Artists Who Use Screen Printing
Screen printing is used for many different purposes. It provides a simple and convenient means of printing designs and logos on t-shirts and other products, but it is also an effective method of displaying art. If you’re looking for inspiration, there have been a number of high profile artists that have used this technique to great effect, and a lot of artists use it today because it not only provides a convenient method of printing a design but can be used to enhance and improve the finish of the piece.
Andy Warhol
Arguably the most famous proponent of the screen printing technique was Andy Warhol. He regularly used the printing technique during the 1960s. He used screen printing to print colourful recreations of images from films and the silver screen onto canvas. His portrait of Marilyn Monroe remains the most recognised of all art recreated using screen printing. He also created similar portraits of Elvis and other celebrities.
Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein was another artist that was prominent in the 1960s, and very well know for his screen printing work. His artwork was highly reminiscent of cartoon frames, using thick outlines and bright colours. Although he tended to portray cartoon style people in his artwork, Lichtenstein also printed images of architecture and well known landmarks. He was a prolific artist and is known to have produced more than 300 prints, including those made using the screen printing technique.
Peter Blake
Peter Blake may not have been as prolific as Lichtenstein, or quite as well known as Andy Warhol, but he brought screen printing to the world with his design of the Beatles’ album cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. His other designs included the single cover for Do They Know It’s Christmas, and he produced designs for bands and solo artists including Paul Weller, Oasis and The Who. He also designed the Brit Award statuette and was knighted in 2002.
Laurie Hastings
Screen printing was first used more than 1,000 years ago and was popularised during the pop art movement in the 1960s, but it remains a popular means of recreating images and designs today. One contemporary artist who has established herself as a leader in this field of art is Laurie Hastings. She draws incredibly intricate line drawings, typically inspired by people and by nature, and then recreates limited edition screen print runs that are put up for sale.
Clare Halifax
Clare Halifax is another artist that creates intricate and highly detailed drawings, this time of architectural images and designs. Her style lends itself perfectly to the screen printing process, because she typically only uses one or two colours in her designs. Halifax has a history in textile design, hence her use of textiles and screen printing to recreate her unique architectural art style.
Alice Pattullo
While Halifax only uses one or two colours in most of her screen printing, the technique can be used to create beautiful images that use a gamut of colours. For an example of this bright and vibrant technique of screen printing, you need look no further than Alice Pattullo. She takes British culture and folklore and turns them into incredible works of art, including pieces that celebrate jam making and other traditions. Pattullo has also created screen printed tiles, such as the ones above, that you can use to decorate your home.
Chuck Sperry
Chuck Sperry is another screen print artists that uses the technique to recreate extremely vivid and colourful designs. He uses oil based inks and typically overlays the print on top of floral canvases to give a truly unique look to his art prints. His work has been described as being reminiscent of graffiti and the 1960’s psychedelic style.
Lovenskate
East-London based Lovenskate screen print on a variety of different items, including t shirts, but they also screen print directly onto skateboards, showing the diversity and innovation that is offered by this unique method of art printing. There designs are excellent examples of how the technique can be used to show shading, while producing attractive and fun looking designs that are perfect for inclusion on skateboards.
Blexbolex
Blexbolex is another artist that shows the different ways that screen printing can be used. Blexbolex, real name Bernard Granger, not only creates prints of his work on canvas and posters but also combines traditional painting with screen printing to create products including children’s story books. The end result is a unique blend of artistic techniques.
You
This is just a sample of the artists and designers that rely on the use of screen printing to help create or recreate their designs and images. If you’ve been inspired and want to try your hand at this ancient printing technique, we at Screenstretch can help. Call us on 01942 888747, or email info@screenstretch.co.uk, to speak to us about the silk screen process, or to buy the equipment and products that you need in order to be able to start printing today.