Screen Printing for my tour de France project.

Until the 1930's Artists didn't think about the potential of screen printing. as until then it had only been used for stenciling patterns onto fabrics and even shoes. Screen printing isn't as old as other printing techniques such as lino and etching. although it has been said that it was introduced to Europe in the 18th century mostly being used in France. Back then it was rather different to screen print then it is nowadays. as back then they would stretch materials like Organdy over wooden frames to hold in place while printing or stenciling.where as nowadays. As the 20th century rolled in, only then did screen printing become more widely used for making, packaging, posters and shirt, as it was a quicker much easier process especially now with the use of machinery helped to speed up the process of making the screens.  

I will be making some screen print samples and hopefully using one of them as my final piece. I will be looking at the Famous screen printing artist Andy Warhol. Using his colorful and bright prints as inspiration.

MY SCREEN PRINTING PROCESSES 

This is my first time trying screen printing. At first I was unsure about this whole thing, but as I got into it I found it rather fun and relaxing. This process is much simpler than I thought. There are some slight HEALTH AND SAFETY rules to  follow when printing.

• Remember to use latex gloves and an apron when printing, as the ink can stain skin and cloths.
• Don't mess around while using ink's for diy. as it wont be very healthy if you inhale any of it.
• when grabbing bottles of ink/ die remeber to grab the bottle by the middle not by the lid. because if the lid wasn't on properly as it could fall and spill making the floor slippery or ruin work.

First i drew out a design onto a piece of normal printer paper, before using the photo copier to print into tracing paper as this is a quicker, easier and more accurate. once I had finished that I then gave it to the textiles teacher along with the rest of the class and it was then put it onto a screen.


This photograph shows my first design that I drew on normal printer paper. I did have a little less time than most people in my class as I missed the first day we began. because of this i didn't wast any time and dove straight in. I quickly looked over my development sheets and thought about what looks good and what would go together as an interesting pattern. I still think I could have put more on to fill the negative space. The places that are black is were the ink will show when printing. (keep in mind if your lines are too fin they wont show on your print.)





This second photo shows my design after I had used the photo copier to transfer it onto tracing paper. I then handed the tracing paper to my textiles tutor and she then put it onto a screen.




(As I forgot to take a photo on my screen I found a pic on Google images of what a printing screen looks like before anything has been out onto it)






After my design was put onto a screen, I then chose the materials I wanted to try out my print on. I decided to try a few number of fabrics. such as, Cotton velvet, Muslin (cream), Habotai silk, Heavy vase linen, Calico (medium) and White cotton.  as i wanted to see if there was any different in the print on the different materials.



After that stuff was over with, it then came down to the fun and messy stuff. In other words making the ink for my prints. I really enjoyed this part as it was something new to me and I was able to get stuck in. This photo shows the binding mixture which is the base of the inks. although it looks white the mixture is actually clear this just helps to thicken the ink making them brighter and easier to print with.



After filling a plastic cup with the appropriate amount of binder that I need, I then grabbed a small wooden stick (almost like a tong depressor.) I then grabbed a bottle of ink dipping the tip of the wooden stick into the ink as you don't need a lot as the colour takes so well to the binder.  (each colour has its own code on the bottle so you know which colour to use against if you want to use that same print again.)



Once I had made my colours and made a note of the inks i used i then lines my fabric up under the screen before putting ink onto the screen and then dragging it across with my squeegee before dragging it up again to make sure enough (but not too much( ink was pushed threw my screen to create my print.








After I placed my print to dry, I ended up with this. I used multiple inks. This is just one of my many prints i did, Here are a few more pics of my prints...




This print was done in one colour, as it was one of my first prints. I decided to use turcoyse as it was a nice colour and i wanted to see how it would look with my pattern.




 this print sample was actually chosen to be remade as a final piece for my project. This is the reason I wrote down the colour and its code so that I knew which inks to use again when it came to it.





I was quit surprised when the ink stayed in a straight line and in columns. However i was quit hoping for a more mixed look with the colours.



For this one i made a back ground before printing with it. i made the background using Prosium die and a paint brush. Before printing over the top once it had dried. I am quit happy with the out come as i think it works really well and looks interesting.


I thought i would show this as it shows that sometimes when your not careful when printing in case your screen slips while your dragging your squeegee across.Also i don't think the material i used was very good as it looks like it bled as well slightly.




This whole experience was new and interesting to me. I didn't relies how fun and simple screen printing is. I defiantly will consider this style of art in later projects.

Here are my two final pieces chosen by my class mates for my project.

