Window screen as painted scrim?

[malex]

Just looking for alternatives.
I've read threads that suggest tricot, cheesecloth and plenty of other suggestions.
Seems like plain old window screen, which is available easily in 96" width on a roll would work well. Would be way more durable than cloth options, easy to work with and presumably easy to paint.

I need to create lots of 8'x8' scrim frames with art painted on each. While the budget allows for buying scrim for all, I just cant bring myself to spend that kind of money on a single show, non-reusable material. Would much rather spend that budget on new LED tape lighting equipment to incorporate into said frames.
Anyone have experience painting window screen and how well it would act as a scrim (transparency, translucence, opaqueness)?

 

[Van]

Holes are too big. Screen doesn't work nearly as well as actual scrim. I did a set with screen walls once the designers intent was to achieve that scrim like quality. If I remember correctly we would up stretching Black Tricot on the US side of the screen to help pull off the look. Don't get me wrong painted screen looks cool as a textured surface, it just sucks as a scrim material. IDK maybe if you could find a Super fine weave...

 

[malex]

Holes are too big. Screen doesn't work nearly as well as actual scrim. I did a set with screen walls once the designers intent was to achieve that scrim like quality. If I remember correctly we would up stretching Black Tricot on the US side of the screen to help pull off the look. Don't get me wrong painted screen looks cool as a textured surface, it just sucks as a scrim material. IDK maybe if you could find a Super fine weave...

Thanks for the insight. Glad I didn't go out and get started on it. Maybe I'll just get a window sized piece and do a test on it. If it performs half as well as scrim, it will work for us. We don't really need to conceal as much as we just need to obscure.

 

[Van]

Thanks for the insight. Glad I didn't go out and get started on it. Maybe I'll just get a window sized piece and do a test on it. If it performs half as well as scrim, it will work for us. We don't really need to conceal as much as we just need to obscure.

Perhaps painted then stick some tissue paper or tracing paper on areas from behind?

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

It seems sharkstooth scrim has some depth or thickness to it that screen does not.

 

[kevinatblinn]

These images are vinyl window screening. The opaque trees are kraft paper. We laid down the paper, drew the trees, then laid the screening on top of it. Painting through the screen adheres the craft paper like glue, and when dry is easy to tear away the negative.
That said, window screening by itself doesn't paint well, the vinyl doesn't hold paint particularly well, and the holes are too far apart to ever become really opaque even under the most acute lighting angle. But for what these were, and I've used the technique lots of other times for 'cut drops', it works well.
https://www.facebook.com/BlinnTheat...9061427108238/129286953752352/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/BlinnTheat...9061427108238/129286950419019/?type=3&theater