Bad ink?

As my class was printing the second color of their reduction prints, my ink started doing funny things. The ink would roll off of their printing plate as they tried to add new. There was plenty of ink for rolling. It hadn't been left out too long. This didn't happen with my first class that printed. This ink was left in my school from the previous teacher when it used to be a middle school, meaning I have NO idea how old it is, except at least two years. Does it sound like bad ink? Does that happen? Feel free to offer suggestions/opinions. I only have a little bit of the black ink left, but I have a lot of other colors that I am a bit worried about.

Dia de los Muertos

These lessons are from last year, but I was a bit slow to share. Kindergarten created the pumpkins and 2nd grade made the papel picado. Third grade did a great job creating their skeletons with oil pastel on black paper.

Students had a skeleton to use for observation drawing, then used their imagination to create the skeleton participating in life.

My sixth graders created linoleum block prints of their skeletons. The kids really enjoyed the linoleum block cutting, but even these smallish prints took too long, I think.

My fourth graders really got into this ofrenda project.  The idea came from Mini Matisse, who linked to the Minneapolis Institute of Art project. The finished projects do not have a particularly polished look, but I was happy with what the students learned.

Students were to choose someone they loved, who had died to honor through their ofrenda. The examples I am showing are pets, but many more chose people as well. Students were given scrap paper and small buttons, baubles, and so on. I also purchased small skeletons and skulls through Oriental Trading, enough for each student to have one. Students were also given the option to bring in their own items or photos to use in their ofrenda.

Pop Art Portraits

Fifth grade students used linoleum block prints to create these self portraits. Students printed their self portraits in four different colors with different background colors to really make them "pop." I was really proud of my students. Linoleum blocks are a lot of work, especially when only going to art every few days.

First grade cat prints

First grade students studied the cat prints of Steinlen and Warhol. After looking at different cats, students made drawings that were transferred to Styrofoam. We printed the cats in two different ways. With traditional black ink,

and by drawing on the styrofoam with markers, before printing on damp paper.

I thought I had the technique down, making sure the paper had just the right amount of water on them.

Many of them turned out great. I love the color and the soft effect on these.

But many more turned out like this. I am pretty sure most of these students printed on the wrong side of the paper-the one that didn't have as much water on it. I need to change something about this lesson to make it a bit more successful. I think I may make it take a bit longer and have students print in smaller groups, so that I can make sure they are printing on the damp side. And, so that they have enough ink on their blocks for the black prints, too. Any other suggestions?

Second Grade Framed Portraits

Second grade students studied the portraits of Frida Kahlo. Students created their self portraits with glue  line printmaking.

Students created their prints in a few different colors. After completing the prints, they chose their favorite and created a frame, with designs in oil pastel.

Printmaking is one of my favorites. Students find so much success!

You can see more of these prints in our Artsonia gallery.

Gyotaku again

Since I'm an art teacher at two schools, one for a semester each, I planned to just repeat the lessons that I did the first semester in the second. I'm always finding such interesting new lessons, so I ended up changing quite a bit anyway. Some lessons I changed just because of time of the year (Van Gogh sunflowers didn't really fit in February.)

 One lesson I did both semesters was fish printing or gyotaku. It was just such a big hit with my students and so very out of the ordinary for their experience that I decided to do the printing again, but I printed with all grades this time.

Last semester, they printed on white paper and just left the clean print. This semester students printed on construction paper (I had plenty of construction paper, but not so much white) and then added a background. I loved some of their creative ideas. I've seen others add the background first, but I liked to have the students totally in the dark about the fact that we were printing with fish.

Again, this was so much fun! It also felt like a bit of a (busy) break from what has been a pretty stressful year.

Printmaking

Printmaking is one of my favorite things to do with elementary kids. In part, because it feels like magic. And, in part, because it tends to be one of those things that even the least successful still look pretty good. Kids who struggle in other areas often find success in printmaking.

I tried a few new lessons this year. Taken from an arts and activities (I think?) Potato and apple printing, radial symmetry. Both Kindergarten and 2nd grade did this lesson.

First grade made styrofoam print cats, both with black ink and marker.

Second grade studied the dancer prints of Woody Crumbo and Degas. One child had a giraffe dancing in his glue print. Loved it!

More dancers!

Collagraphs by third grade. A study of symmetry with bugs. (Also from SA or A&A.)

A few more on display.

Fourth grade also used styrofoam to create self-portraits, which they printed three different ways - black ink on white paper, black ink on a tissue paper collage, and markers. This was one of my favorites.

Fish Printing

Quite honestly, this is the most fun I've possibly ever had as an art teacher. Which says a lot, because I really love my job! In other schools, we've made gyotaku prints with the Nasco replicas. Which turned out nice and all that. Little did I know how much more fun and exciting it was to use REAL fish.

I bought six tilapia from a local fish market, because the only other whole fish available was three times more expensive. This way, no fighting over which fish they used. With using real fish, you don't want to extend the printing to an additional class day. My pre-K through 2nd grade did this project, all doing a great job. And having a blast!

Kindergarten and up worked with a partner, which allowed us to move pretty quickly. I advise having names already on paper for the prints, which gives you assigned partners and less for the kids (or you) to do during the lesson.

All of the student work looks good, though this is one of my favorites.

A few kids were a bit squeamish about printing the fish themselves, and I heard a lot of "ews." My room was stinky and a big mess. As another classroom teacher pointed out, these kids will always remember printing fish!