For this tutorial, Lewis uses paper stencils and the Artful screen printing box to create a print in preparation for the new series of Stranger Things!
You will need:
A Screen
A Squeegee
Paint
Vinyl Stickers
Cartridge Paper
Not included in the Screen Printing Starter Box:
A scalpel
A teaspoon
An Artful Snow Colouring Pencil
Templates
Using a craft knife, cut out the stencils provided. Cut out the parts of the stencil filled with block colour. Be careful, this will be very fiddly! Always cut away from yourself when using a sharp blade.
Apply a larger printing area to the outside of your screen. Cut the spare sticker left over and cover the top half of the inner screen with it.
Step 2.
Making sure the screen is not touching your paper surface, liberally apply some light blue paint to the bottom of your printing area. Using your squeegee, push the light blue paint away from yourself in one smooth motion.
Step 3.
Press the screen onto your paper. Using your squeegee, pull the light blue paint towards yourself. This will flood the paint through the mesh of the screen, leaving a light blue rectangle. With this layer done, wash your screen and squeegee immediately whilst the paint is still wet, and dry both with a tea towel.
Step 4.
Mix together some black and lots of light blue paint to create a darker grey/blue paint.
Making sure the screen is not touching your paper surface, apply the darker grey/blue paint to the bottom of the printing area.
Using your squeegee, push the darker grey/blue paint away from yourself in one smooth motion.
Step 5.
Flip the screen, and stick stencil 1 to outside of your screen, print side down. Flip the screen again, pressing the screen onto your paper. Using your squeegee, pull the dark grey/blue paint towards yourself. This will push the paint through the paper stencil, leaving these dark blue trees on top of your light blue background.
Again, once this layer is finished, you must wash your screen immediately whilst the paint is still wet, making sure the screen is bone dry before starting your next layer.
Step 6.
Next, you are essentially repeating steps 1 to 6, but with your orange paint for the top half of your artwork. Use the second spare sticker and stick to the bottom half of your inner screen. We mixed together red with lots of yellow for our light orange. Apply this mixture to the top of the sticker.
Step 7.
Making sure the screen is not touching your paper surface, use your squeegee to push your orange paint away from yourself.
Step 8.
Press your screen onto your paper, and using the squeegee, pull the orange paint towards yourself. This will be the orange sky. Once this layer is finished, straight to the sink to wash away the paint from the screen and squeegee whilst they are wet.
Step 9.
We added some black to our orange paint to make a dark brown for the background trees. With the screen away from your surface, apply a large amount of this brown paint to the top of your sticker.
Step 10.
Push the brown paint away from yourself with the squeegee, still making sure that the screen is elevated away from your paper surface.
Flip your screen, and stick stencil 2 to outside of your screen, print side down.
Flip your screen again, and press your screen to your paper surface.
Pull the paint towards yourself with your squeegee. This will push the brown paint through the paper stencil, making these trees for the top half of the print. Once you finish this layer, wash and dry both your screen and squeegee immediately.
Step 11.
Remove the inner sticker from the screen. Apply a large amount of black paint to the bottom of your screen, making sure it is raised from your printing area. Using the squeegee, push the paint away from yourself.
Step 12.
Flip the screen, and tape stencil 3 to the outside of the screen, print side down. Flip the screen again, pressing it onto your paper. Pull the black paint towards yourself in one motion. This will push the black paint through your stencil of the forest, Sheriff Jim Hopper and the monstrous demogorgon!
As ever, once this layer is complete, straight to the sink to thoroughly wash away the black paint from your screen and squeegee.
Step 13.
Now for our text layer. We have decided to use the white paint from our upgrade box.
Add a large amount of paint to the bottom of your printing area, making sure the screen is elevated from the paper surface. Using the squeegee, push the paint away from yourself.
Step 14.
Flip the screen, and tape stencil 4 to the outside of the screen, print side down. Flip the screen again, pressing it onto your paper. Pull the white paint towards yourself in one motion. This will pull the paint through your text stencil.
Immediately wash your screen and squeegee.
Step 15.
Using your paintbrush, add a red dot for the mouth of the demogorgon, and a larger white circle for the torchlight of Sheriff Jim Hopper.
You can use an Artful Snow pencil to add a bit of texture and highlight the silhouettes.
Step 16.
Using a craft knife and a metal ruler, cut down the sides of the print to make it more neat.
You’re finished! A scary, Stranger Things screen print, worthy of the upside down.