 I did this first final Print on Calico (Medium) and used black BM and purple made from turquoise MXG and red MX2R

 This second final print was printed on Cotton Velvet with the previous Purple (MXG + MX2R) Turquoise MXG, yellow 2E, Orange made from Yellow 2E and Red BB and Pink 5BTL I really struggled to get the same effect as my sample print as the colours weren't the exact shade ad before and didn't print the same.

 This has been my screen printing blog hope you enjoyed it. :)

etching printting for the tour de rance.

Etching originates from the German word "Atzen"  which means to eat in. Before the image can become a print it must first be etched onto a copper or zinc plate, with the help of acid. This is a process that has been dated back more than 500 years ago.



I am going to attempt an etching print as part of my experimental prints. for this print I have decided to etch a landscape in the style of "Alister Colly" a Yorkshire print artist however to help me understand etching a little better I have chosen to look at printing artist "Matthäus Merian" as his prints are mostly based on landscape (with some exceptions).



From looking on the internet and previous experiences within college I have picked up a few facts about this printing method.
etching is mostly done on Zinc or Aluminium, and is usually placed in  Copper Sulfate. in the past as print makers have tried to adapt traditional printing methods to make them more effective and safe the only real change has been in acid. As the traditional acids used where Nitric or Sulfuric acid that presents obvious health and safety risks towards the etcher. this is why Copper Sulfate is a much better acid to use as his will not burn holes in the metal or etches cloths when being used.


Health and safety.

• When placing the etching plate into acid keep in mind that Copper sulfate is known to be an irritant. so always wear latex or rubber gloves when placing the plate into acid. (if the acid comes into contact with skin wash thoroughly with clean water and lots of soap)
• Do not put fingers near your mouth after touching the acid with gloves as Copper sulfate is poisonous and must not be swallowed
• Wear protective eye wear such as goggles and always avoid splashing the solution.

How I made my print

Firstly I cleaned my sheet of Zinc with normal hand soap and water before sealing the most scratched side up with parcel tape (bearing in mind duck tape can also be used) 

I then warmed it up on the heating block. Once it was warm enough I then placed "Hard ground" onto my Zinc plate and spread it out using a roller. this will protect the unscratched parts of your plate from the acid later on.

after it had cooled down and the hard ground had settled I then used a scratching tool. some places I scratched deeper than others and also scratched lines closer and further away to try to show light and dark patches like the work of my chosen artist.

This is my end result after I had scratched into my plate and placed it into acid. However I found out later one that the acid I used was weaker than I had expected. this meant that once I had cleaned the excess hard ground and begin printing it was only then I realized the acid was week, as my print didn't show. 

A few days down the line and I a still struggling with my etching I have gone over my scratched surface once again with hard ground and scratched into it again. This was rather hard as my scribe kept slipping into the previous scratches, after sticking with it I had finally finished and placed it into the acid once again.

I am sorry to say i forgot to take a photo of my zink after taking it out the acid however my plate had definitely been left in the acid long enough this time as it was accidentally left in the acid over the entire weekend which is what caused the edges of my plate to crumble and fall off.

The picture on the left is one of my first prints I did. i do like the outcome of this print however I used too much ink as I was having an impatient day after finding out my plate had been left in the acid. however you can still see the design i had scratched, which is why I like it.

On the right is a photo I took of my very first print from my etching. I do like this however there is too much ink on the plate as I didn't take my time to clear the excess ink off before printing. I found the ink was very stubborn to put on and take off the plate as it is so thick, this is one of the reasons I had too much ink on my print however i was also rushing a little as well.

This print is a little bit better however, This time there isn't enough ink on the plate as I ran it straight back through the printing bed as I wanted to see the effect I would get. I do like this effect, As I think it looks like an old fashioned photograph, I only wish I had printed this in black to make it look more like that. 

I am quit disappointed at this print. I tried printing this in two colours blue and green. However I completely for get when it came to wiping the excess ink off. As I was wiping the two colours merged together in places. There is lightly too much ink on however not as much as my first.

I found some parcel paper in the cupboard in the class room and decided to try printing on it. As it seems i cannot get the hang of having the right amount of ink on my plate.  

As a whole it is clear that i still need a lot more practice on etchings. I have done them before but that was last year and on a zinc plate the size of a credit card, which surprisingly makes it easier to get the right amount of ink on as it takes a lot less ink to put on in the first place. I began my etching print optimistic and confident.however as it didn't work out the first time when I placed it in the acid I started to second guess when I had to scratch back into it, And then of all things my plate gets left in the acid over the weekend which made me FREAK OUT! majorly. but I decided to give it ago since time was running out for my samples. As a whole I'm glad at the out comes of my prints as they tort me that just because something goes right the first time I try it doesn't mean it'll go right all the time. (This is one thing I would like others to keep in mind when they try any printing style)

That's all from my etching blog hope you'v enjoyed it. :)

lino prints for my Tour de France project

Linoleum was invented and used for floor covering in the late 1800's. When print makers where using wood blocks to print they where looking for an easier and cheaper way to print. eventually lino became a cheep way for poor, amateurs to print and also was helpful as a teaching product in school's. Lino's popularity only grew once famous artists known as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse began to  use them.

