Learn how to screenprint with artist Rob Swainston in this hands-on tutorial. He will walk you through the entire silkscreen process, from hand-drawn and photo-based transparencies to exposing screens, mixing ink to make custom colors, and pulling multiple layers by hand.
You’ll learn:
The history of silkscreen — from simple paper stencils (pochoir) to photo emulsion techniques
How to build transparencies by hand-drawing on a light table (no fancy equipment needed — just a clip light, plexiglass, or a trash can!)
Turning photographs into silkscreen-ready images using grayscale, bitmap conversion, and halftone dot patterns
Choosing the right mesh count for your screen based on detail and image type
Coating a screen with photo emulsion using a scoop coater
Exposing, rinsing, and reclaiming screens for reuse
Mixing acrylic inks to build custom colors
Registration techniques for lining up multiple color layers
Squeegee technique: flooding the screen, pulling ink, and printing multiple passes
How layering transparent colors creates richer, more complex imagery than opaque printing
Whether you’re combining hand drawing with photography, working in a home studio, or a professional print shop, this tutorial covers the full screenprinting workflow from a single sketch to a finished multi-layer print.
Artists and references mentioned: Corita Kent, Emory Douglas, Robert Rauschenberg, Romare Bearden, and Andy Warhol.
00:00 Introduction to silkscreen & its history
01:48 Building hand-drawn transparencies
03:07 Turning photographs into silkscreen images (grayscale & bitmap)
06:35 Layering transparencies
07:43 Choosing mesh count for your screen
08:35 Coating a screen with photo emulsion
11:00 Exposing and rinsing the screen
12:50 Mixing transparent inks
17:26 Printing: flooding, squeegee technique, and pulling prints
25:00 Layering colors & building the final image
If you’re interested in learning silkscreen printing, photo emulsion techniques, or how to combine drawing and photography in printmaking, this tutorial is for you.
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The comments and opinions expressed in this video are those of the speaker alone, and do not represent the views of The Museum of Modern Art, its personnel, or any artist.
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