Accessible Screen Printing Workshop Online
It's ACCESSIBLE Silk Screen printing without the need for bundles of equipment so you can experiment and play at home: 12 months access so you can watch and learn as often as you like.
Sign up to be a member of my website [create your own password] then join the workshop and you'll be automatically added to the workshop discussion group. Use the 'Login' option [top left] to access your profile and amend your settings/notifications
"I bought the silk screen printing workshop last summer, and I have gone back to it over and over again. I've produced several pieces of work using your ideas. Such great tips and techniques - really clear instructions and camerawork - great value for money! Thank you Dionne! Please make more!!!"
"’Id never done an online workshop before and wasn’t sure what to expect, but a friend had recommended it and I needed a bit of a kick up the proverbial to get my creative mojo working again. In fact I found the online aspect really helpful – you can work at your own pace to fit in with other commitments and surrounded by your own materials, sources and inspiration. The group gives you interaction if you want it, and also provides helpful individual feedback from Dionne plus the motivation to try and keep pace with course mates so you can share work at the relevant time. Having a bit of breathing space between tasks also helps as you can mull things over as you go about your day, and see inspiration everywhere which you can bring back into the sketchbook. I found Dionne’s approach really helpful, with the videos clear and to the point with helpful examples. The course was as inspirational as I had hoped it would be – encouraging you at all times to play, explore and follow your instincts, but within a really nicely structured framework which helped you to gradually develop your ideas. I’ll be using the techniques for years to come, I’m sure."
"I would highly recommend this workshop online. It was most enjoyable and quality of workshop was excellent. It was creative fun and so accessible for anyone that would be interested in igniting their creative spark! A big thank you to Dionne!" - Joanne
"I would highly recommend this workshop online. It was most enjoyable and quality of workshop was excellent. It was creative fun and so accessible for anyone that would be interested in igniting their creative spark! A big thank you to Dionne!" - Joanne
LEARN: Stencil printing, Flour paste and Breakdown printing and my favourite, the very painterly approach of Manutex Mono-printing The workshop consists of a series of videos, notes and PDFs which will guide you through the silk screen printing process alongside a supportive online classroom. It seems crazy to suggest that you can do this at home – silk screen printing has the reputation of needing vast amounts of equipment; huge screens, big washout areas, exposure units etc. well I take a much more accessible approach: learn my techniques in step by step guides.
This is a technique based workshop. There are downloadable images to print off and use as visual inspiration – but you can work from your own imagery too.
STOP PRESS!!! – bonus session – DIY exposure unit!!! You'll have immediate access to the class and group, where you can share your work and connect with your fellow creatives.
CONTENT
Session 1 – equipment and setting up a suitable studio space
Session 2 – mixing dyes and printing pastes
Session 3 – printing technique: stencils
Session 4 – printing technique: flour paste
Session 5 – printing technique: mono-printing
Session 6 – printing technique: breakdown
Session 7 – processing your cloth
STOP PRESS!!! Session 8 – bonus session – DIY exposure unit!!!
Interaction with your fellow students via the discussion group is encouraged and this will be a key point of contact and feedback, here you can share images of your results and get that all important support.
Print supplies
Silk Screen and Squeegee – ideally approx A4 in size with squeegee 43T mesh.. Art Van Go [UK] have suitable screens & squeegees
Procion dyes with Manutex thickener Available HERE [Kemtex – Reactive Dye kit, you may have some of your own already] I would suggest that you may need at least 500gms of extra manutex F700 powder to run alongside this dye kit. (Manutex is also know as Sodium Alginate: it’s a seaweed based thickener) You may prefer to buy all the elements separately from Kemtex, get slightly larger quantities and be more selective with your colours [if your don’t want to over do it, stick with primary colours as you can mix other tones from there 5 or 6 colours would be a minimum I would think]. Urea and Soda Ash/Bicarbonate of Soda are also in the kit…you will need those too [Either soda ash or bicarb – both work]
500gms of urea & or soda ash/bicarb would always be useful
Other suppliers:
Maiwa.com [Canada]
Dharma Trading [USA]
Fabric – approx 2m to start with – 100% cotton white/natural coloured. You’ll need more as the addiction takes hold! Opt for a plain rather than a textured weave for now. [Silk, linen & viscose are also great to use, but more expensive when you’re learning the process] Give your fabric a wash in the machine before we start to get rid of any processing coating that may have been applied [no need to soda soak!]
I use fabrics from Whayles [Bradford] Ltd in the UK – they deliver abroad, but you’ll also find the companies above useful.
Craft knife/scalpel with cutting board or scissors
Copier/printer paper
Kitchen roll
A few paint brushes/mark making tools
Masking tape
Plain flour
Yogurt pots/jam jars/mixing containers – start collecting, a dozen should be fine
1 litre plastic measuring jug
An electric stick blender: Wilko have a very inexpensive blender [the type you stick in a saucepan to liquidise soup!]
A wipeable printing surface: pond liner, heavy plastic, laminated table cloth: as large or small as your work space will allow.
DIY Screen Print Table
Create your own DIY screen print table. Don’t be put off printing your own fabrics. Here’s a quick and easy print table to make yourself.
You’ll need: -A panel of wood: as big or small as you can muster. DIY stores supply MDF or chip board up to 8ft x 4ft! -Carpet underlay – felt or rubber type -Pond liner or heavy builders plastic -Craft knife &/or heavy scissors and a staple gun or hammer and tacks/gaffer tape
The carpet underlay gets held down onto the board with staples, tacks or gaffer tape – this provides some ‘give’ in the surface. I have found pond liner to be the nearest/most economical table surface – whilst not fully heat resistant it copes with everything I have to throw at it.
Wrap the pond liner around the board, stretch and staple in position – you can use fancy hospital corners if you like! On large pieces of liner there can be folds and creases – a hair dryer/heater and some stretching helps ease this away. I also like to scour the surface with wire wool before I start working – I tend to use masking tape to stretch my fabrics and it needs something to ‘bite’ on to.
Your new print surface can now be placed on top of your dining table, on trestle legs etc., etc.. then when you don’t need it lift it off and store away…under the bed, behind the piano, in the shed…
BUT...a really quick alternative is a piece of padded vinyl which you can cut to size, roll and unroll as needed :-)