Pearl Jam Arras France Print

Here's a little process blog entry for my new Pearl Jam- Arras, France poster.

First I make a lot of sketches, and came up with one I thought worked (other ideas might be used in the future, so I don't want to show them just yet). Once I have a good design, I try to figure out how to layer the colors. I have to do this ahead of time, maybe because I am new to this but sometimes it gets so complex I can't figure out what layers should be over each other. I like to know how things are going to be screen printed.


I use the computer to scan in all the sketches, and rough color all the layers (above). I take that layered rough color sketch, and print up an actual size drawing of the main line art (in this case 4 sheets taped together). Then I take that to my light table for inking.


I worked on a new font called "Neon Boner", it is my first font I have created and was a real pain in the ass.... but I am happy with how it turned out. I did the type on a different piece of bristol in case I needed to reposition things.



After the main linework and text was finished, I used them to trace for the other colors. Then everything is scanned into the computer (can be nightmarish sometimes!), and colors tweaked. I did 95% of this piece and all the layers by hand, which I have been told is the old fashioned way. That's fine by me, I like working the old fashioned way! I recently bought a Wacom but enjoy the actual drawing and inking so much that I don't see myself using it except for the tedious things I usually do with a mouse. But we will see...

The final is an eight color screenprint that measures 18" x 24" and printed on creme colored archival paper. I got them a while back and am very pleased! Screenprinting is getting a bit addictive, as the final prints have all been looking nicer than I expect.