At Kids Art Lab we have created a number of
artmaking
activities which comply with the NSW Board of studies outcomes. Please
check our site regularly for new lessons.
Art
Activity for Primary Students
Polystyrene
Printmaking |
Introduction
Printmaking is a wonderful activity for primary classes, as
many students love the repetitive action of printmaking. They
also enjoy handcolouring their completed prints to create unique
artworks. Many traditional methods of printmaking are not
particularly safe for younger students. Artist's Anne Desmet
& Jim Anderson have outlined a safe, non-toxic process using
Styrofoam trays and water based inks. This technique is
outlined clearly in their wonderful
book Handmade Prints (for
further information click on the link to Anne
Desmet's website). I
recommend using water-based inks such as Derivan which provide
good coverage and are easy to clean up (for further information on
printing inks please click on the following link; Matisse inks ).
Supplies necessary for this project:
block ink (water based)
glass plate for rolling ink on
palette knife (for laying ink on the glass)
brayer (to roll ink with)
barren (to apply pressure when printing)
polystyrene plate, recycled take away food containers (to use as your
printing plate)
textures tools (to carve into polystyrene plate)
Good quality reproductions of linocuts /collagraphs and woodcuts
At the beginning of the lesson students are shown a variety of examples
of lino prints (both
traditional and contemporary) as well as collagraphs and woodcuts.
Images are discussed in regards to what students
may or may not like
about specific examples. We then focus on line as this process
works best with deep, strong lines. Students draw examples of different
types of lines/patterns they could use for their prints (eg, cross
hatching, swirls, short sharp strokes, long lines, etc).
(Below
are some examples of student collagraphs).
Artmaking Instructions
The
instructor takes a foam tray and commences carving a series of
lines in the foam, using a variety of implements (bamboo skewers,
texta lids, pencil, buttons, scissors). Once design is completed on the
tray (it can be figurative, abstract, fantasy,etc) ink is then rolled
out onto a pieces of glass with a brayer.
The inked tray is transferred to a separate ink-free area for
printing. A clean piece of paper is placed over the inked tray
and rubbed smoothly and strongly with a barren.
9 Steps of the Polystyrene printmaking
process
| 1. A
variety of recycled Polystyrene plates |
2.
Plate with image
carved into the surface |
3.
Plate, inks and brayer ready to roll ink on to glass |
4.
Block printing ink on glass ready to roll out |
| 5.
Roll out ink on to glass plate
with a brayer |
6.
Begin inking plate making sure to ink evenly |
7.
Plate fully inked, ready to print |
8.
Placing paper over inked plate & applying even pressure with a
barren to make a well inked print |
| 9. Completed student samples of hand made polystyrene prints |
*Click to access the Primary
Student Colour activity book from GOMA Brisbane
*Click to access powerpoint instructions for
teachers
EARLY STAGE 1 VAES1.4
Communicates their ideas about pictures and other kinds of
artworks.
STAGE 1 VAS1.4
Begins to interpret the meaning of artworks, acknowledging the
roles of artist and audience
STAGE2 VAS2.4
Identifies connections between subject matter in artworks and
what they refer to, and
appreciates the use of particular techniques.
STAGE 3VAS3.4
Communicates about the ways in which subject matter is represented in artworks.
EARLY STAGE 1VAES1.3
Recognises some of the qualities of different artworks and begins to realise that
artists make artworks.
STAGE 1 VAS1.3
Realises what artists do, who they are and what they make.
STAGE2 VAS2.3
Acknowledges that artists make artworks for different reasons and that various
interpretations are possible.
STAGE 3 VAS3.3
Acknowledges that audiences respond in different ways to artworks and that there
are different opinions about the value of artworks.
EARLY STAGE 1VAES1.2
Experiments with a range of media in selected forms.
STAGE 1 VAS1.2
Uses the forms to make artworks according to varying
requirements.
STAGE2VAS2.2
Uses the forms to suggest the qualities of subject matter.
STAGE 3VAS3.2
Makes artworks for different audiences assembling materials in a variety of ways.
EARLY STAGE 1VAES1.1
Makes simple pictures and other kinds of artworks about things and experiences.
STAGE 1 VAS1.1
Makes artworks in a particular way about experiences of real and imaginary things.
STAGE2 VAS2.1
Represents the qualities of experiences and things that are
interesting or beautiful
by choosing among aspects of subject matter.
STAGE 3 VAS3.1
Investigates subject matter in an attempt to represent
likenesses of things in the world.
| LINKS TO
ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS |
Art Gallery of New South Wales - www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Australian Museum - www.austmus.gov.au
Brett Whiteley Studio - 02 9225 1881
Boomalli Aboriginal Arts Cooperative - www.boomalli.org.au
The Museum of Sydney - www.hht.nsw.gov.au
Museum of Contemporary Art - www.mca.com.au
Object Galleries Centre for Contemporary Craft - www.object.com.au
Powerhouse Museum - www.phm.gov.au
S.H. Ervin Gallery - www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/ervin.html
State Library of New South Wales - www.sl.nsw.gov.au
Additional Education sites:
Art Education Society, NSW - www.ptc.nsw.edu.au/Content_Common/pg-Associations.seo
Arts Ed Net (J.Paul Getty Museum ) - www.getty.edu/education
Great Buildings Collections - www.greatbuildings.com
Guggenheim Museum - www.guggenheim.org
Louvre, Paris - www.louvre.fr
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - www.metmuseum.org/
Museums Around the World - www.icom.org/vlmp/world.html
Museum of Modern Art, New York - www.moma.org
National Gallery London - www.nationalgallery.org.uk
TATE (Britain and Modern) London - www.tate.org.uk
Vincent Van Gogh Gallery - http://www.vggallery.com
©
Belinda Madden 2011
