When you are sensitive to paper, ink, and print quality, screen printing presents itself as an essential for an artist. This is a printing process dating from around the 10th century and probably Chinese. A mesh film similar to a mosquito net is stretched over a frame. Thanks to a specific preparation, this screen printing "screen" works like a stencil: the paint can only pass through unobstructed mesh spaces.
But let's leave the technical details aside...
Here I am in my favorite workshop in Tokyo. At the time it was still near Shinagawa, now it is near Waseda.
My intention was to create a screen printed edition of my Ramen visual, one in red, the other in gold.
Once the screen is fixed, we place the paint on it. Below is the sheet of paper.
Then, using a squeegee, we slide the paint down. Only the unblocked spaces on the screen printing screen allow the paint to pass through.
Once the screen is raised, the image appears printed on the paper.
The prints are then dried on a rack provided for this purpose.
If a second color is necessary, we change the screen printing screen and print on top of the first print, taking care to match the print areas.
This is a single color print, which simplifies the task.
This is the result!
