Printmaking Club
Exploring mistake making and fun through printmaking.
Leticia Ramos, Teacher
Jordan Knecht, Teaching Artist
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Leticia Ramos & Jordan Knecht,
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Class Information
Grade Levels: 3rd-5th
Class Schedule (days/times): Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:15 pm-5:15 pm
Academic content: math, science, art, writing
Art forms: screen printing, relief printing, graphic design, game design
Big Idea: Learning through print
Inquiry Question: Where can printmaking lead us?
Printmaking and Beyond!
Printmaking and Beyond!
Experimentation was central to everything we did together in our club. If we needed to use ink or paint, we tested a range of types, so see what worked best for us. If we were printing on a new material such as fabric or a new kind of paper, we did tests and experiments, often finding new exciting discoveries along the way.
Our classes were always based around conversation. We began by sharing snack and talking with each other. Once we got to work, every element of our creative endeavor was up for discussion. We practiced healthy debate, as well as supportive, positive communication. Students were given agency over the process of artmaking, as well as the sculpting of the social culture of the classroom.
Relief Printing
Relief Printing
Our first semester began with making relief prints using a variety of materials, including different forms of foam, cork, and even clay. Students designed and kept portfolios of their prints, as well as their printing blocks. Eventually, students began collaborating on prints, working together to make new blocks or combining their printing pre-existing blocks.
Relief Printing on Fabric
Relief Printing on Fabric
Students worked together to make custom shirts using relief printing. The image above is of one of our club's test materials.
Students roll out ink for relief printing. Some students experimented with "rainbow rolls" printing multiple colors at once. Students also combined primary colors to make their own custom colors.
Students worked together to make an edition of 7 very large (18x24") prints. In order to do this, they had to collectively agree on rules for where their blocks would be printed so that all prints were relatively the same.
Students used the risograph printer at school to manipulate their relief prints, scanning and resizing the prints they made from their blocks.
One of our students with their custom print portfolio, about to make a new print.
Students planned out an imagination of how the large print would look and then made risograph prints.
Before transitioning from relief printing to screen printing, we spent a day going around the school, making rubbings of architectural elements we found. We then make risograph prints of those rubbings, creating multiples in order to form an edition.
Next, we dove into screen printing. We began by making simple stencils cut out of paper. In order to get students quickly accustomed to the feeling of screen printing, we made an edition of prints, layered on top of each other. With each color, each student got a change to set up a screen, create a stencil, print, and clean up. While printing, we made a time trial game to see how many prints students could make in a short amount of time. This allowed students an opportunity to rapidly fail and move past their mistakes while making a fun game out of it.
This is our club's first collaborative two-layer screen print.
This is the first layer of our three-layer test print in which everyone was able to contribute an image.
This is the final print edition of our three-layer test print. We made around 45 prints in this edition.
Students decided to continue on the large print from our relief printing by screen printing on top. Each student created their own 3-layer image and everyone discussed how the prints could fit on the large paper. Some students were willing to have their images overlap with others. Some were not. Everyone was very supportive of each others' decisions. The image above is of a student putting their paper stencil onto a screen.
This student is cutting their stencil.
Here, a student lines up their screen on the large print to add another layer.
Students work together to prepare a screen for printing.
Our collective print grew and grew as students worked together to add their layers and bring each others' images to life. As the project progressed, the two teachers began participating less and less in the printing process until, eventually, students were completing the process by the selves from beginning to end.
Our students proudly exhibited their work at the CAPE headquarters.
Near the end of the year, we embarked on a very ambitious project - to create a board game which we could also create graphic design for and then print multiples of. The initial idea was from our student Matthew Gunderson. We spent the last few weeks of the semester collaboratively designing the game by playing it. As we played, rules were revised.
At one point, we needed dice, so a student from another one of Jordan's classes 3D printed our club some dice.
Students each designed their own logos for the game on the computer and then annonymously voted on their favorite. At this point, the game is incomplete, but students have expressed interest in continuing to develop, design and produce the game next year in an evolution of our club, which will be titled, "Game Club". In this club, we will design games, but also be responsible for all aspects of manufacturing, so students will have to participate in graphic design, printmaking, construction, story building, and much more!
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