Lesson Plan - Printmaking

Printmaking - 9 different ways

Art 141 Art for Elementary Teachers 

Instructor Kelly Parker 

Students will create several printing plates and designs to complete a minimum of 2 prints per style. You are expected to create a minimum of 2 prints per style of the 9 styles. Use at least 3 different styles (see below) Use tempera and ink 

Vocabulary – printing plates, focal point, abstract designs, Glue prints, styrofoam prints, monoprints, folded paper monoprints, string prints, cardboard prints, vegetable or fruit prints, leaf prints, and glue prints

Glue prints - nature-inspired theme

Materials- hot glue, hot glue guns, poster board, pencil, construction paper, brayer, cookie sheet, newspapers

Directions – 

1. Make a sketch of a simple idea for your print. Make sure your idea fills the space and has one large item that is most the important object in the print. 

2. Transfer the drawing to the cardboard. 

3. using a hot glue gun, squeeze the glue along the pencil lines. 

4. When dry, you may need to add a second application along the same lines to make the glue stand up enough to make a relief print. 

5. Set the design aside to dry. 

 6. Ink the plate with a brayer loaded with ink. Rollover surfaces of the plate. The glued lines will receive the ink. Some ink will also be retained by the background sections. This will produce interesting texture areas in contrast to the more highly defined glue lines. 

7. The print is made by carefully placing a sheet of paper over the plate and pressing it down lightly. 

8. Care should be taken to not move the paper as it will blur the print. 

9. Rubbing in a rotating motion with a wooden spoon or flat-surfaced object will produce an interesting print. 

10. Many prints can be made from one plate and the plate itself can be used as artwork. 

Styrofoam prints – music 

Materials – Styrofoam, dull pencil or popsicle stick, scissors, water based printing ink, cookie sheets, brayers, construction paper, newspapers 

 Directions – 

1. Make a sketch of a simple idea for your print. Make sure your idea fills the space and has one large item. 

2. Cut off the edges of the Styrofoam plate so that you have a flat piece left. 

3. Using the dull pencil or stick, press a design into the Styrofoam. 

4. Roll out ink with a brayer and roll overprinting plate. 

5. Lay construction paper on the design and rub the back of the paper to transfer the design. 

6. Carefully peel off the print and let dry. 

 7. When dry sign and number print. 

 Monoprints 1 – landscape designs 

Materials – freezer paper, construction paper, masking tape, brayers, tempura paint, palettes, newspapers, dish soap 

 Directions - 

1. Make a sketch of a simple idea. Make sure your idea fills the space and has one large item. 

2. Transfer design to construction paper. 

3. Tape down freezer paper to the desk. 4. Roll out paint onto freezer paper 

5. Lay design/construction paper on paint then retrace the design lines of their drawing using a pencil. 6. Students need to work quickly because the paint dries fast. 

7. Once the design is traced lift the paper and turn it over to see the design. 

 Another example – Monoprints 2 

1. Place paint on the freezer paper 

2. Draw design directly into the paint with a popsicle stick or other tool. (forks, sticks, etc) 

3. Lay paper onto the wet paint and gently rub to transfer design. 

 Monoprints 3 - Another example – folded paper monoprint – abstract designs 

1. Using a thick piece of paper fold in half 

2. One side of the paper is the plate while the other side takes the print. Using thick tempura paint and a paintbrush quickly add paint in an abstract design. 

3. lay fold-over paint, rub quickly and pull apart. 

4. using another color add to design, fold, rub and pull apart adding more layers of paint. 

 Another way Mono prints 4 - paint abstract designs on the paper, while the paint is wet lay another sheet of paper over the first sheet and rub gently. Pull apart to see the design. 

 String prints – creating a personal symbol 

Materials – string or yarn the thicker the better 8” in length, hot glue, hot glue gun, tempura paint, construction paper, newspapers, brayers, palettes 

 Directions – 

1. Make a sketch of a simple idea. Make sure your idea fills the space and has one large item. 

2. Transfer design to the poster board with a pencil. 

3. Glue string to line designs with hot glue guns. 

4. Then using a brayer, roll paint over the design 

5. Lay paper over painted design and roll hand overprint to transfer the paint. 

6. Lift carefully and let dry. 

 Cardboard prints – abstract designs 

 Materials – poster board for plate, scraps of cardboard, hot glue, scissors, construction paper, tempera paint, paintbrush, water tubs, newspapers 

 Directions – 

1. Using scraps of cardboard cut our abstract shapes and glue them to the poster board. For added effect, lines and textures can be scratched into the cardboard with a pointed object. 

2. To print the plate, apply tempura to the designs glued onto the plate. 

3. Turn over and press down firmly onto the construction paper. Make a practice print. 

4. Carefully place the stamp face down on the paper and press gently on the top. Lift and print again. It is possible to get two or three prints from one painting. 

5. Prints can be made on almost any kind of paper – tissue, newspaper, paper towel, etc. 

 Vegetable or Fruit prints 

Materials – construction paper, tempera paint, brushes, water tubs, paring knife, plastic knives, styrofoam plate for paint, vegetables to cut into designs, fruit can be used as-is cut in half, paper towels 

Directions – 

1. Cut fruit in half and use it as a stamp. The vegetable can be cut in half and designs cut from the flat side. 

2. Dry the veggie/fruit and paint with tempera paint. 

3. Stamp on to construction paper. 

4. Let dry. 

Extension – leaves can be used as stencils or painted and printed also.