Printmaking with Organic and Recycled Materials

An exploration of artmaking with natural, sustainable materials

North River Arts Society
Summer Arts Camp
2016

In the week long unit, students will learn to work with materials that are organic and/or recycled. Artmaking practices can be expensive and wasteful, which limits access to the arts for many people and also produces massive amounts of excess trash. Showing students at an early age how to avoid wasting money and materials when creating art will  help them grow into more sustainability-focused adults. They will use various printmaking and papermaking techniques to explore these ideas.

Big idea: Art and sustainability
Age: 6 – 12


Broad Goals

• Students will understand how much waste is produced through artmaking and they will consider the wide-scale problems this causes. By using organic materials as artmaking mediums, the excess degrades back into the environment, leaving no footprint.
• While some artists are fortunate enough to have access to traditional materials, is important for my students to understand that the natural world around everyone also provides a sustainable source of free materials. Art can be an expensive passion, but it doesn't have to be.
• Using materials that have been thrown away and giving them a new purpose further reduces the amount of trash produced and is again, free. I want my students to reconsider what is “waste” and what can be repurposed.
• Knowing the multiple uses of natural material makes kids less dependent on industry. Knowing how to utilize the natural world in a non-damaging way is necessary to reduce the impact of trash, reduce money spent on materials that can be made.

Specific Student Outcomes (Understanding by Design)
Students will understand that....

• they don't have to buy all of their art materials
• waste can be repurposed and made into something beautiful
• artmaking produces produce waste that is damaging to the environment.
• there are ethical ways to forage for natural materials. IE: They can't destroy other people's gardens. Using plants for artmaking is a sustainable resource....so long as they don't kill the whole plant.

Essential Questions:

• What kind of materials can be used for artmaking?
• What do you do if you love to paint but can't afford paint? (answer: make some paint)
• Where does waste end up after we throw it away? Why is this dangerous? Is there an alternative
• Where are good places to get natural materials from? Where can we not take organic material from
• What organic materials should we leave alone (because they are unsafe, endangered, etc)?

Key Knowledge

• how to create a portfolio and why it's useful
• paper making process
• how to create ink – collograph process – monotype gelatin printing process – natural dye transfer process

Classroom Context

• Students/Campers age 6 – 12. Middle class, majority white. No expected ESL students. Most likely students with ADD or ADHD.
• Campers are in class for hour and 15 minutes, then they take a snack/game break and have another hours and 15 minutes

• The classroom has a sink and ample drying space, plenty of natural light and large bulletin boards covering the walls. Each room has 1+ assistant to help with materials and working with students. – Each student will have a space on the wall to hang up their favorite work. This will be the basis for the end-of-camp show.

Previous Art Knowledge

• Campers will have widely ranging skills because of their age, meaning differences in previous experience. Campers who came to camp with me last year have some monoprinting experience using vegetables and leaves.

Technology

• Campers will be able to use phones to do research as needed. Campers will be encouraged to pick a technique they like best and continue to experiment, which may require researching artists, techniques, etc. independently.

Time Allotted
1 week with class for 2.5 hours each day




Developmental Rationale

• Students range widely in age, meaning the work and concepts must be adaptable and accessible to all ages. Campers will be in the early symbol making, symbol making, emerging expertise and artistic challenges stages, meaning there will be a huge range in their abilities and goals for projects. Those in the earlier stages tend to be interested in process over product. They depict symbolic objects with varying complexity, sometimes tied to a baseline and sometimes floating in space. The processes of the week will introduce them to materials and give them ample time to explore processes in depth. Exploration, dandling materials and techniques will be valued over their final products. Those in the later stages will be more focused on how things “should” look and tend to focus more on product than process. They are often interested in making things realistic but have little faith in their ability to do it. Campers in these stages may focus on materials and processes if they prefer, but if their goal is to create work that is representational and improve their skills in that area, the option is open as well and instruction can be tailored to their needs. Students are not often given freedom to choose what they study until they are adults, and it is important for campers in all stages to utilize their independence and develop skills in self-guided learning by being given freedom to choose what they spend the most time learning.
• Artmaking practices can be expensive, limiting access for many people. They can also be wasteful, producing massive amounts of excess trash. Kids are growing into a word where the generation before them had little regard for waste and excess, but showing them at an early age how to avoid wasting money and materials will hopefully help them grow into more sustainability-focused adults.

