9/10/2017 - Print Workshop - Week 1

Going into my first week of Print, I hadn't been able to prepare my image for etching in a way I felt satisfied with, so was thankful when I was placed in the screenprint section for the first two weeks. We began by coating our screens as we had been previously taught, and preparing our transparent positives. I managed to seperate my background image into a dark brown and light mint colour in good balance so that tone was still preserved even though there was only a single colour.

See my two transparent positives left and right. I quickly combined these together in photoshop to give me an early idea of what the final product would look like, and was happy with the result.

After this there was not much more I could immediately do, as my coated screen was still drying and couldn't be exposed. So in the meantime I mixed my colours, remembering to use 50% filler after creating the desired shade. This was the first time I had used two fresh jars to mix entirely my very own colours, and there was something satisfying about producing a palette to compare shades.

Once I had finished my inks it was 12.30 and my timetabled session was over. I signed up for another workshop slot before my Fine Art lecture on Thursday so I could expose my screens and make a start on the printing process to put me in good stead for my second workshop next Monday. Now that I had my transparent positives and terrarium together it was easier for me to visualise how my project was going to develop and I suddenly had an idea for my etched print.

I had been struggling to represent the angular butterfly wings effectively in a way which could suit the format of the terrarium, however I hadnt considered simply printing a fully spread set of wings, then bending a seam along the body of the butterfly, to actually turn the 2D print into a 3D design. To do this of course I would need higher grade card stock to print onto, however I could easily buy this from within the uni.

I feel like adding this extra element to my work would not only much more effectively capture the butterfly wings, but also would really embrace the concept of the work shop; exploring ways prints can be developed into objects. This new inspiration really got me excited for the further development of my piece, and I am excited to continue the program of workshops.