Printmaking and Open Studio

For the first class of our summer session, we worked on mono-type printmaking and stamping. We started off rolling out paint onto acrylic boxes and then using a cotton swab to draw a design. The mixed-age open studio class used large acrylic boxes as a base, while the 1s/2s class used small boxes to print fathers day cards.

We continued the theme of printmaking by using a variety of stamps. Some children used cookie cutters to stamp out shapes, while others used the letters DAD to add to their fathers day cards.

We also experimented with bubble wrap printmaking. The children painted the bubble wrap (which was taped to the acrylic easel) then pressed paper against it to make a print.

The 1s/2s class moved on to painting with fun tools and gathering new supplies from the shelf.

For the mixed-age class we had a large group of 11 kids, so while some children worked on printmaking inside the studio, others were busy at the five outside stations. These stations included a floor mural with gross-motor tools for painting...

ball painting...

easel painting...

a bleeding tissue mural collage with water spray bottles...

and a mixing table with sand and powered tempera paint.

And of course the studio eventually turned from a print-making station into a messy, fun, free-for-all!

Foam Scratch Prints

This week the 3s/4s class worked on printmaking using styrofoam scratch boards. This foam is similar to the type that often comes with pre-packaged meat. If you have any at home, you can give this a try!
The children first used ball point pens to draw a design in the foam. I had to encourage them to press hard so their drawing would be indented into the foam.

After drawing, they rolled paint onto their foam, flipped it over onto a piece of paper, then peeled it up to reveal their print.

They tried this in a few different colors to see how they could create the same print in a different color using their foam drawing.

The children also worked on the second phase of their clay etching projects from last week. Now that their clay has dried, they painted it, making sure to get the paint deep into the scratched drawings. Next week they do the final step!

A couple of the painted projects...

So many kinds of Prints!

This week we worked on various print-making techniques. In the older classes we began with a scratch foam activity where the kids used toothpicks to scratch a design into a piece of foam. After making marks with the toothpicks, they rolled paint onto their foam and flipped it onto a piece of paper to make a print. We used basic craft foam that I had in the studio, but next time I'm going to try scratch foam boards that are softer and easier to scratch a design into.

After printing with foam, we moved on to try many other printing materials like leaves... 

textured rolling pins...

woodblock stamps... and more!

The kids loved the wood block stamps, dipping them into the paint and banging them down onto the paper.

The 1s classes started off using cookie-cutters to make prints, then moved on to leaves, sponges, and rolling pins.

The kids began to combine all of the techniques and, of course, decided to add glitter as well!

The easels were popular with the 1s classes as they moved around the studio.

The weather was hot and beautiful this week so I decided to bring some of the print-making outside for the last half of class. We first tried out the techniques on a longer scale!

Then I brought out some warm weather fun like ice painting for the 1-yr-olds and water balloons for the older kids. We also tried out some nylon bean bags that make interesting prints when bounced like a yo-yo.

Outdoor messy exploration... so fun!

Valentine Printmaking

While I focused on finger painting with the new classes, the returning students began the session with Valentine printmaking. The 3s/4s class used heart shaped doilies and foam rollers to make stencil-like prints. After covering their rollers in paint, they carefully held the doilies down onto paper and rolled over them.

After rolling out the paint, the children peeled up the doilies to find their print! This one was done on a folded piece of paper to create a Valentines card.
The 1s class tried out monoprinting for the first time. They first rolled out paint onto an acrylic box, then used a Q-tip to draw a design into the paint.


Once the design was drawn I showed the children how to press a piece of paper (folded in half to make a card) down onto the design.
When they peeled it up, they found a print!
After experimenting with the printmaking the 3s/4s group began to embellish their valentines with glitter, markers, glue and collage items.
We also explored cutting out hearts by folding paper in half and drawing a half-heart along the edge (I first did this step so they could understand the concept and practice their cutting skills, then I offered them plain paper to try it out themselves).





After working on monoprints, the 1s class worked on bubble wrap printmaking and painting at the easels.

After a while this group was eager to get outside, so I moved an easel to the yard for painting, water, and sand play!


Outside, the 3s/4s class tried out jumping prints with bubble wrap, paint rollers, and paper. Jumping on the painted bubble wrap not only makes a print, but it makes a great popping sound as well!

The feeling of paint squishing around toes... soooo worth the clean up!