CHAPTER 4: APPLICATIONS / SILK-SCREEN
SILK-SCREEN
Liquitex® Professional Artist Acrylic Colors offer artists a non-toxic approach for silkscreen techniques.
• Liquitex® Soft Body Artist Colors
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Consistency of extra heavy cream.
Easier to silk-screen through tight mesh screens.
Dries quickly on absorbent surfaces, such as paper.
May spread or “bleed” into absorbent surfaces, such as paper.
• Liquitex® Heavy Body Artist Colors
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Consistency similar to oil paint.
Less likely to spread or “bleed” when screen printing onto fabric.
Generally prints more opaque because of thicker paint application.
May clog in tight mesh screen.
EXTENDING DRYING TIME
• Mix any amount of Liquitex® Slow-Dri® Blending Medium or Gel Medium with
Liquitex® Soft or Heavy Body Artist Colors to slow drying time. Transparency of
color will increase proportionally with the amount of medium added.
• Mix Liquitex® Slow-Dri® Blending Fluid and Gel Mediums to attain an intermediate
consistency.
• Mix up to 25% Liquitex® Slow-Dri® Fluid or Gel Retarder with Liquitex® Soft or
Heavy Body Artist Colors to slow drying time 50% and allow for better transfer of
paint to paper during printing, without significantly affecting opacity.
• Mix Liquitex® Slow-Dri® Fluid and Gel Retarder to attain intermediate consistency.
HELPFUL HINTS DURING PRINTING
• Prepare all paint necessary for printing before beginning.
• Work quickly. Do not stop during printing.
• Pre-wet screen with 1 part Liquitex® SlowDri ®Fluid Retarder and 1 part distilled water.
• To prevent paint from drying on screen during printing, periodically spray screen
during printing with 1 part Liquitex® SlowDri ®Fluid Retarder and 1 part distilled
water. Too much spraying may cause paint to spread (“bleed”) on paper.
• For spot cleaning during silk-screen printing, remove paint from screen with a
damp cloth as soon as screen clogs.
• To clean major paint clogs on screen, stop printing immediately and clean screen
with warm water and non-abrasive sponge or cloth. Blot with paper towel and
continue printing.
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CHAPTER 4: APPLICATIONS / SILK-SCREEN - SURFACE PREP
LIQUITEX® MEDIUMS AS PERMANENT SILK-SCREEN BLOCKOUTS
• They are resistant to oil based screen inks and solvents.
• For detail blockouts: Use Glazing Medium, Gloss Medium & Varnish or
Matte Medium.
• For large area and expressive blockouts: Use Gloss Gel, Matte Gel, Gloss Heavy
Gel, Gloss Super Heavy Gel, or Matte Super Heavy Gel.
SURFACE PREPARATION
Just about anything can be painted with Acrylics, but it is important to understand a few
basic principles to ensure maximum stability. The surface (support or substrate) is the
basic substructure of a painting, and should be appropriate for the type of work to be
executed. The choice of surface and ground has a large effect on how the paint handles
during the painting process and the overall longevity of a work of art. Paint will tend to
dry more slowly and move more freely on a smoother surface while a more porous and
absorbent surface will have the opposite affect.
The surface chosen will depend on several factors:
• Painting style of the artist.
• The desired visual effect.
• The purpose of the work.
• Required longevity.
• The type of Media used.
Basic rules for choosing and preparing surfaces
• Avoid oily, waxy and hard, shiny surfaces. (Note: Some hard shiny surfaces can be
prepared by roughing the surface up to provide tooth, usually with sandpaper.)
• Never apply acrylics over oil paint.
• Always do an Adhesion Test on a sample first if you are unsure.
ADHESION TEST
• Apply the paint or medium to prepared surface and let dry thoroughly. Wait 72
hours for acrylic paint to cure before continuing (longer in more humid conditions).
• When completely dry, score surface in a crosshatch pattern using a sharp knife.
• Apply masking tape firmly to scratched surface and firmly burnish.
• Remove masking tape slowly.
• If any paint comes off with the tape, good surface adhesion has not been achieved.
Either a different surface preparation is necessary or the particular support is not
suitable for the paint or medium tested.
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LIQUITEX® / THE ACRYLIC BOOK