My submission for Illustration Friday's "Phobia" is the first print in a series of three that I handprinted into a portfolio of limited editions. Printing was my life for over 15 years, I printed many pieces and I promise when I get some good time soon I'll post about my amazing printing adventures. This is an 9 colour silkscreen and for any of you that have hand printed, the more colours the more registration issues. This is a tight fit too so for my first personal edition it was ambitious. I created a transparent glaze with a little white that turned all my colours from one to two. So for instance I printed the purple lady than I cut out just her face and printed the transparent white and it turns the purple into a softer lavendar and now it looks like 2 totally different colours, I did one pass of transparent white over all of the print and it looks like 14 colours now! My whole reason to print was to stretch the boundaries and be a self sufficient artist. You don't want to do whats been done you want to pioneer new techniques. This print helped me land a job with a master printer and I worked as his assistant for 5 years. In April I wrote a post called "I never forget a face" that is the 2nd print in this portfolio, it was 10 colours and the 3rd print is almost 20. The guy in the picture is Bob and the name of this print is "Strangers in the Night". This is about show businss and that subject is rife with phobias. Stage fright is a major phobia.
Strangers in the Night copyright 1980
So you got 'no respect' from printers until this was made ? Nice ! I like how bright the piece is despite the setting of a dimly lit comedy club. Will the audience throw ink and wadded up paper if the jokes are bad ?
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stevePoisonPencil
What a cool image! And I loved hearing about the silkscreening process! I want to hear more about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for your very nice feedback!
ValGal: Thanks for this post. it reminds me of a stage, just before the accident, when it might have served me to be a little more frightened. I never should have tried to bite that car's tire. At least not while it was moving. thanks for the post. Phobically yours.
ReplyDeleteBad Dog (deceased)
Wow Val, that was a fascinating story. And the image is gorgeous!
ReplyDelete"Fank you for fisiting my frog flog. "
ReplyDeleteYour screen print is awesome. I know how hard it is to do this, and you make it look so easy. I can feel for the comic on stage.... hope he makes it big time!
Cool, very nice! Boy you;re so far beyond me it's like night and day.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind public speaking. But I've only rarely silk-screened anything.
fun illo!
ReplyDeletelol silkscreen i avoided it in art school, glad to know u have such patientence to do it. great looking print and it seems like you nailed those registrations too. Oh TY
ReplyDeletefor your help greatly appreciated. no more pencil for me.
wow, definately ambitious! thanks for sharing, i look forward to seeing more!
ReplyDeleteVal, how is it that you always have a perfect and beautiful illo for the week's theme????
ReplyDeleteI only tried silkscreening while in college...and I'm sure I won't be doing it any time soon...my respects for you my dear artist friend :-) You did an awesome job! I admire your talent and patience...
Love the pink and black combination. Interesting and fun to see another side of your art, Val!
ReplyDeleteNeato! I rrreally enjoyed reading all about the silkscreening!
ReplyDeletelooking forward to hearing your printing stories; I used to work for a statewide paper with a web press and it was always a challenge to find ways to push the presses to thier limits. Well for the designers it was; the press guys had 'other' thoughts. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am just about to step out the door to the silkscreening workshop I go to to start a new project, and you have inspired me. That is a fabulous idea with the transperent white. You have taught me something today.
ReplyDeleteWow! I used to do screen printing in college and I know how hard it is to print even just 2 or 3 colors and get everything to line up.. I'm truely impressed :)
ReplyDeleteGreat illustration!
very cool, work! i love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch, Val! Deeply appreciate all the support! You guys are great...take care :)
ReplyDeletewow!!!! val, that is great! It took me back to the 80s when I was using rubylyth (i used to call them ruby lips) to cut out for each color... if I wanted green, I would cut out two shapes of rubylyth for yellow and blue. Sheesh! That was for print. I look forward to hearing your story on your printing experiences! :O)
ReplyDeletewow!!!! val, that is great! It took me back to the 80s when I was using rubylyth (i used to call them ruby lips) to cut out for each color... if I wanted green, I would cut out two shapes of rubylyth for yellow and blue. Sheesh! That was for print. I look forward to hearing your story on your printing experiences! :O)
ReplyDeleteOi, Val !!!
ReplyDeletethis is really cool and i want to hear and see the rest ....
Hugs ;-)))
I really like this one...of course before i clicked on your blog I was wondering 'what's she going to put up?' This one has a great spikey feeling...I have been on stage and know 'fright' well.
ReplyDeletevery interesting tips on silkscreening!I have tryed some printing by myself and I know that is not easy...so I applaude your mastery, excellent work...
ReplyDeletewow. what an interesting writeup and explanation. your work is always interesting.
ReplyDeletenow every week i look forward to what you will share and how you will approach the theme of the week. it's obvious you enjoy the challenge.
Sheesh. Sounds complex! It's nice to see this very different style of yours.
ReplyDeleteI'm way too shy to be successful at speaking in front of a crowd. Some people just have a knack for it. This is a fun style, Val...I love the geometric shapes and the personality they give your characters!
ReplyDeleteWow, this one is bright and fun. I love silkscreening although I haven't silkscreened in years - it was my first "real" art job.
ReplyDeleteWhew! What a process! and impessive. I'll look forward to reading more of your printing history!
ReplyDeleteSilkscreen prints are soooo looong to make! Have to be patient! NINE COLOURS! WOW! Wonderful! :)
ReplyDeleteVal you are just a wealth of experience. Loved reading about the screen printing. Don and I saw on public TV about lithographs the other day. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteLovely illo and I look forward to reading more about your printing experience.
Great illo, i like the colors
ReplyDeleteGreat print! I go in and out of printmaking myself. It's great to hear about your process. I would love to hear more about your printmaking and your apprenticeship. That's sounds really cool!
ReplyDeleteHeehee, had to crawl into reality to comment on this one. Great story and I really enjoyed seeing your screenprint! Back to editioning .... prints :)
ReplyDeleteI love this! wonderful composition
ReplyDeleteThis is really nice! I did some silkscreening at my art schoool in Italy. It's hard! Complimenti!
ReplyDeletewow, very intense process and I can only imagine the thought you had to put into each layer...I'd love to hear more about this :)
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine how complex and exacting the process must have been! Very nice illustration.
ReplyDeleteI'm not afraid of public speaking, however I wouldn't want to be a stand-up comedian with no jokes to tell.
Neat stuff Val!
ReplyDeleteThis pic reminds me of college! You probably don't remember that you sent me a bunch of these prints & the $$$ to get them framed. I had the coolest college apt because I had this print as well as swept away, strumpeter and some of that weird bedard duck crap. Fun memories!
ReplyDeletehaha good one dd that made me laugh out loud! The duck crap part!
ReplyDeleteFantastic - I love all the bizarre shaped heads. The curtains, the colors and the martini glasses. So cool!
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