Teaching Strategies

• Campers will work collaboratively, often mixing ages and ability levels so those who are more

advanced can share the techniques they have discovered with others – Campers will work in stations. I'll demo the process for each station and kids will be required to try
each station at least once, but will be self-directed afterwards. They will have the freedom to further explore whichever process they enjoy the most.

Section 7. Assessment and Evaluation

• I will talk with students during their work time to check for understanding – students who are excelling at a certain technique (probably the older kids) will be asked to help

those who are struggling – We will have an end-of-camp gallery show for the students and parents for students to show off their favorite work. The show will be arranged by student instead of by project so each has more control over the work they produce and share.

Section 9. Resources, Bibliography Experience Printmaking

• Donna Anderson Kidsgardening.org


​
​LESSON 1
PORTFOLIOS

Age 6-12
NRAS Summer Arts Camp
Goal/Description:

• Students will make portfolios to store their prints throughout the week and get an introduction into working with organic materials

Objectives/Outcomes:

• students will have a place to store their work throughout the week in a way that keeps it safe
• Students will have some experimental time using plants

Enduring Understandings:

• keeping track of your work and storing it in a safe way is important to preserve it and to have a record of progress and change in work

Essential Questions:

• Why is it good to have all of your work in one place?

Key Knowledge/Skills:

• how to use a large piece of paper folded in half to create a place to store prints

Evaluation/Assessment:

• portfolios must function as a folder with 3 sides held together

Materials/Teacher Resources:

• 18x24 paper
• tape
• leaves/berries/crayons/pastels/ink

Teaching Procedure
Pre-assessment:

• Ask students about where they keep artwork. What happens if we just throw everything in piles?
• Ask students if they've ever made a portfolio before, if so when? How did they do it?

Intro/Motivational Dialogue:

• Talk to students about the value of their work and why it's important to take care of it. We're going to be having a show of all of your work at the end of the week, and we don't want anything to get damaged or lost before then.
• Talk to them about how we are going to be storing work for the week, and how they'll take everything home with them at the end.
• Talk to students about the value of experimenting and playing with materials before working with them. It's important to be (somewhat) familiar with your medium before taking on a project.

Demonstration:

• I will use a large piece of paper, fold it in half, and tape the two short edges. I will write my name on one side
• There will be many organic materials around the room, and I will demonstrate leaf rubbing, rolling ink on leaves and pressing them for a print, smushing berries to create paint, etc. and tell students there are plenty of other options too.
• I will talk to students about the different trash barrels

Work Period:

• the group will work together to fold and tape and label the portfolio – campers will be given 30 minutes of free-experimentation time, in which they can use the materials set out however they want to become familiar with how they behave. They may work alone, or with other students if they are trying similar techniques.

Clean-Up:

• the classroom will have a compost bin, a recycle bin and a trash barrel. – Students will discard materials as they finish using them, and we will clean as a group before snack.

Closure:

• Students will show off their portfolios to each other and volunteer to talk about a technique they tried that they thought was particularly awesome

Reflection

• Young kids will probably get pretty messy with experimental materials and will need to understand that messes are fine, but they'll be the ones cleaning it up. –
• Older kids may get overambitious and get stuck drawing on their portfolios for way too long.

Plans for Differentiating Instruction:

• students will be different ages, and work at very different rates. The younger ones tend to have shorter attention spans and will move through activities fast. I will meet with them more regularly to prompt different techniques when they get bored with the one they were doing.



LESSON 2:
RECYCLED + ORGANIC PAPER MAKING

Age: 6-12
NRAS Summer Arts Camp
Goal/Description:

• Students will use recycled paper material and organic material (leaves, flower petals, etc) to create paper for later use in with various printmaking processes

Objectives/Outcomes:

• understand how paper is made and where it comes from – create lots of paper collaboratively for the class to use throughout the week Enduring Understandings:
• Understanding that items usually thrown in the trash can still have use – Understanding how to utilize the natural world around you – Understanding how to use natural resources without damaging the environment

Essential Questions:

• Why repurpose discarded materials instead of buying new materials? – How can we repurpose materials in a way that benefits us instead of damaging the environment?