(Mark Andrew Webber lino piece)

To help with my lino I will be looking at the lino cut artist Mark Andrew Webber and his prints as I will be hoping to create an abstract print, with the Yorkshire rose in the middle.


USING A RANGE OF TOOLS.
As I began to make my lino cut I discovered there was quit a range of cutting tools. (shown on the photo to the left) V-gouges, U-gouges, large and small. Each tool will make a different mark. for example when I used the V-gouge it made a fine line when you use the tip, however when I carved deeper it made a thicker line.

CUTTING AND MAKING YOUR LINO PATTERN.
I found that drawing my image didn't show up very well in pencil. so I drew out my image in pen so I could see where I needed to cut. I found it nerve racking drawing straight onto my lino in pen as I am the kind of person to use a rubber a lot. however I found it wasn't as bad as I thought as I could find ways around if I drew a wrong line.

While cutting into my lino I found that I control the tool by the angle I held the too. The steeper the angle I help it the cutting edge went deeper, and the shallower the angle brings the cutting edge up.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Before I began carving on my lino I learnt that there are some health and safety I needed to follow.

The main rule for lino cutting is to always carve away from yourself to avoid cutting yourself, as the tools can be very sharp.
also it is better and safer to use a cutting block to stop your lino slipping meaning you don't have to use your free hand to hold it still so much also making it less likely to hurt yourself..





 MY LINO PIECE.
This is just the start of my print. so far I have only used the V-gouge and made my lines deep. I am planning on smoothing the lines on the petals for a smoother print later on.
I chose the Yorkshire Rose as it is a well known symbol of Yorkshire which relates to are current topic tour de France/ Grand de part. later on I will be attempting to make a some what abstract back ground including spokes from bike wheels, the dots for red poker-dots.





This images on the left is how my Lino looks previously and the blank bits that I haven't yet carved out yet I will continue to use the poker dot theme to fill them and give my lino a sort of abstract background, this has given me chance to experiment with different cutting tools and styles/textures and relate to my artist research.





Before I put ink onto my lino I first had to roll it out onto a surface, so that it isn't too thick on the lino.


This photo shows me rolling ink onto my lino. I found this to be a relaxing part of printing as it is ease and simple to do.The only problem I had was when it came to wanting a different colour as I had to keep rinsing my lino and roller so the colour's wouldn't mix with each other.



          






After I rolled ink onto my Lino I then grabbed a piece of blotted paper
place onto the printing bed and slowly role the bed so it would have an even amount of research all over it. I found this part to be relaxing and slightly exciting as I didn't know how the print would turn out.




Once I had finished rolling it threw the bed I then carefully grabbed the corner so I didn't get ink around the white frame that had been left around the actual print.







 I then stretched them onto a bored with gum strip so that they didn't wrinkled while drying. (it is not important that you do this however it just gives it a flatter more professional look.)


once they had dried i ended up with a nice collection of prints including a print on black card with white water based ink and a print on white paper with tissue paper glued down before printing with black water based inks.










I found this whole experience very relaxing and fun. From carving my lino to printing with it. I know this technique isn't for everyone whether its the carving lino or actually printing it, all I can say is stick with it and you will get the outcome you want. I have done lino printing before and am used to it but i did struggle at first.






















My Final prints for my project that was chosen by my class mates for my project.

This print was chosen by my class mates for one of my final print for my project. it has been made with black card, and white water based ink.

This print was also chosen for one of my final prints

it has been made on white catrige paper this tissue paper

stuck down onto it and then black water based ink printed over it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmLd4O2ROJo  I watched this video in class with my class mates and also a few others hope you enjoy :)

Tour de France Introduction.

As we all know this year the Tour de France came to Yorkshire. This was a rare and amazing privileged for most of us in the art and design world.  

As I am a student studying art and design, my Tutors also thought this was a brilliant opportunity to give us a feel of are future if we become designers and even artists, As when you become a designer it will be rare to get tasks you are interested in. this is the reason I chose to find things that people may not have thought of instead of just focusing on bikes n riders. I did this by first looking at my local art gallery the Barnsely Civic which by luck had put of a Tour de France/ Grand de Part exhibition and then I also saw that an art gallery in Sheffield had put up a small exhibition, that I was able to look around as well. After I had been browsing the gallery's and the internet for Ideas  I realized it was going to be a challenge for me to fill a sketch book over my summer break. 

