© linda germain 2012 love birds screen ready for screen filler

I wish I had a thermofax machine, but since I do not I try other ways to make screens for mixed media printmaking.  I am getting better at the drawing fluid method.  It is good for simple line drawings.

1. transfer your drawing on to the screen with a pencil
2. “Paint” the pencil lines with drawing fluid
3. let the Fluid dry – speed up with hair dryer
4. With a squeegee, pull a bead of screen filler over the whole drawing.  You don’t want to be able to see through your screen.  If you can see light through the screen, then allow to dry and pull another thin layer of screen filler over the image.
5. Allow filler to dry

©2012 linda germain 5.5″ x 4.5″ love birds card

1. gently rinse out the blue drawing fluid
2. The goal is to have screen filler everywhere except when the drawing fluid is.  And the blue fluid is water soluble so it starts to dissolve the more you squeegee the screen.

©linda germain 2012 drawing fluid drying on the screen

I took one of Carla Sonheim’s online classes last summer – Faces 101.  I love the intensity of a one week class.  We did 101 face drawings in a week.  She is also the author of a fantastic book –

Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun   Her style and videos are perfect.  I laughed and did some fearless drawing.  The structure of assignments motivated me to make drawings, that I could eventually use for printmaking projects.  Line drawings are good for the drawing fluid method of screen printing.