Key Knowledge/Skills:

• how to create paper pulp (tearing paper into small pieces, soaking, adding lint for strength, glue for sizing/waterproofing )
• how to pull the screen through to get an even coating of pulp
• how to control the color and texture of the paper based on the pulp
•  when to add organic material for different degrees of color and texture

Evaluation/Assessment:

• I will work with students in the paper-making process to ensure the paper technically proficient enough to be useable for printing later in the week, and assist students who are having trouble with the process – prints will be made the on handmade paper and displayed at the student show at the end of camp.

Materials/Teacher Resources:

• blenders
• screens
• recycled paper/paper towels
• white glue
• lint
• shop rags or felt
• organic material (leaves, flowers, coffee, tea, etc)

Teaching Procedure
Pre-assessment:

• Talk with students about where paper comes from and what it is made of.
• Ask them where they usually get paper from

Intro/Motivational Dialogue:

• Talk with students about repurposing trash and how we can make our own art materials out of the paper our families recycle.
• Talk with students about collaboration. We will be working together to make the paper we will be printing on for the rest of our projects.

Demonstration:

• I will show students how small to rip up the pieces of paper and throw them into a bin with water to let them soak. I will talk about how the color of the paper we tear up dictates what color it will end up at the end
• I will show them how to put the paper and water in the blender and create pulp. I will add flowers and other organic material near the end to retain some of its shape and color. Some can also be added directly in without being blended.
• I will show students how to pull the screen up through the paper pulp and flip it onto a shop rag to press out the excess water

Work Period:

• campers will all help tear up paper and toss it in the water for the paper
• each camper will work with me or an assistant to use the blenders
• each student should make at least 3 sheets of paper
• there will only be 2-3 blenders, so students will have to take turns. Those who aren't actively making paper can continue to tear paper or work at another station.

Clean-Up:

• Our extra scraps of paper can be put into a bag to make more paper later – students will help wipe up the water that will be everywhere
• I will clean the blenders after students leave

Closure:

• I will tell students to bring in recycled and organic materials that they find at home that they would like to try making paper out of later in the week. The paper-making station will be open most of the time, so students can continue to make more throughout the week if they really enjoy it.

Reflection

• students will probably have a hard time flipping the paper out of the screen but they will have to keep the system moving fast enough for everyone to trie
• The pulp water will probably get muddied and bother some students who are aiming for more control over their paper
• water will get everywhere
• I will pre-make paper and extra pulp for campers to mix in to move things efficiently

Plans for Differentiating Instruction:

• ​students will be different ages, and work at very different rates. Younger kids will likely need more help making sure their paper scraps are small enough and will need help flipping their paper out of the screen as it requires some skill. The older kids will be given the chance to use the blenders and have more control over their paper pulp.


LESSON 3
MAKING INK
Age 6-12 NRAS Summer Arts Camp
Goal/Description:

• students will create their own set of printing inks to use for the week

Objectives/Outcomes:

• be familiar with the components to ink and how to produce ink – understand how to use pigments from natural materials to create ink
• practice color mixing to create interesting ink colors

Enduring Understandings:

• Understanding how to utilize the natural world around you
• Understanding how to use natural resources without damaging the environment
• understand the environmental impact of using industrial materials

Essential Questions:

• Why use natural materials instead of traditional artmaking materials?
• How can we collect materials in a way that doesn't damage the plants/environment?

Key Knowledge/Skills:

• understand the process of creating ink with organic materials
• know how to grind and strain materials to get the pigment out

Evaluation/Assessment:

• I will work with students individually to ensure they are grinding pigments enough to be smooth
• test prints on stamps to make sure the ink works
• (fallback, we can use speedball for the week)

Materials/Teacher Resources:

• Nori (rice paste)
• berries, leaves and flower petals to get pigment
• some fresh, some oven-dried.
• blender
• strainer
• Styrofoam and dull pencils
• test-print paper
• brayers
• palette knives

Teaching Procedure
Pre-assessment:

• I'll ask campers what they know about how paint and ink are made. What are pigments? Where do they come from?

Intro/Motivational Dialogue:

• Start by talking about the materials used in printmaking and how ink differs from paint.
• We'll talk about how organic material changes as it decays, especially in color. This is why leaves on the ground are different than those on a tree, and why flowers discolor as they get old.
• We'll discuss how this process will involve a lot of trial and error, so make sure to make test prints as you go.

