Sheers and Discharge

Several students in our latest Basic Screen Printing class at Artistic Artifacts tried a variety of fabrics on which to print.  There aren't any special techniques for printing on sheers - the process is the same as for cottons.  Though it may be helpful to tape the edges of the sheer to keep it from shifting.  You could also try printing several layers at once since the sheerness will allow some paint to flow through to lower layers. Here are a few done on organza and another semi-sheer fabric.

Thermofax printing works well in conjunction with mixed media techniques and can also be done on paper, cardboard, wood, etc.  Any surface that has a bit of absorbency for the paint, so a non-glossy surface.  Highly textured surfaces may not produce a clear crisp image but there are times when that may not be the desired result anyway.  Experimenting to find out what works and what does not work is part of the fun.  A mixed media artist in the classroom was already combining screens on the fabric to create a background for future work.

DeColourant, a discharge product which was discontinued last May, was used on this green piece to discharge or take away the green leaving a lighter image of these pine branches and Queen Anne's lace. 

Jacquard has replaced and renamed their original discharge product deColourant; it can be purchased at Dharma Trading Company and Pro Chemical and Dye.