Miss Arty Pants: Found Object Printmaking

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Found Object Printmaking

Showing Distance Using Size, Location and Amount of Detail

Last week, my fourth graders made monoprint flowers-lesson plan found here. This week, we took printmaking to another level (a messier, crazier, and very fun level). I introduced them to printmaking with found objects. I knew that they would want to dive right in and start going crazy with the paint (I used tempera), so I asked that they make me two prints, one was a free choice/experimental print and the other demonstrated an understanding of space.
Before I even told them that we were going to be printmaking again, we discussed space as a class. We focused on how you can show space/distance using placement, size and color and discussed the exceptions. Then I told them about our prints we would make and how we would make them and did a short demo. That's when they got messy! And they had a blast the entire time.

The Objects...Post-Printmaking

I had five trays of objects sitting out (aftermath pictured above). Each tray was labeled with the two colors that those objects could be used in-black and white paints had their own trays-I did this to avoid all of the paints from mixing into a brown. We discussed why these objects could only be used in these colors and how a little bit of paint goes a long way (less is more). Then we got down to business! The kids used the objects to create one scene that showed distance in some way, shape or form and they also created a free choice print, where they could experiment in anyway they wanted. Some of them made pictures of things with their free choice and others just played with it. A few kids struggled with the concept of printing/stamping with the objects instead of painting with them, but most of them got the hang of it pretty quickly or where at least able to correct themselves when I pointed it out.