Screen Printing and Imagery in Fused Glass

Screen printing with glass powders and enamels is great for bold, graphic images, repeatable patterns, and colorful backgrounds. It’s capable of creating clean, crisp line work and perfect color gradients. Additionally, sifting powder by hand, and painting with enamel, allows us to incorporate spontaneity and gesture. It also allows us to render meticulous detail and blend colors to achieve realism.

In this class, we will explore the pros and cons of creating images with silkscreens vs. drawing or painting them by hand. Through this process, we will discover that both methods pair beautifully together, and can work in tandem within a single project. Using both powdered frit and enamel, students will explore ways to introduce screen printing into their process, and Suzanne will demonstrate her personal methods for incorporating silkscreens into her hand- drawn imagery.

What to Expect:

• Students will begin the class by making colorful gradients with powders using unexposed screens and experimenting with patterns and images. Hand drawing and painting techniques will also be demonstrated using powders and enamels. 
• Students will learn how to properly set up their own files for screen printing, and their individual projects will be exposed onto screens.
• We’ll discuss sourcing materials, proper technique, and how to set up an at-home printing studio. We will also go over kiln schedules, and how to combine screen-printing with other kiln glass processes.
• The week will begin with demonstrations and pre-organized projects, and end with students working on their own ideas, independently.