Experimenting: Combining Techniques

Experimenting: Combining Techniques

Dry Point Etching and Screen Printing

When I have made my dry point etchings I have often wondered how I could enhance the image by the addition of another technique - for example to add colour or enhance the theme or mood.

I decided to try an experiment with my dry point etching of an old rope and driftwood which I found at
South Ferriby. (see post of 24 January, 2019).

The rope had a natural swing to it and a lot of atmosphere with its tasselled end where the rope had begun to unravel over time. I felt that the image conjured up feelings of the sea, ships, and the passage of time. I wanted to evoke a feeling of days gone by, the English coast,  and the work of mariners who used such ropes in their every day life.

I felt that the addition of some soft blues, yellows and browns would complement the subject - and  thoughts of sand, sea and worn, aged driftwood.

Stage 1

Transferring the image of the dry point etching onto a screen print.

Fortunately the image was sufficiently clear to transfer well onto the screen and I printed a test in black to check the result.

 

Dry print transferred onto a screen print

Stage 2

I selected a number of subtle acrylic screen print inks to reflect my aims of evoking the seashore and boats - soft yellow, pale umber and a sludgy blue.

I placed the image under a blank screen and painted some shapes on the screen to reflect the subject matter below. I then pulled the screen print down a number of times to create different coloured effects and shapes on the paper below, using the "open screen" printing process.

I then placed the screen with the image of the rope and driftwood over the coloured images and used black ink to pull down the image onto the pre-prepared coloured images which I inserted below.

Outcome

The images all came out well and had a feeling of nostalgia of sea, sand and days gone by - feelings of a lost maritime industry which pervades the east coast of England.

 

 

 

I learned a lot during this experiment:

- I can re-use this technique for a number of my other prints where I want to enhance mood or add colour.
-The way that the printing ink is applied freely using the "open screen" process added movement and life to the print.
- The technique allows for different interpretations through the addition of different colours or shapes during the open screen process.
- I will be able to link the effects with my research into landscape and the work of other artists, such as Prunella Clough and Elizabeth Blackadder.

Future use

I feel that the combination of the two processes can enhance my practice, particularly as it allows my hand made images (dry points, drawings etc) to be transposed onto a screen. This means that I can make many copies and then experiment and manipulate them to add background shapes and colour to get different effects. The process also adds an air of life and spontaneity to the images.