It was only when I opened my mind and looked that little bit deeper I realized it wasn't as much of a daunting task as I thought. I soon began to realize that I could include the amazing and beautiful landscapes, well known land marks of Yorkshire and France, along with typical things that would be related to each country and place. Once I figured that out the Ideas just poured out of my head and I slowly found my self becoming more and more interested in my work. 

I was able to produce a full A4 sketch book with primary and secondary research, verity of media, two A2 mode boards, two A2 development sheets, Collagraph /Etching and Lino sample prints, a final print design sheet, a selection of final prints and an evaluation. all of my sheets including my sketch book have also been annotated either on the page it's self or on the back.

I really didn't know how this whole project would work out for me. Honestly I thought I wasn't going to get much variety or many primary images or even have half as much work as what I have. But I am very proud of everything I have done, And I have also learnt that when I sit down and focus properly and put my mind into it I can accomplish way more than I ever thought I could. 

I have posted and wrote about my printing experiences, my trial and errors and my final Prints and design sheets, so that you guys at Home can see my work and progress. 

collargraph printing for my tour de France project

a collagraph is a print that is made by sticking different materials and building layers of shapes onto a strong backing, somewhat like a collage. the word actually comes from the French "colle" witch quintessentially means to stick or glue. The best collagraph's are when they have variety of texture, this is created by different materials and media that you use to stick down  onto your strong piece of card of wood.

I will be looking at an artist called Brenda Hartill  who is a collagraph print maker who also does etching. I will be looking at her work for inspiration and tips on how to do my collagraph print. while I was doing some artist research on her I Came across this ling.  
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hNaf9KmT-s"        "one of Brenda's pieces"
with in this video line that Brenda has made herself I have learnt a lot more about her techniques and found them rather interesting.

Health and safety 
there isn't anything very dangerous about collagraphing or creating a collagraph. However it would be best while cutting if you are using a craft knife to always make sure your fingers are well away from the blade, and if cutting a straight line use a metal ruler.(like the one shown in the picture. Also when it comes to printing if you are using a printing bed always remember to keep your hands on the spinning wheel as it has been known, for the metal plate the your print is placed on, to fall onto the floor and could hurt your feet. And never place your hands near the roller as the print bed is moving as your fingers could get trapped/crushed.

My work and attempts.

this is my collargraph that I made. I have used the wheels from my sketch book primary research and development sheets and also tried to do it more abstracts like Brenda Hartill. I am not yet sure how this will turn out however I am hopeful that i will get a variety of texture in my print. I have used cartridge paper, crinkled card, wool, a small bit of risen patterned paper and a piece of string.

I plan on using mainly yellow to continue my theme from my sketch book and development sheets. however I will try adding black on the risen parts to make the different texture stand out more.
I have now gone over my collagraph with PVA and then varnished it to seal. ( It is important that you varnish your collargraph as it helps to seal and keep your pieces stuck down)

The picture on the right shows my used collagraph and my unsuccessful prints. before I get on to my prints there where a few things I had to learn before I attempted. 
1.) We placed latex gloves on are hands to prevent ink staining skin.
2.) Using water based inks I was shown to roll out water based inks on a newspaper covered surface.
3.) Using a few centimeter long and thick, piece of card to scrape up bits of the ink and scrape the ink onto my collagraph.
4.) using pieces of newspaper or magazine, rubbed the excess of ink off my collagraph.
5.)using cartridge paper that had been placed in water then in between material to dry  I placed my collagraph face down and then placing a piece of card and thick fabric over the top of my collargraph then rolled it through the print bed.
6.) peel back the thick fabric and card then carefully separate the collagraph from the paper to revile my print, then leave to dry.
My prints went wrong as I put too much ink on my first attempt and not enough on my second. I do stress that with any printing method it is trial and error and getting used to how much ink you need to apply. Another thing that went wrong with my prints is that I didn't raise my pattern enough and that is why my black bled onto my yellow back ground. However I do like the effects I have gotten as i feel they look more abstract, a bit like Brenda Hartill. 

I have only done collagragh once before, and that was in my first year of college. it didn't work out then either however i am glad i gave it another go even though it didnt go to plan. i have said this before and I will say it again for all art it is mostly about trial and error. which is what i love most about art as it allows us to learn more everyday we try. i hope you have enjoyed this blog entry. :)