A WORLD WITHOUT – Making an Edition of Prints

Students research an endangered species. They use cardboard and washable paint to make an edition of 3 prints to express their understandings about the issue.

Required Time

120 Minutes

Grade Level

Grade 4 to Grade 10

Subject

Art Techniques
Science
Visual Arts

Vocabulary

artist proof brayer burnish edition variable printmaking

Materials

Crayola Washable Paint Light Weight Cardboard such as Tag Manilla Paint Rollers/Brayers Plastic Placemat Scissors Magazines Newspapers Glue Sticks White Glue Onion SkinTracing Paper

Shop Crayola Products

Washable Paint Set, 4 colours x 236 ml

Steps

Step One

Download a picture of the endangered species from the internet. Print it on copy paper and cut it out.

Step Two

Trace the outline of the animal onto a piece of heavy tag manilla or other cardboard. Empty cereal boxes work well for this. Instead of tracing the outline you can also simply draw it. Pay attention to the size of your shape. You need to balance the positive and negative space on your paper. The animal shape will fill the positive space. Whatever is left over will be the negative space.

Step Three

Place the paper on top of another sheet of tag manilla.

Step Four

Cut them both out together.

Step Five

Draw details on one of the cutouts.

Step Six

Place a piece of onionskin tracing paper on top of the cutout. Trace the whole thing.

Step Seven

Place the tracing on top of the other cutout with the drawing side face down. It should be the reverse of the original drawing. Draw over the lines. You can draw a line directly on top of the traced lines or scribble over the lines to transfer the lead pencil to the tag manilla.

Step Eight

Remove the tracing paper. You should have two drawings that are a mirror image of each other. The original shape is shape A. The reverse is shape B.

Step Nine

Cut out details from shape A and glue them to shape B.

Step Ten

Make sure you cut out a strip of cardboard to go around the outside edge of your shape.

Step Eleven

Hold the shape up to the light to see how the details will look. You are making a printing plate.

Step Twelve

Keep adding details until you are satisfied. Make sure everything is glued down well so pieces do not lift once you start printing with the plate. You may want to seal the plate with an acrylic varnish such as PVA medium.

Step Thirteen

Mix colours, for example, red and blue to get violet, or use the colours directly from the bottle.

Step Fourteen

Use a roller to spread the paint onto a plastic surface. Make sure you get an even coat of paint on the roller.

Step Fifteen

Place the printing plate on a page of an open magazine. Roll the paint over the surface making sure to apply an even coat.

Step Sixteen

Carefully lift the inked plate off the page. Turn the page over to a new, clean page.

Step Seventeen

Carefully place the inked plate onto the new page.

Step Eighteen

Place a piece of paper on top of the inked plate and rub over the surface. Make sure you apply pressure to the entire plate. You need to transfer the paint from the plate to the paper.

Step Nineteen

If you have a brayer you can roll it over the surface.

Step Twenty

Gently pull the paper away from the plate.

Step Twenty-One

Try printing with coloured construction paper. Use a wooden spoon to burnish the print.

Step Twenty-Two

Pull the print to see what you have made. These first prints are called proofs. They can be labelled AP for artist proof. They are not part of the edition.

Step Twenty-Three

Mix white paint into your colour to make a tint.

Step Twenty-Four

Make 3 prints for the edition. Number and sign your prints. The first print will be number 1 out of 3. You write it like this 1/3. The second one will be 2/3 and the last one will be 3/3. Write the number of your prints in the lower left corner. Write the title of your prints in the centre of the page near the bottom. Sign your name on the right. Use a pencil.

Step Twenty-Five

This is really an edition variable because each print is slightly different than the others. In this edition the prints are meant to be viewed together, but are equally strong on their own. The elephant gradually fades in each print suggesting that it is endangered and may soon diasappear. Edition Variables are usually labelled EV 1/3 or sometimes VE 1/3.

Step Twenty-Six

The same edition on construction paper.

Learning Goals

Students will be able to:

Create an edition of prints to communicate their understanding of an endangered species issue;
Use colour to express ideas;
Demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity; and
Support their ideas with evidence found in the works.

Extensions

Students experiment with ways to work with their artist proofs and the printing plate. For example by,
- drawing over the print with oil pastels or construction paper crayons
- gluing the printing plate to a piece of black construction paper and drawing around it with Crayola project glue. Once the glue dries students colour in the spaces using Crayola construction paper crayons.

Prepare

Create a sample.
Have students research an endangered species and find an image of their species they want to work with. For example, at wikimedia commons
Elephant
Collect empty cereal boxes if you plan to use them instead of tag manilla.
Collect newspapers and magazines for theprinting area.
Make sure you have a drying area for the prints.
Download the image of Kenojuak's Enchanted Owl.
Kenojuak
Watch a 1963 National Film Board documentary of the printing process at this site.
Google Doodle

Introduction

Display the image.
Discuss the work taking note of:
- simplified form
- unique interpretation of the owl
- use of colour
- balance of positive and negative space
- wrting on bottom of print
Explain the printing process.
Introduce the challenge.

Activities

The Challenge

Create an edition of prints to communicate your understanding of an endangered species issue.
Use colour to express ideas.
Demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity.
Support your ideas with evidence found in the works.

The Process

Make sure everyone understands the challenge.
Show your sample to give students an idea of what the finished printing plate might look like.
Have students exmine the photograh of their animal and decide what details they will include in their print.
Guide students through the steps outlined in this lesson plan.
Encourage students to think of how they can use colour to get across their message. For example, making three prints that gradually fade in colour by adding white to the paint for the second and third prints.
Encourage students to make several proofs before beginning their edition.
Observe students as they work.
Provide individual assistance and encouragement.

Sharing

Once editions of prints are complete display them for a group discussion. Remind students of the challenge.
Look closely at the prints.
Ask students to choose one edition that interests them for some reason.
Share thoughts about the work.
During the discussion include references to:
- balance - the use of positive and negative space
- colour – how colour has been used to communicate a message
- uniqueness of the form 'how student made the image their own'
- technical accomplishment - how condition of paper, cleanliness of paper, signature and numbering, and attention to detail contribute to technical accomplishment

Assessment

Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting
Observe students as they discuss the art works – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
Use a checklist to track progress. (Download - ENDANGERED_tracking.pdf)
Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Download - ENDANGERED_self-assessment.pdf)