Printmaking Test

"Inked" plate ready to go...

I've just started a printmaking project with 2nd grade, using foam printing plates from School Specialty. With Spring Break just a day away, our minds are on the beach, so our theme is folk art beach houses. I stayed after a bit today to do a few test prints, and WOW, I'm so excited to share this process with the kids!

I've used markers to ink plates before, but I just got a set of Mr. Sketch watercolor markers. And after all the great things I've read about them, I couldn't wait to try them out. They work beautifully for inking foam plates! The trick is that you have to print on damp paper (NOT wet...see below). It took me a few attempts to figure out exactly how damp the paper should be to yield successful results. (Note: Lay printing plate flat and lay damp paper on top of plate, pressing gently all over without moving the paper.)

Here are a few photos showing my experiments with various degrees of wet/damp paper.

Print #1: On dry paper, just for comparison.

Print #1: I dipped the paper in the sink, let it drip
a bit, laid it on newspaper to soak up a bit of water,
then laid it on the plate. Didn't work so well.

Print #3: I laid dry paper on the inked plate, then
sprayed water on the paper. Again, not so good.

Print #4: Woohoo! Success!! I dipped the paper in
the sink, then pressed it between newspaper until it
no longer dripped. Then I laid the damp paper on
top of the inked plate, pressed gently to transer the
image, and lifted the print.

Note: I just checked the print, and as I've been typing the edges of some colors have bled just a tad. I'm thinking maybe I'll do one more test (tomorrow...time to go home!) with paper that is just a bit more dry. I think I'll bring in a couple of towels tomorrow and see if that helps. I'll add an update after the adjustments are made.

Relief Prints (K-2)

One of the biggest challenges I have with my kindergarten students is giving them opportunities to explore and be creative while keeping a cap on the chaos. This project for K-2 is one that I feel truly lets them be expressive and independent and doesn't require me to spend an hour prepping and another hour cleaning, resulting in delighted, well-informed young artists and a stress-free teacher!

Pretty much every art teacher makes Styrofoam relief prints, so I don't expect that I'm teaching anyone anything here. And I'm sure I'm not the first to discover the value of markers in inking Styrofoam printing plates, but I must say I was pretty proud of myself for figuring out how to let kids "ink" their stamps themselves without hauling out the paint and smocks. It really is the little joys that thrill me.

For this particular foray into relief printing, I simply had K, 1st and 2nd grade students draw a circle around the flat surface of a Styrofoam plate (the inside) and then cut out the circle. The result should be a flat surface on which to create the drawing. In the past, I've used index cards as a template and cut rectangles out of plates for the students prior to class. Not only does this take time (not a ton since I use a right triangle and an X-acto knife, but still, time is time), it also takes a step away from the kids, and I think it's important for them to be involved in as much of the process as possible. Also, since we're working with a standard size plate, if a child has difficulty cutting and the circle ends up smaller than the plate surface, it really doesn't matter. There's still plenty of room to draw.

The Project:

Time: 45-minutes

Materials:

• 9" Styrofoam plate for each student (or more...1st and 2nd work quickly)
• Pencil for each student (dull tips work best)
• Variety of water-based markers
• Newsprint (I used 9"x12")

Process:

1.  Draw a circle on the bottom/flat surface of a Styrofoam plate.

2. Cut out the circle, removing the raised edge of the plate. The circle becomes the printing plate.

3. Using a dull pencil, draw a picture on the printing plate.

Suggestions:

• Draw large, leaving plenty of space in between lines. When inking, the lines will remain white, so if lines are too close together the student will get large areas of white when printing, and the image/drawing will not be clear. 
• Press firmly, with pencil tilted at an angle to avoid "tearing" the styrofoam. Have students go back over lines to make sure they are pressed down enough to create a relief effect. I walk around the room with a demo that students can touch so they can feel how deep the lines should be. (A whole here or there is okay along the lines...the lines become negative space and don't print anyway!)
• I discourage words, because the image is reversed when printed, and this just causes too much confusion for younger artists (and too many requests for me to write things on the board backward). Also, without words, students focus more on the visual elements of their design.

4. After the drawing is complete and all lines are deep enough to create a relief effect, "ink" the plate with water-based markers. (Dryer markers will not work well...there has to enough ink in the marker for an effective transfer.)

5. Carefully lay a piece of newsprint ON TOP of the paper. Press down with both hands, keeping one hand still to keep the paper from sliding and using the other hand to smooth the paper. Smooth from the center out to ensure a clear print. 

• Students usually want to "stamp" their printing plate like you would a rubber stamp, putting the paper on the table and pressing the plate onto the paper. This doesn't allow for enough pressure to adequately transfer the image.

• Also, thicker papers, like construction paper, don't work as well as newsprint for transferring marker ink. 

6. Peel the paper off of the plate to reveal the print! (I love the delighted chorus of "oooo's" and "ahhhh's" that I get when demonstrating this for the kids.)

A few student examples:

Kindergarten students drew suns and used different line types to express emotion and energy in the sun's face and rays.

I encouraged 1st and 2nd graders to think about the circular shape of the printing plate and to consider this shape when deciding what to draw.

Upper Elementary Hall Display

Below are a few photos of our hall display for grades 3-5. This case is right outside my classroom door. I wish I had room to put out more work!

On the top shelf are four relief prints. I need to get better shots of them and others that are in students' portfolios.

 

Paper sculpture is our introduction to form and 3-dimensional media. I was subjected to a sea of groans when I announced that we'd have to integrate a bit of math into our art room during this lesson. Students must measure, estimate, and visualize the outcome of their sculpture. Happy accidents are welcome, but the more a student is able to predict the final pop-up the more complex and successful the end result becomes. While it's a little tricky in the beginning, once students catch on they love it! 

This pop-up technique, called "Generations," was quite a hit. The idea for this lesson came from The Pop-Up Book, which I bought for myself a few years ago, but which has become quite useful in the classroom, as well. There are projects of varying skill levels, but most of them can adapted for use with 3rd-5th grade artists.

Following this project, I've kept paper and scissors for practice and experimentation in the "Inspiration Station" art center.

Vocabulary: form, sculpture, 2D/3D, shape, positive/negative space/shapes, gutter, crease

Guiding questions: 

• What is form?
• What is the difference between shape and form?

Here are only three examples. I'll try to get more photos up (there are tons still in the classroom).

Also in our display:

After studying gesture in pencil, students create one-line gesture sculptures in wire. This is another one that can be tricky, but once students get it they have a lot of fun with their wire sculptures.

Vocabulary: form, line, movement, gesture, coil, wrap, twist, proportion, balance