Silkscreen
Bold Color • Sharp Edges • Infinite Reproducibility
Silkscreen I: Bold Layers & Sharp Edges
Silkscreen printing offers immediacy—bold color, sharp edges, infinite reproducibility. This introductory course teaches you to harness these qualities through both hand-drawn and photo-based stencil techniques. Working from sketches, photographs, found images, and digital files, you'll learn screen preparation, emulsion exposure, registration systems, and multi-layer color printing. Projects challenge you to think in layers and sequences, developing edition prints that balance technical precision with visual risk-taking. Weekly demonstrations introduce new processes; critiques situate your work within contemporary printmaking and street art traditions. Build a foundation in screen printing while discovering your visual voice.
Silkscreen II: Experimental Surfaces & Specialty Inks
Deepen your screen printing practice through technical refinement and conceptual expansion. This intermediate course introduces advanced registration techniques, specialty inks (metallics, fluorescents, discharge), non-standard substrates (fabric, wood, plastic), and experimental approaches (resist techniques, overprinting, half-tone processes). You'll plan and execute complex multi-screen editions while developing a personal visual language. Projects emphasize idea development—using the constraints and possibilities of screen printing to drive creative decisions. Field trips to local print studios, contemporary galleries, and possibly Florentine artisan workshops connect your practice to broader contexts. Prerequisite: PRMK 209 or equivalent experience.
Silkscreen III: Independent Studio & Portfolio Development
This advanced studio course operates as an independent printmaking laboratory. You'll define your own projects, establish production goals, and create a professional-quality portfolio of editioned prints. Faculty provide individual mentorship, technical demonstrations, and critical feedback as you refine both process and vision. Expect to push screen printing into unexpected territories—whether through scale, substrate, concept, or hybrid techniques. Weekly critiques examine work through multiple lenses: technical achievement, conceptual rigor, and relevance to contemporary art discourse. Participation in group exhibitions and visits to Florentine printing workshops may be included. Prerequisites: PRMK 209 and PRMK 309.