Classroom Series: Make Art from Recyclables
May 5, 2020 | By: Sara Paden
Objective: You will learn about printmaking and how to print using recycled materials such as cardboard, paper towel rollers, caps and bubble wrap!
Materials & Supplies:
Rectangle or square piece of Cardboard for the master printing plate
Cardboard (boxes, cereal box, pizza box, etc)
Corrugated cardboard
Paper towel or toilet paper rolls
Bottle Caps
Foam or Bubble wrap
Art Supplies Needed:
Liquid glue (Tacky glue or Elmers glue)
Scissors
Paper (color or white)
Tempera or acrylic paint
Paint brush
Paper plate or a tray
Crayons or oil pastels
Art Vocabulary: Printmaking, Texture rubbing, Stamping, Collagraph, Printing plate or master plate, Collage, Vertical & horizontal lines
Introduction:Did you know that each week New Yorkers throw away about 15 pounds of trash. Yet, most of what we toss isn’t garbage at all. For instance, all kinds of paper and cardboard can be made into new products. Today’s cereal box can be tomorrow’s pizza box! So, recycle what you can! I am going to introduce you to printmaking using recycled materials! We are going to learn about three different ways that you can do right at home.
Lesson:Lesson Printmaking is a process where an artist creates a master plate from which multiple images are created. The master plate can be a lot of surfaces including styrofoam, metal, cardboard, wood or any one of a number of materials. Then the artist prepares the printing plate by cutting, gluing pieces on top of the surface or carving an image onto the plate. Ink or paint is applied and paper is pressed onto the plate either by hand. The finished print, you will slowly take the paper off the printmaking plate which is called pulling a print.
Stamping: Stamping is a simple printing process of creating a mark.
Collect your materials and prepare your workspace. Go through your recycling bin and find interesting objects that will create an interesting mark. You can cut cardboard into different lengths to create a variety of lines. You could fold or cut a paper towel roll to create a new shape.
Place paint on to a tray or paper plate and press your piece of cardboard or paper towel roll into it.
Gently press your cardboard or paper towel roll on your piece of paper. The shape or line should appear!
Continue to stamp your piece of paper until your marks start to fade.
Add more paint to create a bolder print. Let the paint dry.
Stamping Ideas:
Create abstract artwork using different types and overlap them to create a sense of depth. You can layer them to turn your paper to create some interesting designs.
Create Piet Mondrian inspired artwork using black vertical and horizontal lines inter-crossing each other. After the paint dries, you can color in the rectangles and squares just using the primary colors (red, blue & yellow)
You could pretend you are an architect and design a building! Use pieces of cardboard to stamp out your dream house, castle or city street block.
You could use paper towel rolls and bottle caps to create a circle shape. After the place has dried, you can use paint or crayons to color in all the different circles.
Collagraph: Collagraph is a method of printmaking using a surface such as a piece of cardboard and gluing materials onto it to create interesting designs and textures.
Cut a piece of cardboard into a rectangle or square to make the printing plate. 5 x 7 inches would be a size to start!
Collect recycled materials. You can collage found materials such as pieces of cardboard cut out into shapes, fabric, foam, bubble wrap or paper.
Assemble your printing plate by gluing down your materials. If you are cutting out shapes or an image, make sure it is simple and draw it on the cardboard before cutting it out.
Let your printing plate fully dry.
Add paint onto your printing plate with a paint brush or roller.
Place your printing plate onto your piece of paper.
Use your hands to press or rub the back of the printing plate to make sure that all the surface has been pressed into your paper.
Pull your print! Take your printing place off your paper!
Let the paint dry and create another one! Printmaking isn’t perfect! So, if you see that some of your design is not showing up, add more paint next time or if your design got lost in the paint, don’t add so much paint!
Collagraph Ideas:
Abstract design. Cut out different shapes out of colored paper and glue them down to a white piece of paper. Overlap pieces or turn pieces to an angle to create an interesting composition. Use different textured materials such as bubble wrap or corrugated cardboard. to glue down to your printing plate. Add black paint to your printing plate to create a contrast to your colored pieces of paper.
Cut out an animal, insect or a flower out of a piece of cardboard. Make sure it is simple, you can always add details later! Print your design multiple times and overlap them.You can create a school of fish!
Texture Rubbing: Texture Rubbing made when you place a piece of paper on top of a surface and use a crayon or oil pastel to record the texture.
Cut a piece of cardboard into a rectangle or square.
Collect recycled materials and cut out different shapes to create an image or design. You could reuse your collagraph printing plate!
Glue down your shapes and let it dry.
Place a piece of thin paper on top of your design.
Use a crayon or oil pastel on its side and color your piece of paper.
Texture Rubbing Ideas:
Rubbings are a great way to record or copy textures around your house! Look around to find some interesting textures, maybe your tiles in your bathroom or a woven basket.
Create a rubbing using nature! Find leaves, bark or flowers.
Reflection: Reflection is an essential part of the art making process and your creative choices. Ask yourself or have a conversation with your children about the art you have created!
How does your print come out? Did the print look like you thought it would?
What did you like or dislike about your art?
What would you do differently? What would change in your artwork?
Why did you choose to do that shape or design? What does it remind you of?