Preparing and Exposing Photographic Silkscreens
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Student is coating the screen using emulsion and scoop coater in a room with a yellow safe light
Students learn to coat and expose their own image onto a silkscreen.
Suggested Time Frame:
2-4 class periods
Objectives:
- Students will coat silkscreens with a light sensitive emulsion
- Students will expose the silkscreens using their film positives
Procedure
Materials:
| Diazo screen printing emulsion for water-based inks | 1 open silkscreen for every 5 students | 1 silkscreen per student for the photographic layer |
| Student’s Film Positive transparencies | Degreasing soap – For example, Dawn dishwashing liquid. This same soap can be used to wash the ink out of silkscreens. Do not use any soap to wash screens that contains bleach. | Scoop coater |
| Light-tight box or dark room | Exposing unit | *Comet Cleanser |
Procedure:
- Present PowerPoint - Preparing & Exposing Photographic Silkscreens.
- *If your screens are new, clean them first with Comet to roughen the surface of the fabric. Only do this if the screens are new, and then never use Comet again. Comet contains bleach, which is harmful to your screens if used over time.
- Dilute degreasing soap with water and pour into a plastic bottle with a nozzle.
- Wash silkscreens using the degreasing soap. Thoroughly rinse and dry silkscreens.
- Read and follow all of the instructions that come with the emulsion. Sensitize the emulsion, stir, and let sit for 60 minutes to allow time for the air bubbles to rise to the surface.
- In a darkened room or in a room with a yellow safe light, coat silkscreens with the emulsion and scoop coater. Follow the directions included with the emulsion.
- Store the coated silkscreens in a dark room or light-tight box until they are dry. Screens may be stacked on top of each other using blocks in between to save space. Screens should dry with the flat side down (the side you used the squeegee on should be facing up). They need to dry perfectly flat. If the screen is tilted even the slightest bit, then the emulsion might dry unevenly and run off the screen. Once the screens are dry they may be put in black plastic garbage bags until you are ready to expose them.
- Expose the silkscreen with the students’ Film Positives. A screen exposure chart should be included with your emulsion. If not, you will need to test exposure times. A good time to start with is 5 minutes.
- Wash out the screens and dry them completely before the students print their first layers. Follow the wash-out instructions included with the emulsion.
Assessment
Warhol Education Rubrics
Click the Warhol Rubric headers below to reveal associated rubrics to which this lesson applies.
Communication
| CO.3 | Listening and Speaking: Ability to express ideas and listen to others. | Somewhat organized, but off topic. Unable to respond adequately to questions from others or summarize others' conclusions or viewpoints. | Answers reveal a partial understanding of material. Misses some aspects of the topic and inconsistently comments on others statements. | Expresses ideas well. Listens and responds to peers thoughtfully and respectfully. Grasps concepts well enough to ask questions about what is still not understood. | Responds to questions accurately and with supporting facts that are engaging. Established eye contact and demonstrated an awareness of audiences’ needs. Demonstrates additional curiosity in subject. | Explores topic thoroughly providing multiple details, examples and supporting facts. Answers convey a deep understanding of topic. Highly responsive to audience. Active participation in discussion brings group learning to a higher level. |
| CO.4 | Media Literacy: Use technology to express ideas. | Uses the technological and multimedia tools in a limited way to express conclusions or viewpoints. | Technological and multimedia tools are relevant and functions in a basic way to express intent. | Media choices convey message of work and are applied by student in conscious way. | Media is used skillfully to enhance the impact of the work. The media illustrates important ideas, details and relationships. | The media reinforces the main ideas in original and creative ways. The student's use of media is highly perceptive and intelligent. |
Creative Process
| CP.2 | Engagement: Actively listening, watching, responding, exploring, creating and reflecting on experiences. | Interest is limited and personal connection with subject matter or process is low. | Demonstrates curiosity in the project by asking questions and using answers to move forward in the creation of a work of art. | Seeks opportunities to enhance art work by applying more time, extra materials, help from others, etc. | Demonstrates acute focus in the act of creating and works without distractions. Is in the flow (Csikszentmihalyi). | Shares their experience, excitement and new ideas for a project in a way that inspires others. |
| CP.5 | Skill and Craftsmanship | Handles materials in a limited way and lacks an understanding of the techniques, methods and conventions used to create work. | Uses materials in a basic way to create work. | Demonstrates dexterity and skill in creating a work of art. | Able to adapt materials to create their own distinctive mark, style or identifiable characteristic. | Craftsmanship and construction of work (form) is fully integrated with the ideas (content) and is aesthetically excellent. |