Maker Projects for Kids Who Love printmaking JoAn MarIe GAlaT Crabtree Publishing Company www crabtreebooks com
Make an Impression From pictures to patterns art made by printmaking the process of transferring an image from one surface to another is all around Your T-shirt might feature a funky silk-screen design Framed prints may hang in your home or school Digital prints appear on cakes paper cups and billboards Present-day art looks new yet may be produced using methods that are thousands of years old WhaT Is PriNtMAkiNg Traditional printmaking forms include relief silk screen lithography and intaglio in-TAL-yoh Artists use these methods and newer techniques to create stunning original art Through these processes multiple prints of an image can be made Because each print is individually created by hand it is an original work rather than a reproduction or exact copy For example if you dip your thumb in ink then press it on paper it creates a print Repeating the process yields another print Although they look similar the two thumbprints are each unique works PriNtMAkeRs It is in the word itself printmakers are makers Printmakers may print on cloth clay paper or ceramics They develop new tools and fresh methods and take advantage of computer technology Digital art gives artists even more options but traditional printmaking is still popular Classic techniques practiced over hundreds of years provide makers with a place to begin learn and build their skills 4 Images are made up of both positive and negative areas The raised star on this potato stamp creates positive space when it is printed on paper while the cut away area leaves negative space
TimE To mAKe Why be a maker It is fun to dream up an idea and take on a challenge knowing anything might happen Sometimes things turn out as expected but not always Surprises are part of the process and a big part of the fun A makerspace is a great place to get started Often housed in schools or libraries these spaces provide makers with ideas materials and tools You might find a three-dimensional 3-D printer a printing press design software or other specialized equipment there A silk-screen print can appear 3-D It can be hard to tell whether a picture was made with a paintbrush or by pressing paint through a screen 5 Be a Maker A makerspace can be as small as a toolbox or as large as a workshop Make your own go-to makerspace a box of tools and materials that you can you use to make prints What will you add Paper Paintbrushes A brayer Be creative