Demonstration:

• I will choose some type of colorful plant and puree it with water in a blender, then strain it. I will then mix the color with Nori. This produces a very thin, translucent ink.
• OR I will take dried colorful plants, grind into a powder and strain it. I will then mix the powder with Nori and roll with a brayer.
• I will make a note of how little Nori I use at a time. Using big, translucent globs is wasteful because it spreads very far.
• I will show students how to roll ink on a printing plate with a brayer, careful not to use too much or it will slide instead of rolling.
• After the ink looks like it'll work, I'll take a small piece of styrofoam, etch a few simple marks into the surface, roll the ink on and make a test print. If the ink didn't wok, I'll ask the students what they think needs to be added, and we will go from there.

Work Period:

• Campers will work in teams to create pigments for the class. As a group they will pick the materials they would like to mix together to create a color for their ink.
• After mixing and rolling their ink, campers will make a series of test prints to get the ink where they want it to be. They will use small pieces of Styrofoam (pre-cut and easy to access) to make test prints. Campers should check with me after they make their first test print to go over what they think needs to happen next.
• When campers are happy with their ink, they'll scoop it into a jar to use later in the week.

Clean-Up:

• we will all wipe the tables together because they will definitely be covered in crazy mushed up plants and Nori.
• Styrofoam test plates will be rinsed and go in the recycle

Closure:

• We'll talk about why it's good to make our own artmaking materials (answers: non-toxic, less waste, more control over outcomes)
• We'll talk about why it's good to buy our art materials (answer: more predictable, won't fade or change color, easier to get the outcome you were aiming for).

Reflection:

• More experimentation still needs to be done to perfect processes and recipes for adding pigments to Nori.
• Students will probably have a hard time with mixing the right opacity of their ink – Keeping younger campers on task through all the trial and error phases will be difficult Plans for

Differentiating Instruction:

• More focused, scientifically minded students will be given more freedom in this activity. Those​ with higher energy and lack of focus will need more personal assistance so they don't abuse or waste materials. I will control the amount of Nori given out at a time to them.

LESSON 4
JELLY PRINTING WITH ORGANIC MATERIAL
Age 6-12 NRAS Summer Arts Camp
Goal/Description:

• Students will create a series of monoprints using a gelatin printing plate and organic materials to create resists. They will print on paper they have made themselves.
  
• Objectives/Outcomes:
  
• understand how the gelatin monoprinting process works – create layered prints using both the positive and ghost print
  
• Enduring Understandings:
  
• Understanding how to utilize the natural world around you – Understanding how to use natural resources without damaging the environment
  
• Essential Questions:
  
• Why use natural materials instead of traditional artmaking materials? – How can we collect materials in a way that doesn't damage the plants/environment?
  
• Key Knowledge/Skills:
  
• be able to use a gelatin plate without destroying it by gouging it
  
• Evaluation/Assessment:
  
• formative assessment through checking in on all students – making sure they are gentle enough with the jelly, are using the right amount of ink, etc. – student show at the end of camp
  
• Materials/Teacher Resources:
  
• metal tins
  
• gelatin (I will make at home)
  
• printing ink
  
• organic material for resists
  
• brayers
  
• paper


Teaching Procedure
Pre-assessment:

• Discuss students' past experience with brayers and rolling ink onto printing plates
  
• Talk about Jello and its consistency. How easy is it to break the surface?
  
• Intro/Motivational Dialogue:
  
• Talk about monoprinting and how each print will be different and surprising. There's some control in monoprinting, but there's always some
  
• Encourage students to have fun and experiment with multiple layers of prints on the same sheet, mixing different colors, and trying lots of different techniques for mark-making. If they come up with something I haven't, let me know! We can show the whole class.
  
• Demonstration:
  
• I will show students how much ink to spread on the plate with a brayer and what pressure to use so the surface isn't broken
  
• I will have students pick out textures they'd like to see printed and show them how to make a resist with an object, how to use it to remove ink and print that image, and how to make a ghost print – I will talk about how when pressing paper onto the plate, they should rub gently, but so not gentle that the paper doesn't pick up the ink - with the same pressure as if they were petting a cat.
  
