In today’s blog post, I’m happy to share with you a mixed-media printmaking exercise from Traci Bautista’s Printmaking Unleashed. In this exercise, you’ll learn how to use lace fabric to create a textured print.
Exercise: Printing Vintage Lace Textures by Traci Bautista
Vintage lace fabric screens can be used like stencils and masks with spray inks or painted with acrylic pastes to create textured surfaces. In this exercise we make a print with a lace embroidery hoop screen.
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1. Create Colored Paste
Place a dollop of fiber paste onto a deli paper palette. Pour a few drops of paint on top of the paste. Mix the paint and paste using a trowel palette knife.
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2. Apply Paste
Place the lace embroidery hoop screen lace-side down onto the gessobord surface. Using the palette knife, spread the fiber paste mixture onto the back of the screen. This will adhere the pattern to the board. Apply more fiber paste and a few more drops of fluid acrylic onto the back of the screen.
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3. Spread Paint
Use the palette knife to spread the mixture through the rest of the screen. Apply more paste if needed to cover the entire screen. Let sit for 10 minutes.
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4. Lift to Reveal Print
Lift the screen to reveal the textured design.
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5. Ghost Print
Use up the rest of the paint paste mixture. Place the wet screen onto a piece of mixed-media paper and use the palette knife to press the back of the lace. This will transfer the leftover paint onto the paper. Move the screen to another area of the paper, then spray over the top using ink spray.
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6. Cover Surface
Continue to move the lace screen around the paper and spray with ink until the surface is covered to your liking.
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