During this 9-week series of evening workshops, you will learn how to prepare and transfer your own designs from paper onto fabric using a range of screen-printing techniques.
The sessions are structured to support the development of your own creative projects, with ongoing guidance and feedback from the creative practitioner; Helen Greensmith.
The workshops are designed to support those working at both beginner and intermediate levels.
At the start of this 9-week block, you’ll learn how to transfer simple block shapes directly onto fabric using paper stencils, textile pigment inks, and calico fabric. You’ll be guided through mixing pigments, preparing screens for printing, and preparing fabric on the print table, ready for printing.
Throughout the workshops, you’ll create your own design to apply across various printing processes, with a focus on composition and colour palette. You’ll also learn how to create design ‘separations’ and expose your design(s) onto a textile screen.
Each week, you’ll be introduced to different techniques for transferring your designs onto fabric, including metallic adhesives and foils for metallic effects, puff binder for texture, dyes and pastes for painterly effects on silk, and discharge printing on black fabric to produce white-on-black designs. You’ll also experiment with layering, combining paper stencils with screen prints to create more intricate compositions.
You will also be introduced to devore printing; a technique where one fibre in a mixed-fibre fabric is burned or dissolved. This process creates a pattern where parts of the fabric remain intact, while other areas become more open, revealing different textures in the fabric.
Upcycling is encouraged, providing opportunities to experiment with your own garments or textiles.
Self-directed experimentation is built into the workshops, allowing you to develop confidence and explore your creativity in textile design and printing as you become more familiar with the textile workshop processes.
Learning Methods
This course will be delivered on campus from 18:30 – 21:00 every Wednesday for 9 weeks, excluding public holidays
Activity Summary
- Minimum of 8 students, maximum of 10 in the group
- 22.5 hours of teaching in total over 9 evenings, 18:30 – 21:00
Timetable
- Week 1: 16 September - first workshop
- Week 2: 23 September
- Week 3: 30 September
- Week 4: 7 October
- 14 October- no workshop due to public holiday
- 21 October- no workshop due to public holiday
- Week 5: 28 October
- Week 6: 4 November
- Week 7: 11 November.
- Week 8: 18 November
- Week 9: 25 November - last workshop
Independent Study
Participants will be asked to prepare a hand-drawn 'separation' to use in week 2 of the 9-week block. Guidance will be provided during the first workshop.
Participants are encouraged to create and maintain a personal sketchbook which reflects their own creative practice involving ideas and inspiration as well as the documentation of processes and learnings.
Participants are encouraged to explore both composition and colour palette to aid their own individual designs. Participants may find a sketchbook helpful to combine imagery to create layered prints and draft designs.
Calico is the fabric used to print onto during the course however participants are encouraged to bring their own garments or textiles to print onto as a means of upcycling.
Assessment
This course is not formally assessed.
Staff Delivering on this Course
Helen Ruth Greensmith, an alumnus of Gray’s School of Art specialises in digitally printed silk and wool scarves that are printed in Glasgow and hand finished in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Helen Ruth Scarves creates hand drawn illustrations which are later converted into digital files. Through this method the designer adds colour and repetition including mirrored imagery. She then combines this process and inserts found imagery and photography to create her intricate and layered prints.
Her designs are inspired by both the wild Scottish landscape and animal life as well as fairy tales and traditional folklore. Each scarf tells its own story communicating a loved tale, an old saying or a personal childhood memory, providing the wearer with an emotional connection to each piece.
Edit
Helen's work is currently exhibited and can be purchased from Edit in the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen.
Edit is an independent lifestyle store celebrating designers, artists and makers from North East Scotland, delivered by Sally Reaper and Claire Bruce from the Look Again team, Gray’s School of Art and Deemouth Artist Studios in Partnership with Bon Accord.
Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this course.
This course is suitable for beginner - intermediate level.
Required Age
All students are required to be at least 18 years of age on the commencement of the course.
For Academic Year 2026/2027
Course fee: £290 per person
The fee is to be paid as part of sign up process and prior to the first session.
After completing the registration form, you will be directed to the payment page. Your place on the course is not confirmed until payment has been received. If you have any difficulties locating the payment link or if you have registered for this course but have not completed the payment form, please contact us for a direct link to pay which will bypass registration.
Additional Costs
Essential core materials are provided.
The following course-related costs are not included in the course fees:
Workshop Cancellation & Changes
If minimum participant numbers for this 9-week workshop are not met, the workshop will be cancelled and participants will receive a full refund.
If you’ve signed up and paid for this workshop but need to cancel, please email us at engage@rgu.ac.uk at least 7 days before the first evening session begins.
If the named practitioner is unable to deliver the scheduled workshop, the session may be cancelled or delivered by an alternative facilitator.
Disclaimer
Fees are regularly reviewed and published for each series of workshops. Tuition fees are fixed for the duration of a workshop/course at the rate confirmed during the application process.
Any questions?
Get in touch with the Engage Team and we'll do our best to help.