• Work Period:
  
• there will be limited gelatin plates (5-7) so not all students will work on jelly printing at once. Those who do will have a plate to themselves for up to 15 minutes before they switch to a different station to let someone else try
  
• Clean-Up:
  
• When kids are done printing, they must rinse their brayer and mixing plate, and use scrap paper to pick up excess ink from their plate. They must pick up any texture materials that have fallen on the floor and place them back on the table for the next person to use.
  
• Campers should make sure their names are on the back of all their work and put them on the drying rack or in their portfolios (depending on how dry they are).
  
• Closure:
  
• When kids are done, I'll have them check in with me before moving to a new station and show me their favorite print. If they've used a funky technique they want to share with the group, they can share it.
  
• Reflection:
  
• Students may gouge the gelatin – students may struggle with using the right amount of pressure to make a print.
  
• Younger students have a tendency to want to use brayers and roll ink on everything and will need to be given clear instructions on how to handle the ink responsibly.
  
• Plans for Differentiating Instruction:
  
• students will be different ages, and work at very different rates. Older kids will be paired with younger ones to help them if they get stuck/use a weird amount of ink/use too much pressure and gouge the plate.


LESSON 5 
ECO PRINTING ON FABRIC
Age: 6-12 NRAS Summer Arts Camp

Goal/Description:

• Students will dye fabric using the eco printing method, in which they lay organic material on fabric, roll it tightly and steam or boil the material to release the ink from the organic material.
  
• Objectives/Outcomes:
  
• understand why organic material is colored the way it is – understand how to extract pigments from organic material – create a bandana dyed with flower petals and leaves
  
• Enduring Understandings:
  
• Understanding how to utilize the colors in the natural world for artmaking purposes – Understanding how to use natural resources without damaging the environment – Understanding where pigments in plants come from
  
• Essential Questions:
  
• Why use natural materials instead of traditional inks?
  
• How can we collect materials in a way that doesn't damage the plants/environment?
  
• Key Knowledge/Skills:
  
• understand how the pigments are released from plants when heated in water
  
• understand why the dyed colors are slightly different from the original plants
  
• Evaluation/Assessment:
  
• formative assessment through checking in on all students
  
• student show at the end of camp.
  
• Materials/Teacher Resources:
  
• natural fabric (cotton, wool or silk)
  
• large pot
  
• elastic bands
  
• sticks to wrap fabric around
  
• organic material (berries, leaves, flowers, etc)

Teaching Procedure/Time Allotted:
Pre-assessment:

• Discuss past experience with dying fabric (tie-dying, RIT dye, fabric paint, etc) and have students tell me what they can about how changing the color of fabric works
  
• Talk about what fabric is made of and how it can be synthetic (polyester, nylon, spandex) or natural (cotton, wool, silk). I'll have examples of each. Why would dye not soak into synthetic fabric as well as natural fabric?
  
• Intro/Motivational Dialogue:
  
• I'll talk with campers about the colors found in organic materials and how those colors can be transferred to fabric with heat and water. Why do they think that is? What happens to most organic material when you put it in boiling water? (answer: it breaks down)
  
• Demonstration:
  
• I will have a piece of fabric already dyed in this way to show how the colors won't be exactly the same on fabric as they are in the plant. They tend to be duller and more brown.
  
• I will take a piece of damp fabric and place organic materials on the surface. I will then take a stick and begin rolling the fabric up as tightly as possible and secure the bundle with lots of rubber bands.
  
• (After the students have all made it through the first step) I will show them how to heat the material to release the colors from the plants. The bundles will boil in water and left to cool until the next day when we can unravel them and see what happened.
  
• Work Period:
  
• This project will be done as a group instead of as a station.
  
• Each student will be given a damp piece of fabric and there will be organic materials all over the tables.
  
• First students will write their names on a tag on the fabric in a permanent parker because they'll all look the same as bundles.
  
• Students will work to arrange their materials over their fabric then roll it up and secure with rubber bands and place on a tray when they are done.
  
• Clean-Up:
  
• all extra organic material will be put back into a bag for us to use for other projects – all bundles will go in a pile together on a tray to be boiled.
  
• Closure:
  
• I'll explain to campers that they will have to be patient with this process and that they won't be able to see the results until the next day.
  
