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The Silkscreen Printing Method
By:
Published: August 31, 2006
What do Marilyn Monroe and a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup have in common?
The answer is silkscreen printing.
Silkscreen printing is the method artist Andy Warhol used to create two of his most famous works of art: his Marilyn Monroe and Campbell's Tomato Soup paintings. Both pieces were made from a type of stencil. The process is called silkscreen printing and it can be used in artwork or to print images onto T-shirts, coffee mugs and other everyday items.
To begin the process of silkscreen printing, the artist must first create the stencil used to transfer the design. One way to make the stencil is by cutting a piece of paper or plastic into its desired pattern, keeping in mind the ink will appear in the open spaces of the stencil. What is left behind on the fabric is the opposite of the stencil image. Once this stencil can be attached to the screen, it is ready to be used.
Another way an artist can make a silkscreen printing stencil is by painting the negative image directly onto the screen with an impermeable filler material. This is a complicated method because the negative image is the opposite of the image desired with the completion of the silkscreen printing. It can be confusing and, for this reason, an artist may choose the final option, which is to use a drawing fluid.
Drawing fluid is used by an artist to paint the desired image on the fabric after silkscreen printing. Once the fluid is dry, the artist is able to cover the screen with screen filler, a process known as scoop coating. Once the filler has dried, the screen can be rinsed off. The area painted by the drawing fluid will be washed away, leaving a stencil of the original painting. This is a great way for artists to reproduce their artwork while still maintaining originality. This was the method Andy Warhol employed.
The silkscreen printing screen itself is made from a piece of finely woven, porous fabric. Originally made of silk, it has been made with polyester or nylon since the 1940s. The fabric is stretched across a frame made from wood or aluminum. Parts of the screen are blocked off with one of the non-permeable stencils.
To create the silkscreen printing, the aforementioned screen is placed over a piece of paper or fabric. This is where the actual silkscreen printing process begins. Ink is added onto the screen, using a squeegee to evenly distribute the ink. The ink passes through the open spaces in the stencil. Once the screen is lifted away, the negative image is left on the fabric.
More than one color can be used on one piece of fabric, but the ink must dry before a new screen and color are applied. It will take patience, but the end result of silkscreen printing is fascinating. The screen can be re-used time and again to make replicas, but must be cleaned between each use.
Now the next time someone asks what your favorite coffee mug and Warhol's portraits of Elvis have in common, you should readily know the answer.
The answer is silkscreen printing.
Silkscreen printing is the method artist Andy Warhol used to create two of his most famous works of art: his Marilyn Monroe and Campbell's Tomato Soup paintings. Both pieces were made from a type of stencil. The process is called silkscreen printing and it can be used in artwork or to print images onto T-shirts, coffee mugs and other everyday items.
To begin the process of silkscreen printing, the artist must first create the stencil used to transfer the design. One way to make the stencil is by cutting a piece of paper or plastic into its desired pattern, keeping in mind the ink will appear in the open spaces of the stencil. What is left behind on the fabric is the opposite of the stencil image. Once this stencil can be attached to the screen, it is ready to be used.
Another way an artist can make a silkscreen printing stencil is by painting the negative image directly onto the screen with an impermeable filler material. This is a complicated method because the negative image is the opposite of the image desired with the completion of the silkscreen printing. It can be confusing and, for this reason, an artist may choose the final option, which is to use a drawing fluid.
Drawing fluid is used by an artist to paint the desired image on the fabric after silkscreen printing. Once the fluid is dry, the artist is able to cover the screen with screen filler, a process known as scoop coating. Once the filler has dried, the screen can be rinsed off. The area painted by the drawing fluid will be washed away, leaving a stencil of the original painting. This is a great way for artists to reproduce their artwork while still maintaining originality. This was the method Andy Warhol employed.
The silkscreen printing screen itself is made from a piece of finely woven, porous fabric. Originally made of silk, it has been made with polyester or nylon since the 1940s. The fabric is stretched across a frame made from wood or aluminum. Parts of the screen are blocked off with one of the non-permeable stencils.
To create the silkscreen printing, the aforementioned screen is placed over a piece of paper or fabric. This is where the actual silkscreen printing process begins. Ink is added onto the screen, using a squeegee to evenly distribute the ink. The ink passes through the open spaces in the stencil. Once the screen is lifted away, the negative image is left on the fabric.
More than one color can be used on one piece of fabric, but the ink must dry before a new screen and color are applied. It will take patience, but the end result of silkscreen printing is fascinating. The screen can be re-used time and again to make replicas, but must be cleaned between each use.
Now the next time someone asks what your favorite coffee mug and Warhol's portraits of Elvis have in common, you should readily know the answer.
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