Assessment 1: Portfolio (70%)
An individual portfolio of work comprising:
- Research of concept, including annotated visual reference to industry practitioners and sector practice
- Material testing and design development
- Idea development
- Final outcomes/artefact/prototype

Assessment 2: Reflective Evaluation (30%)
Option 1: Written reflection with supporting visuals – word count 1800
Option 2: Audio recording with image folder – 6-8 mins
Option 3: Video reflection with supporting visuals – 6-8 mins

Midway formative assessment on portfolio.

This module introduces students to the creative and technical possibilities of hands-on printmaking, colour application, and material surface experimentation. Students will explore screen printing, relief printing, monoprint, and hybrid print methods while developing a strong understanding of colour theory, mixing, and palette development. Alongside print, students will engage with 2D and 3D surface techniques, including, stitch-based construction, and fabric and paper manipulation such as folding, pleating, gathering, and structural layering. These methods encourage students to think beyond the flat image and explore how colour, texture, and form interact across a variety of materials. The module is designed to support students from across art and design disciplines. Students will learn how to use print and surface techniques to enhance visual communication, composition, material expression, and conceptual thinking. Through hands-on workshops, guided experimentation, and research-informed practice, students will produce a series of exploratory samples and resolved pieces that demonstrate creative risk-taking, technical understanding, and personal visual direction.

1. Apply interdisciplinary knowledge to produce a creative output or prototype.

Programme Learning Outcome: Application & Problem Solving

2. Conduct research that informs decision-making within the project Colour + Surface: Print, Texture & Material Exploration

Programme Learning Outcome: Research Skills

3. Communicate your project using formats appropriate to the chosen context.

Programme Learning Outcome: Communication

4. Critically evaluate your creative decisions, process, and professional development.

Programme Learning Outcome: Personal Development & Entrepreneurship, Reflection

- Lectures
- Workshops
- Seminar discussions
- Tutorials
- Drop-in support sessions
- Group work

- Student Life https://www.youtube.com/@uniofstaffsstudentlife/videos
- University Careers https://staffs.careercentre.me/Members
- University Library https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/library
- Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment will support this module where relevant
- Specialist Spaces
- Smart Zone
- CAD Labs
- Print Bureau
- Betty Smithers Design Collection

- Wolff, C. (2003) The art of manipulating fabric. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications.
- Perry, M. (2011) Pulled : a catalog of screen printing. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
- Print Club London (2017) Screenprinting: The Ultimate Studio Guide from Sketchbook to Squeegee. Thames & Hudson Ltd.
- Marshall, S (2023) Linocut: A Creative Guide to Making Beautiful Prints Herbert Press

How can print, colour, and surface transform the way you communicate ideas? In this hands-on module, you’ll explore creative printmaking and surface techniques, including screen print, relief print, monoprint, colour mixing, and 3D materials processes such as surface and structural manipulation. You’ll experiment with colour, texture, and form across flat and dimensional surfaces, developing confident material and visual thinking. Designed for students across art and design, this module supports your progression towards a distinctive creative practice and professional visual outcomes.