• If campers really liked this process, they are welcome to bring more fabric in from home to dye. It must be a natural material (cotton, wool, silk). I'll keep this open as a station for the rest of the week if they would like to explore further.
  
• Reflection:
  
• students may struggle to wrap their bundles tight enough, and the ink my therefore not transfer to the fabric
  
• Students can't be around to help with boiling/steaming because we have no access to fire or a stove at NRAS. This is pretty disappointing.

Plans for Differentiating Instruction:

• students will be different ages, and work at very different rates. Younger students may need assistance rolling their bundles tightly enough, and assistants or myself can help them with that. Older students can be challenged to make more intentional designs with patterns, or treat the surface as a painting surface and create a composition with natural materials.


LESSON 6
ORGANIC MATERIAL COLLAGRAPHS
Age: 6-12 NRAS Summer Arts Camp

Goal/Description:

• Students will make collagraphs using organic material to create the raised surfaces of the printing plate.
  
• Objectives/Outcomes:
• be familiar with how/why relief printing works
  
• understand how to make plate material waterproof and stable as a printing plate
  
• Enduring Understandings:
  
• Understanding how to utilize the natural world around you
  
• Understanding how to use natural resources without damaging the environment
  
• Essential Questions:
  
• Why use natural materials instead of traditional artmaking materials?
  
• How can we collect materials in a way that doesn't damage the plants/environment?
  
• Key Knowledge/Skills:
  
• understand how to waterproof a paper and organic based printing plate
  
• become familiar with working with organic material in a 2D collage-like process, and how it behaves differently from traditional media, specifically how it reacts to glue and ink differently than traditional materials
  
• Evaluation/Assessment:
  
• formative assessment through checking in on all students
  
• student show at the end of camp
  
• Materials/Teacher Resources:
  
• matte board printing plates
  
• mod podge
  
• gesso
  
• plants/sticks/other natural materials
  
• printing ink

Teaching Procedure/Time Allotted:
Pre-assessment:

• Ask students what happens when you get cardboard wet/why should we waterproof it?
  
• Talk about relief printing, and see how much they already understand about stamps
  
• Talk about collage and see what experience they have with that
  
• Intro/Motivational Dialogue:
  
• Start by defining collagraph as a relief printing process, where we make raised surfaces for the ink to stick to and press paper onto it to transfer that ink
  
• Demonstration:
  
• I will first show campers how to waterproof their cardboard plate with gesso. I will have one already done to do the next part of the demo
  
• I will glue down organic and recycled material onto the plate to make raised surfaces. I will explain that the ink will transfer from the highest areas so they should try to make the surface relatively even in hight.
  
• I will show students how to roll ink on a plexi plate, roll it on their collagraph plate, and press

paper over the top of transfer the ink. I'll make a point to show that the printed image is a mirror image of the plate. Work Period:
– multiple stations will be set up at once for students to rotate through. – In the hour and a half before snack, they will be given up to 30 minutes to create their printing
plate. The older kids will probably take about this much time, but the younger could be done in 10. When students are happy with their plate, they will set in on the drying rack to dry and move to a different station. – After snack, students will coat their whole plate in a layer of gloss medium to make it waterproof,
and again set it aside to dry for the next day. – The prints will be made the following day. Students will put their names on the backs of their
paper, then use brayers and plexi plates to roll out their ink and spread in on their collagraph plate, then press their paper to the surface to make a print Clean-Up:
– Students will print in groups, and must rinse their brayer and mixing plate when they are done – Prints should be taken to the drying rack as they are made. – Everyone will help wipe down the tables at the end of class Closure:
– I'll ask campers again what type of printing process this was and why we had to use gesso and
gloss medium. – I'll ask what other materials we could have used to make the collagraph plate, and why using
plants and recycled materials is better for us and the environment. Reflection:
– If not glued very well, the collagraph plates could fall apart before students are happy with their
prints. – Hot glue is best for fresh plants and also the most dangerous
Plans for Differentiating Instruction:
– students will be different ages, and work at very different rates. Younger students may finish their
plates super fast and will need encouragement to take it further. Younger students also tend to use way too much ink, and will need to be monitored to make sure they don't get too crazy with it. Students who are more hyperactive and less focused may have trouble getting the plate in printing condition (well glued plants, fully gessoed, etc) and will need to have their work checked before printing.