Print-making is thought to have originated in China after the invention of paper in the 2nd century AD. This activity features a special kind of print-making called collagraphy, where flat materials are layered and glued onto a base, then painted and used to create a final finished print. Using this ancient art is a great way to teach your child about history and challenge his creativity at the same time.
What You Need:
❑ Pencil
❑ Sketch paper
❑ Cardboard
❑ Various textured materials such as burlap, sandpaper, string, or fabric
❑ Craft glue
❑ Scissors
❑ Tempera paint
❑ White paper
❑ Black fine point marker
What You Do:
- Before you get started, go online with your child and look at collagraphs by Barbara Garrison, whose works have graced the pages of children’s books such as The Frog House. Note how the different textures she uses affects the look of the finished picture.
- Make your child think about how he wants his finished print to look, and encourage him to make a few sketches.
- Next, make him use scissors to begin cutting shapes out of the materials, using the sketch as a guide.
- Now he can layer the materials onto the cardboard base, securing them with craft glue. Remind him to think about how the different textures and shapes will look after they’ve been printed.
- Set the collagraph aside, and let it dry for two or three hours.
- Once it’s dry, it’s time to start printing! Make your child paint over the collagraph with tempera paints. He can use as many colours as he wants, using different colours for different parts of the painting.
- Make him press the painted collagraph onto a sheet of paper to create his print. He can paint and print his collagraph as many times as he likes!
- Set the prints aside to dry.
- When dry, he can use a fine point marker and add details to finish the artwork.
- Let him pick the perfect spot to display his finished print.
Encourage him to keep experimenting and making new collagraphs. The possibilities are endless with the variety of available fabrics and textures. Sometimes changing one texture can give the print a completely different feel!