London Lisbonite learns how to screnprint at Print Club London

Print Club London have furnished a large part of my apartment with their screenprints. So when I saw that they were giving beginner's workshops in screenprinting, I decided that there are worse ways of spending an extra day off than in a studio covered in emulsion and ink. The workshop is in edgy Dalston, down a somewhat dodgy-looking alley. Upon entering, I was struck by the buzz of activity. Artists sidled around lost-looking workshop attendees and our teacher lost no time in giving us a comprehensive history of the art of screenprinting, taking us from the origins of the method back in China hundreds of years ago when the screens were made from human hair through the pop art movement to the modern age where aluminum frames covered in emulsion are used on enormous presses. Having printed our designs out on tracing paper, we covered screens with emulsion and exposed them in an enormous lightbox called "Big banana" (whimsy being a well-known screenprinter trait). After that it was over to a powerwashing station backlit with neons where we blasted off the excess emulsion with a hose shaped like a machine gun. After a brief break for lunch, we returned to lock our screens into position and learn how to flood the screens and position our papers before screening. All in all it was an extremely interesting day out and well worth the trek out to deepest darkest East London. The best part of the day was seeing my very own prints drying on the professional racks and learning that after this basic workshop, attendees can sign up to become a member and use the frames whenever they like. I think I'm hooked - the great thing about screenprinting is that even people like me that are incapable of drawing a stick figure can "do art". Hurrah!
The luxe surroundings of Print Club London
Designs are printed onto tracing paper
After exposing the frames in a lightbox, the excess emulsion is blasted off
One of the frames used for screenprinting
The finished article on the drying racks


Framed!