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Internet Lesson Plans by Woody Duncan

contact me at mailto:wduncan@kc.rr.com

my web site is http://taospaint.com

EXEMPLARS AND MOTIVATION IN PRINTMAKING

LESSON PLAN page 2

STEPS IN STUDIO PRODUCTION

Begin with good drawings of the chosen subjects (I choose a theme each year)

Stress: Elegant shapes, good composition, and details should be simplified

Size and format of compositions can vary to suit the needs of the drawing

OPTION / you may want to limit the size and shape because you don't wish to be cutting lots of different size mats for final exhibition

Transfer drawings to oaktag using carbon paper (image will be reversed)

Often the reversed image in the final product does not matter, if it does as with the word "NIKE" on a sweater, then show students various ways to reverse it.

OPTIONS / do a tracing at the window on the back of drawing / put carbon paper face up under drawing while tracing lines / flip shapes over after cutting them out

Cut figures out and then cut each figure into many separate shapes

EXAMPLE / separate shapes for hand, fore arm, upper arm, shirt, collar, neck, etc.

Glue the separate shapes onto the heavy mat board (printing plate)

Shapes can overlap (creates a unique edge) but not fitted back together, it is the spaces (or edges) that show in the print (the shapes as defined by their edges)

Separations between each individual shape is the essence of this process, if students fail to cut shapes apart they can go back and create separations using a sharp knife to make two close cuts and peel out to remove the lines needed

Having an earlier (simplified) lesson on cutting and arranging shapes to create a composition really helps in understanding what it takes to make this process work

An example of an earlier cut paper composition (White on Black) is below

it was done by Ali Sultani before we made our collograph printing plates

After everything is glued down, you might suggest adding more texture, as with lace paper doilies, or thin string, or rough cuts and slashes made with a knife

Before printing apply a thin coat of cheap white acrylic house paint to both sides of the printing plate / front so ink will release better / back to reduce warping

Don't forget you may have painted over student names (if they put them on there)

STEPS IN INKING THE PRINTING PLATE

I set up one long table as an inking station, another area of the studio for the printing (best with a press) and the third stop is to leave the newly pulled print on the drying rack before returning to the inking station.

It's best to cover the inking area with newspapers to make clean up easier.

We put at least three inking plates out (one for each color) with a brayer for each.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF MULTICOLOR PRINTING

YOU PRINT ALL THE COLORS AT THE SAME TIME

I put the lightest color say (yellow) to the left and then perhaps (magenta) and then the darkest perhaps (violet) last. Instruct the students to work from the lightest to the darkest.

Inking the plate with the lighter color first seems to limit pollution of the others.

Caution students not to ink the plate fully, (leave white areas for contrast) do not allow new colors to cover others too much as you put each new layer of color on the printing plate. It is the play of one color with another that is the beauty of the final print.

PULLING A PRINT, IT'S MAGIC

I always have sheets of paper (soft manilla) under the felt blanket on the printing press, it keeps everything cleaner, we change the paper between classes.

I keep white drawing paper in small stacks near the press (various sizes if necessary) so students can get to them easily.

Stress clean straight borders around each print, working in pairs usually helps, one partner keeping clean hands to handle the paper.

Often if a bit too much ink was used you can get a great (even better) print by running the plate through (without reinking) using a second sheet of paper.

We make simple folders for each students dry prints, by just folding a large sheet of manilla in half. If you are in a very humid area or prints don't dry enough even after a second day try putting a sheet of wax paper between each print.

EXHIBITING THE PRINTS

Color prints of this quality demand good white mats and if the edges of the image are neat and clean they are best matted so that the edge of the print shows with the student artist's name in pencil in the lower right margin.

Artist List for Printmaking Exemplars

Mary Cassatt

Kathe Kollwitz

Paul Gauguin

Leroy Neiman

Pablo Picasso

Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec

Jacob Lawrence

Miriam Schapiro

Jennifer Bartlett

Rembrant Van Rijn

Honore Daumier