Printmaking

Materials

• Corrugated cardboard (found on packing boxes)
• Easy-cut foam
• Glue sticks
• Scissors
• Tempera paints
• Styrofoam plates
• Three-inch foam brushes
• Construction paper
• Stamp and ink pad
• Print-outs of the Printmaking Steps

Images

Teachers Preparation

• Cut cardboard into 3x5” rectangles. These pieces will be used as stamp plates for each student.
• Print the images listed above onto overhead transparencies

Teaching Tips

• Easy cut foam with sticky backing can be used in lieu of the gluing method.
• Foam brushes are sold inexpensively in packages at home improvement stores as well as craft stores.
• While students are waiting for the glue to dry on their stamps, have them clean up their scissors and foam scraps.

Procedures

1. Begin a discussion with the students about shapes: Name a shape. Where can you find this shape in the classroom? How many sides does this shape have (if any?)

2. Introduce printmaking to the students: Who has used a stamp before? What did it look like? How did you use it? Show the students a stamp and an ink pad. Explain that some artists use something similar to stamps to create art. This style of art is called printmaking.

3. Show the students the printmaking demonstration (Printmaking Steps 1-6). Using the demonstration images, explain that in each step the artist places one color on the block (stamp) and presses it on a piece of paper or canvas.

4. Show the students the overhead images and ask the discussion questions.

5. Give each student a piece of cardboard, easy-cut foam, scissors, and a glue stick. Have the students cut a variety of small to medium-sized shapes out of the Easy-cut foam.

6. Using glue sticks, have the students glue the shapes onto 3x5” cardboard pieces, arranging them in a balanced manner. It is important for students to leave negative space. The finished stamp should have about 50% free space. Glued shapes will need about five minutes to dry.

7. Hand out to the students a plate with a thin layer of tempera paint, paintbrushes, and construction paper. Paint should be poured somewhat thinly onto the plate, as students will need to use the foam brushes to apply the paint to the stamps. Too much paint on their brushes will cause them to apply paint to the cardboard as well as the foam.

8. As the glue dries, demonstrate for the students how to apply a thin layer of paint to the shapes, making sure that the paint doesn't get on the cardboard. Foam should be thoroughly covered with paint, but not overly thick. Now the students can use the brushes to paint their shapes.

9. Once the foam is wetted with paint, students will turn their stamps over onto the construction paper and press lightly. This should be done quickly.

10. Instruct the students to gently pull their stamp off of the paper to reveal the print. This can be repeated multiple times with different colors of paint and/or construction paper.

Extensions
English-Language Arts: Students can write the names of the shapes on the construction paper.

English-Language Arts: Students can write a sentence or paragraph describing their experiences with printmaking.

Standards

CA Content Standards

Kindergarten Visual Arts:
1.3 Identify the elements of art (line, color, shape/form, texture, value, space) in the environment and in works of art, emphasizing line, color, and shape/form.

2.6 Use geometric shapes/forms (circle, triangle, square) in a work of art.

2.7 Create a three-dimensional form, such as a real or imaginary animal.

First Grade Visual Arts:
1.3 Identify the elements of art in objects in nature, in the environment, and in works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, and texture.

2.1 Use texture in two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of art.

4.1 Discuss works of art created in the classroom, focusing on selected elements of art (e.g., shape/form, texture, line, color).

5.3 Identify and sort pictures into categories according to the elements of art emphasized in the works (e.g., color, line, shape/form, texture).

Second Grade Visual Arts:
1.3 Identify the elements of art in objects in nature, the environment, and works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, texture, and space.

Kindergarten English-Language Arts:
1.0 Students write words and brief sentences that are legible.

2.1 Describe people, places, things (e.g., size, color, shape), locations, and actions.

First Grade English-Language Arts:
2.2 Respond to who, what, when, where, and how questions.

1.0 Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider the audience and purpose.

2.1 Write brief narratives (e.g., fictional, autobiographical) describing an experience.

1.0 Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication.

Second Grade English-Language Arts:
1.0 Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider the audience and purpose.

2.1 Write brief narratives based on their experiences.

1.0 Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication.

Kindergarten Mathematics:
2.1 Identify and describe common geometric objects (e.g., circle, triangle, square, rectangle, cube, sphere, cone).

First Grade Mathematics:
2.1 Identify, describe, and compare triangles, rectangles, squares, and circles, including the faces of three-dimensional objects.

Second Grade Mathematics:
2.1 Describe and classify plane and solid geometric shapes (e.g., circle, triangle, square, rectangle, sphere, pyramid, cube, rectangular prism) according to the number and shape of faces, edges, and vertices.

Bibliography/Webography

Teachers

Diehn, Gwen. Simple Printmaking: a Beginner's Guide to Making Relief Prints with Linoleum Blocks, Wood Blocks, Rubber Stamps, Found Objects & More. New York: Lark Books, 2000.

Ross, John. The Complete Printmaker: the Art and Technique of the Relief Print, the Intaglio Print, the Collagraph, the Lithograph, the Screen Print, the Dimensional Print, Photographic Prints, Children's Prints, Collecting Prints, Print Workshop. New York: Free Press, 1972.

Center for Contemporary Printmaking
This Web site has a glossary of printmaking terms.

On Printmaking
This Web site provides information about the history of printmaking, techniques, and basic terminology.

Students

Zaidenberg, Arthur. Prints and How to Make Them. New York: Harper & Row, 1964.

Devonshire, Hilary. Printing. London; New York: F. Watts, 1988.

Griffiths, Rose. Printing. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Pub., 1995.

Robins, Deri. Making Prints. New York: Kingfisher Books, 1993.

What is a Print?, Museum of Modern Art
This amazing Web site has interactive demonstrations of how to make woodcuts, etchings, screenprints, and lithographs. It also has a gallery of images for each type of print.

An Introduction to Printmaking, Anchorage Museum Children’s Gallery
This Web site provides a definition and history for several printmaking techniques, as well as offers kid-friendly instructions for creating each type of print.