within my prints colour schemes. Again in turn allowing me to link to my scene of juxtaposition within my project, and the concepts this could relate to. I also intentionally chose to use a vivid and bold yellow to emphasise the irony, social and environmental concepts in the message and typography within this primary research self taken photo. This concept of highlighting and emphasising hidden messages, humour and irony within my own artwork could link to artists and designers I've previously research such as Viktor&Rolf and Kirsty Whitlock, who too integrate irony, hidden messages and humour into their work. Lastly, my choice to add a very vivid yellow to my print also allows audiences to be drawn and invited to look at my more impactful, meaningful and informative messages and concepts within my work I want to display to my audience. Including: their shopping habits, their choice of where to shop, there choice of how regularly to shop and its impacts to the world as a whole. Almost as if I’m physically highlighting these key concepts and themes to my audience.

 

Here I also consciously chose to experiment with different surfaces materials and mediums I could work alongside with my screen printing. One of these, as displayed above, the choice of printing onto tracing paper. Within this choice I printed each of my different colour, photo stencil half tone layers on a different piece of tracing paper, allowing me to collate them at the end, building my final image in a layering collage style process. There were a few key reasons why I chose to do this design element including introducing transparency within my design to link to how key concepts within my theme can be overlooked, ignored and misunderstood by society. Very similar to how the layering that I would produce here would hide, remove and highlight certain areas within my print depending on how you formed the layers. Not only similar to the customisable and personalise concepts within my project, but transparency in Whitlock’s work I've previously researched too. Finally, again to how areas and concepts within my project such as the climate crisis and fashions impact on the environment and society can be overlooked and hidden to members of society too. On the other hand, my layering with my tracing paper could link to how complex and multi aspect the issue of the climate crisis is, or how the fashion industries impact on the environment and society is. Alternatively, it could display how as a society we can collectively, as a whole group, make small changes and team up for a more positive future. Intern, displaying how my screen prints created in this workshop not only linked to artists, designer and concepts I’ve researched in the past in my project, but also key themes issues and areas I’ve covered within my project too.

Process of me adding my final black detail, halftone photo stencil to my screen prints. I think this was by far the most satisfying and aesthetically pleasing development throughout my workshop. Clarifying and allowed me to visualise the final look and aesthetic that I was so willing to create within this workshop. Adding detail, texture, tone and depth in perspective to my prints and image, I was able to emphasise the areas and details within my print that I wanted to highlight to my audience. Making it a very key details that I will always look to call upon in future screen prints, when looking to create similar ascetics and outcomes.

 

I also really loved how the half tone generated additional detail and texture in its mark making. This added detail could link to how, if society united as a whole, with everyone choosing to individually make small steps to greater good, we could accumulate and build up to a much more positive and impactful picture for our future. Just like how the halftone has done here for me in my print, through the overall union visual and picture formed by the half tone points. Similarly, the texture within my typography stencil in one of my images above is something initially, I was slightly taken back by. However, upon reflection I really love the detail, texture and effect that has been created here. All caused by a misjudgement of adding medium to my screen print acrylic. I now feel this added texture and detail could link to the deterioration and negative impact us as a society have on our environment and world around us. Therefore, further helping to highlighting and developing key concepts within my theme(many from my initial research using 'True Cost' documentary), visually within my work.

 

I continue to be very fond of my piece that I’ve printed on my natural dye linen, created in my natural dye workshop. I'm particularly fond of this piece due to its added texture and detail qualities, as well as its links to key concepts and themes within my project, such as sustainability and sustainable practice. My intentional choice to not remove the Shibori mark making and folding has also in turn helped to enhance the geometry and perspective within my piece, another key elements that I wanted to integrate and highlight within my design and self taken photo. 

 

Lastly, I further chose to experiment with my materials and print surfaces when I chose to print on some newspaper scraps I found within the work room. Deliberately choosing to do this to help reflect the role and impact that the media, social media, publicity and publications have on the opinions, habits and lifestyle choices of society, corresponding to some of the key concepts within my theme (e.g. sustainable practice, lifestyle and the impacts of these). My conscious choice to print on newspaper and alternative materials could again link to Kirsty Whitlock’s design choices and aesthetic. Areas I’ve previously researched, intern again displaying how my prints not only link to artists, designer and concepts I’ve researched in the past in my project, but also key themes issues and areas I’ve covered within my project too.

Illustrated above is the process of me developing, enhancing and highlighting my black and white print created using my black detail, halftone photo stencil. Within this piece I wanted to create a simple, eye catching aesthetic, similar to Risograph aesthetic. Not only allowing me to develop and broadening my finished products aesthetics, but also allow me to experiment and develop my stencil cutting skills and screen printing techniques as a whole. Creating this effect by cutting thin, simplified stencils allow me to highlight, enhance and develop my print. Choosing to incorporate colours that I felt juxtaposed and contrasted my prints to their best ability. Again allowing me to link to the concepts and meanings of juxtaposition that run through my project as a whole. Too intentionally choosing to place my stencil slightly off centre within my second print, almost forming a glitched look. I chose to do this to present how our world is being impacted and is actively deteriorating due to our choices and habits as society (almost as if the world is glitching and deteriorating in front of us like this print). The process of highlighting and enhancing my print could also linked to my ultimate goal of highlighting and exposing the issues within my project to the general public, allowing them to be educated and informed on key areas within my project. Hopefully, in turn enabling positive change within society and growth towards a more positive sustainable future.

 

 

 

Having now completed these screen print workshops, I could look to further utilise my newfound techniques and knowledge to reintroduce screen printing and concepts of stencils into future project work and designs. Alternatively, I could look at further experimenting with how screen printing behaves on other mediums and materials, such as how I’ve began here within my natural dying swatches. This could therefore allow me to bridge the gap between 2-D work and more 3-D elements. For example, I could look to create fabric prints and pattern designs I could then go onto use in my designs for garments and fashion. Alternatively I could try all materials such as plastics and recyclable surfaces alongside screen printing. Alternatively, I could look to scan some of these screen prints in and manipulate them digitally in applications like Photoshop or combine other techniques like the Risograph, allowing me to highlight and emphasise key areas and details. This merging of both modern and traditional techniques and approaches could then further add and link to the concepts of juxtaposition within my project. Lastly, now having played around with halftone and the different details and texture you can create using the size of your points, I could look at playing around, experimenting and altering these areas. Allowing me to deepen my understanding on the outcomes, processes and elements within screen printing and its methods.

 

Collectively, overall helping to show development, connectivity and context not just in my work, but also artists, designers and issues I've studied throughout my project and sketchbook as a whole. As well as providing techniques, methods and design elements I can call upon and further develop within future work, designs and creative processes.