Mad About Screenprinting

I was inspired by this self-portrait poster of Andy Warhol.

1. As always, open the photo, duplicate the layer, and remove the background.

2. Add a white background layer and insert it below the photo.

3. Adjust the Brightness/Contrast.

Enhance>Adjust Brightness/Contrast>Brightness/Contrast.

I just played around to whatever looked right. The first time I lost the right shoulder (too much bright white or not enough contrast perhaps) so I had to keep moving the sliders until it reappeared. Note: since this was a b/w photo originally there is no need to remove the colour. However; if it is a colour photo, select Enhance>Adjust Colour>Remove Colour first.

3. Apply the Cutout Filter

Filter>Artistic>Cutout
number of levels 4
edge simplicity 2
edge fidelity 2

4. Adjust the Levels of RGB

Enhance>Adjust Brightness/Contrast>Levels

This is where you play around with the sliders to get the effect you want. I was aiming for black, white and three shades of gray to appear on my image.

Black, White and Three Shades of Grey

5. Apply the cutout filter again but this time increase the edge simplicity to 4.

6. Adjust the levels again but this time I was aiming for black, white and one shade of grey.

Black, White, Grey

Fun Times Colouring

Picture No. 1

Add a New Fill Layer>Solid Colour—green colour, Blend Mode: Multiply, Opacity 23%, all on a White Background.




Just Plain Jane

Picture No. 2

Add a new layer above the photo, call it green hair, and using the Brush Tool, paint over the hair in green and select Blend Mode: Multiply.

Add a new layer above the photo, call it red skin, and using the Brush Tool, paint over the skin in red and select Blend Mode: Multiply.

Add a new background below the photo and using the paint bucket fill it with orange and use Blend Mode: Normal.

Somehow these colours work

Picture No. 3

Select the green hair layer and duplicate it (right click). Rename this layer red hair. Using the Paint Bucket Tool, fill what was green to red.

Make a pink skin layer in the same way.

Add a new background below the photo and using the paint bucket fill it with purple and use Blend Mode: Normal.



These colours look pretty together

Picture No. 4

I noticed there were additional brush strokes on Andy's version (only on some of the panels) and I thought it would be fun to try and simulate that.

Create a new green background layer (you can use the red hair and pink skin that you already have).
Select this new green layer and using the Brush Tool, paint in the strokes. Change your brush to get the effect you like. I used a Wet Media Brush>Dry Brush on Towel.  The name is perfect.

The "Dry Brush on Towel" Brush was used here

Picture Nos. 5 and 6

Repeat steps as required.

Ta Da!

Screenprinting the Easy Way

Screenprinting is a process that utilizes the properties of a stencil; some areas are blocked out and other areas are printed through.

Open the image, duplicate layer (as always), crop image, remove background

Original image

Make a "stencil" the easy way:

Select Image>Adjustments>Threshold



"Stencil"

Colour the background:

Add a New Fill Layer>Solid Colour—Yellow, Blend Mode: Multiply

Yellow

• Flatten the layer
• Copy to a new file with a width and height of 3 times the original
• Return to the original and undo flattening
• Change the colour of the Fill Layer to blue
• Repeat steps for all the other colours

Here is a description of the method Andy Warhol may have used to create stencils for his screenprints. It sounds a lot more complicated to me.

"The stencil is created on a mesh screen using a light sensitive emulsion which hardens when exposed to light. First the screen is coated with the light sensitive emulsion. Next a black and white photograph is photocopied onto a transparent overlay. The transparent overlay is placed underneath the screen, which is placed on top of a light box. The screen is exposed to light, hardening the emulsion everywhere except where the image overlay has been placed. The area of the screen not exposed to light does not harden and can be washed away to reveal a stencil of the original image."
http://www.christies.com/features/andy-warhol-and-the-art-of-screenprinting-2752-1.aspx

I'm Going Bananas Over Photoshop Elements

Open original picture, duplicate layer, and remove background.




Original Picture

Enhance>Adjust Colour>Remove Colour
and
Filter>Artistic>Cutout (7, 2, 2)


Colour Removed and Cutout Filter Applied

Add an Adjustment Layer, with a Solid Colour, Blend Mode: Multiply, 100% Opacity
and
go back to the Image Layer and Change the Opacity to 50%



Red Banana

Add a new layer at the very top (above the solid colour adjustment layer) and using the magic wand and paint bucket, fill in bright yellow where the banana was white.

Yellow Painted On Top

Flatten this Layer and copy the image into a new larger file (twice as wide and twice a high). Then, go back and undo flatten, change to blue solid background and repeat for the green and yellow bananas.

I hope Andy Warhol is Flattered

http://www.coskunfineart.com/Andy-Warhol-Screenprints.pdf