Producing a Kodatrace

For the last few weeks Iv'e had print workshops leading toward a final cushion design for a Printed Surfaces brief. I learned how to use Devore, Pigments, Discharge, Illuminating Discharge, Flocking, Steaming, Fixing&Finishing.

Firstly Im going to tell you how I produced a silk screen to print with. You will need to produce a KODATRACE which is a a copy of your drawings/images that you want to use for printing with.

 I drew my designs onto Kodatrace. This paper is similar to tracing paper with a thicker texture. You can draw on kodatrace using a light light fast pen and a black chinagraph pencil.

Pilot lightfast pen (Above)
Sharpie Chinagraph pencil (Below)



I used the PILOT Perma Ball lightfast pen and a SHARPIE peel off China graph Marker. The pen has a gel pen quality and the "marker" is more like a waxy pencil. When producing your Kodatrace, you must ensure that all the lines DO NOT allow any light through at all. The pen produces a thick line and the pencil is able to achieve a thiner liner and other textures which the pen cannot. You can also use a good quality indian ink. Make sure that the ink is opaque and no light can get through. You may need a few coats.





Kodatrace pen & chinagraph pencil.

 




Indian ink.





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This is my Kodatrace. I then added some shading to the feathers using black indian ink. I painted it with a few layers to make sure it was opaque.

Kodatrace with indian ink added to the feather designs.