Valentine Printmaking Project

Valentine #1

This is a Valentine printmaking project I have planned with grade 5.

The main focus is teaching them how to create their own stamps with craft foam.

Valentine #2

Here is a second version.














MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- watercolour or disk tempera paint
- heavy paper or wc paper
- sticky backed craft foam
- scraps of corrugated cardboard
- black acrylic or tempera paint
- coloured pencils, china markers, sharpies
- alphabet stamps, glitter gems, optional

PROCEDURE:

Using watercolour or disk tempera paint your background.

Here I'm using disk tempera and this resulted in Valentine #2.

I used watercolour paint and a little kosher salt to create the background for Valentine#1.

Set aside to dry.

Now we can work on our stamps.

Gather your materials, we need some scraps of cardboard for the base of the stamp and some craft foam.  I like the sticky back.

There are 2 ways to make a stamp with craft foam:

1st Way:
Cut the cardboard into the shape of the stamp. I then cut strips of craft foam and apply to cardboard to outline the shape. You can also cut shapes to be added like the inner heart for this stamp.

2nd Way:
Cut your cardboard shape, then trace around it on the craft foam.  Cut the shape out of craft foam.

You then use a blunt pencil and draw designs into the craft foam shape.  Push hard enough that you can feel the design marks with your fingertip when you touch the foam.

Here is a good tip I got from Traci Bautista.  Use small pieces of craft foam on the back of the cardboard to make a handle.  I use the parts where the product sticker is, I normally just throw those ones away.  You can also use the leftover little pieces from cutting out a stamp.
Use 2 layers and you'll have a good handle.

Using a paintbrush brush some acrylic or tempera paint onto the stamp.  This gives you more control than stamping into a plate of paint to load.


I always have practice paper nearby when doing a printmaking or stamping project.

Here you can see then difference between the 2 types of stamps. 


Have the kids practice working with the stamps.  Sometimes the ghost print or the 2nd ghost print turns out to be the best.

Ghost Print = the second print from a stamp without applying more paint.

When they are confident apply the stamp to your dry background.

Now you might want to just stop there but I like to take it further.

Ensure your print/stamp is dry.  I use a hair dryer to speed things up a bit.

I added some coloured pencil, some china markers, and some sharpie.

I also used a little white and silver paint that I dipped the end of a pencil into and stamped on some accents. (see finished photo)

I painted some scrap paper.

I then stamped on some letters and added these to the Valentine.


You can also add a few sticky gems.

You could also print off some text from the computer to add.

Pair it with a Valentine poem and you have a great Valentine the kids can make for Mom and Dad.


Gail

January Pocket Project

Here is my pocket project for January.  Pocket projects are like inchies but the use an ATC (artist trading card) size, 2.5"x3.5".
I've taken the cards out of the pockets for the photo here.


Because the cards are in plastic protector pockets you can add information to the back.  A  great way to combine art and research around a subject area.


Now each ATC is a stand alone art project that you can do much larger if you prefer.

I pick up my pockets at the Dollar Store.

The mitten square was done by drawing the mittens in pencil, add a little colour, and then cut out and glue on the ATC.

I added some text printed from the computer and painted with a red wash.

The Northern Lights ATC follows the project I posted HERE just in miniature form.

The snowflake ATC is a pastel resist.  I added some glitter glue, a gem in the middle, and some white dots using my white sharpie marker.  The snowflake types were added with a white pencil crayon.

The Bonhomme ATC was made by painting an ATC light blue.

- using white paint I painted on the snowman shape
- I added a snipet of ribbon for the belt
- I used a hole punch on some black craft foam for the buttons
- I added the facial features with a sharpie
- the hat is cut from some felt
- a few dots of glitter glue finishes it off

The hockey skate ATC is a close cropped drawing of a skate.  I added a little paint and mounted it on a  blue cardstock.

The snow shadows ATC is based on a larger painting project I like to do in January.

Here is the large version.



Snow shadows always catch my eye, the bluish tinge, the way you see every subtle shadow on the white background of the snow, the diffuse winter light.  It all makes a great painting project.

You want to use watercolour paper.  It's expensive but you only need a 140lb for this project.  There are also some good 90lb papers out there as well.



Tape off your edges.

My paper is upside down here as I have an incline on my painting table and I want the darker colour to be at the top, (the bottom in this picture).

I want some snow action in the sky so I add some salt.  I'm using kosher salt as it gives me the best result.  You want to sprinkle it on before the wet sheen of the paint dries.

Let the sky dry and remove the salt by brushing it away.

This shows you the salt effect.

I add some snow shadows in my snow drifts.  I'm still working upside down here.

You want the tops of snowdrifts to be pristine white.

I mix a dark brown and use the edge of my large flat brush to add the tree limbs.

Now my painting is right side up.

I add some shadows from the trees.  The large tree has a shadow that crosses a dip between 2 snow drifts so I need to make a jag in the shadow to make it look realistic.

Let dry and remove the tape.


See you next time.


Gail