Screen Print T-Shirts

Purpose:

• To be introduced to the process of screen printing;
• To create a simple design that uses a variety of shapes which emphasize the interaction between positive and negative space;
• To demonstrate the process of screen-printing by printing designs on paper and fabric.

Reflection:

Through this process of screen-printing, I learned several new techniques that are importing to my future as a art/design student including precise work quality, importance of “less is more”, and the importance of working in a neat environment. I learned that time is key in creating a quality design. For my first shirt I used precise passes with the squeegee to ensure that I evenly distributed the ink. As I did more shirts, I got tireless and lazier with the squeegeeing, which resulted in patchier finishes. In the future I will make sure that my passes of ink are accurate and precise so that all of my designs will be top-quality. When creating designs for my shirts I kept in mind the design rule about simplicity. With the birds, a lot more could have been added to make the design more intricate, but for the purpose of this shirt, the design looks more defined with the simplicity. Lastly, when using the silk-screens and fabric ink, I learned that working in a neat environment is a must so that you do not get paint in unwanted places. Although I had several pieces of news paper placed on the table and a designated area for my paint and squeegee, I still somehow ended up getting paint smudged somewhere on one of my shirts. In the future I now know to make sure that the entire area is clean and neat so that this does not happen again.

All of these things that I learned are important to my learning as a art/graphic design student because they all are key things to keep in mind when designing. Major design elements such as tension, proximity, contrast and alignment were all considered when creating the designs.