Screen print tests

My aim by the end of term was to test out one of my screen print designs, just so that I can gain an insight in to the methods I will use to complete the prints as well as building my confidence in the production process.

Colour Scheme

For my two-colour palette, I have chosen the contrasting colours of salmon pink and mint green. I first came up with this idea when choosing a palette for an early morning sky in my post-encephalitis print, however I realised that these colours may have a little more significance to my theme. The salmon pink represents the colour of the brain, and human skin, which represents us as people, as individuals and what is concealed within our thoughts, personalities and minds. The green represents the outer world, the colour of natural forms and the environment surrounding us. It is also used as a metaphor to show that other living things on the outside cannot always judge and understand what we experience on an individual basis, and this is important in relation to my topic because I want to bridge the gap between knowing and understanding about neurological disorders; how it is for the person suffering and for the people around them.

Process

I used gradient and bitmap to create my first screen tests, it was a useful method but I found it too difficult to line the different layers up precisely to make a crisp and well polished image. I was also disappointed with the white middle ground, as I wanted the inks to mix together in the middle to create a third colour.
From quick peer feedback, I was advised to use the simple cartridge paper as it was the one that gave the most satisfying print, as well as trying out pulling both of the inks through one screen so that they will mix in the middle. 

I was much more satisfied with the outcome of the prints that I used a single screen for, although it was really difficult to position the inks with the correct ratio of the circle.

Reflection

From my screen print tests, I have become much more confident with the whole process; before I shyed away from it as I didn't have much practice, but now I have done everything myself I feel a lot better about using screens to produce images. I will now refine this image to a higher quality, as well as produce my other four positives using vectors, using one screen and mixing the colours in the middle.