SIGNED LIMITED EDITION FINE ART PRINTS • HAND SCREENED ORIGINALS • CANVASES

ABOUT THE ART: THE PROCESSes

SILKSCREEN
IN 1992 I ENROLLED ON THE SCREEN PRINTING PROCESS COURSE (AKA SILKSCREEN) AT THE LONDON COLLEGE OF PRINTING. I ALREADY KNEW HOW TO  HAND CUT STENCILS, IN FACT I’D PRODUCED SOME IMAGERY USING THIS METHOD WAY BEFORE BANKSY’S GRAFFITTI EFFORTS. I LEARNT HOW TO MAKE A PHOTO MECHANICAL STENCIL (SCREEN STENCIL) FROM SCRATCH. HOW TO CALCULATE EXPOSURE TIMES & THE TECHNIQUE OF HAND PRINTING  USING SCREEN INK & SQUEGEE. IN SHORT FROM A GIVEN IMAGE OR PART OF, YOU MAKE A PHOTO POSITIVE (SIMILAR TO A PHOTOCOPY ON CLEAR PLASTIC ACETATE). A FRAME COVERED WITH SEE THRU POLYESTER MESH (ORIGINALLY SILK) IS COATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC EMULSION UNDER DARKROOM/RED LIGHT CONDITIONS. THE FRAME IS THEN DRIED. THE POSITIVE IS PLACED ON THE FRAME SIDE (THE INSIDE OF THE SCREEN WHERE THE INK WILL SIT IS THE INK SIDE) & EXPOSED TO UV LIGHT OR MERCURY BULB, FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME. THE UV HARDENS THE EMULSION ONLY WHERE IS PASSES THRU THE CLEAR PARTS OF THE POSITIVE, THE DARKER PART OF THE POSITIVE HOLDS BACK THE LIGHT SO IT REMAINS SOFT. THE SCREEN IS RINSED OUT WITH WATER. THE SOFT PART DISSOLVES & WHAT REMAINS IS NOW A NEGATIVE IMAGE. WHEN INK IS SQUEEZED THRU THE SCREEN WITH A RUBBER BLADE IT PRODUCES A POSITIVE IMAGE.
THIS RELATIVELY SIMPLE PROCESS WAS ORIGINALLY FORMED USING OPAQUE SHAPES TO MAKE A MORE INTRICATE DESIGN WITH OVERPRINTING, USUALLY FOR FABRIC BUT ALSO POTTERY ETC.WITH THE ONSET OF PHOTOGRAPHY A HALFTONE METHOD WAS USED TO REPLICATE TONE & SHADING. THIS IS MORE DIFFICULT AS UNDER/OVER EXPOSURE WILL RUIN AN IMAGE.
THE PHOTOS AND IMAGERY I USE ARE EVEN MORE PROBLEMATIC, SO I EXPERIMENTED WITH DIFFERENT EMULSIONS & EXPOSURE SETTINGS. AFTER MANY RUINED SCREENS I COMPOSED A TABLE OF CALCULATIONS TO USE AGAINST THE VARYING TONE OF THE PHOTO POSITIVES, OFTEN I WILL USE A BLEND MADE FROM CUT UP POSI’S OF DIFFERING INTENSITY. THIS IS WHY MY IMAGES RETAIN A CLEAR REPRODUCTIVE QUALITY & NOT THE CRUDE POSTERISATION LOOK.
I ALSO USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCREEN INK WHICH I HAND MIX TO PRODUCE UNUSUAL COLOURS & SHADES.
FINALLY, USING AN ABSTRACT PRINTING TECHNIQUE  WHERE THE INK WILL REACT WITH ITSELF I CAN PRODUCE STUNNING UNUSUAL PRINTS & PAINTINGS. NOTHING IS EVER STANDARD, OR RANDOM, ITS ALL CAREFULLY CHOSEN.
THE SAME PAPER IS CHOSEN FOR EDITION & HAND SCREENED PRINTS, A 310gm COTTON RAG PAPER OF SUPERB QUALITY. THE CANVAS USED IS  FINE WEAVE 100% UNDYED COTTON, IT PROVIDES A SMOOTH SURFACE TO PRINT UPON. THE CANVAS IS THEN FIXED ONTO WOODEN ART STRETCHERS WITH ADDED EDGING TO KEEP CONTACT WITH THE FRAME MINIMAL.

 

LIMITED EDITION GICLEE PRINTS
USING VERY SPECIALIZED INKS,THE GICLEE PROCESS HAS REMARKABLE COLOUR SATURATION. MILLIONS OF DROPLETS ARE SPRAYED ONTO THE SURFACE, TAKING UP TO 60 MINS TO CREATE EACH PRINT. THE RESULT IS SUPERB QUALITY, RICH IN COLOUR WITH A FLAWLESS VELVETY TEXTURE. WE USE 310gm COTTON RAG PAPER HAND DECKLED TO MATCH THE ORIGINAL. THE GICLEE HAS ARCHIVAL QUALITIES VASTLY SUPERIOR TO OTHER PRINT PROCESS.