The Environment as a Resource for Screen Development in Second Cycle Institutions in Ghana

The development of screen printing has witnessed an enormous growth rate. From periods when simple hand operated machines were used and designs were solely made with hand drawing tools to the present day where computer software programmes have simplified and improved both designing and screen printing. It is therefore clear that, the upcoming designers who do not have access to computer and cannot draw properly are left to their faith. It is for this reason that this paper explores the possibility of selecting ideas (shapes) from the environment (natural and man-made) and manipulating them into suitable designs for screen printing.

The step-by-step procedures used in organizing the ideas, developing the screens and printing the sample fabrics as well as systematic presentation of the results and appreciation of the final products were recorded in this paper. The study shows that ideas in the environment can be manipulated and carefully organized into interesting designs textile printing. The researchers adopted the experimental and descriptive research method based on the qualitative approach for the study. Experimentation with the selected objects revealed their suitability for using them for screen development and printing of sample fabrics.