7th and 8th Grade Art

We have had 2 solid weeks of printmaking and paper making in art. Several students requested making paper and I had the pulp already set up for the younger students. We had a few students experiment with printing on the handmade paper, but most were just excited to make a sheet of paper.  Students learned the block printing process. Block printing is one of the oldest types of printmaking and has been around for thousands of years.  There is evidence that it existed as early as the fifth century BC, with actual fragments found from as early as the fifteenth century.  It has been done around the world, with roots in India, China and Japan.  We used a rubber block to carve because the material is much softer to manipulate than linoleum. Students sketched several ideas before beginning the carving process and had a chance to practice on carving on blocks. Once the image was carved, they experimented with blends of ink colors, printing on colored paper or printing on found paper like sheet music or maps. I always love the experimental nature of the middle school students in art as they often come up with ideas I had not considered. I will try my best to get the prints displayed before conferences so you can all enjoy the creativity.