- Instead of scratching a design on to the plastic and then making a print, paint a layer of paint over the plastic and then immediately place the paper over the top of the plastic. Pupils can then draw over the paper using a pencil. When the paper is pulled back (carefully from one corner only) the drawing will be revealed as a print on the paper! This is a bit like using carbon paper.
- The plastic sheet - once the design has been 'scratched' on - can be picked up and printed on to fabric by carefully laying it down and gently rolling a clean roller over the back. Carefully peel back the plastic to reveal the design.
- Allow the prints to dry and build up in several layers changing colours and designs each time.
Year 6 pupils create a canvas backdrop using mono printing.
Work quickly! Do not let the paint dry as it will not print!
Year 2 pupils making Styrofoam leaves and bark textures as part of the A Sense of Place Teaching Pack.
Styrofoam sheets can be purchased from school suppliers. They usually come in sheets that are approximately A4 size but they can be cut using large scissors or a craft knife into smaller pieces. Post card size or a bit smaller is fine for starting out. A Styrofoam print is made by drawing a shape or design on to the foam and then printing the foam design on to paper.
Prepare the classroom for printing as before. Acrylic paint or printing inks are best for printing, although effects can also be achieved by using poster paint. The only problem with poster paint is that it dries very quickly! A little PVA glue stirred into the paint will make it tackier and more suitable for making prints. Ensure that children are clear about the image that they are going to make a print of, for example, if they are printing pictures of leaves, make sure that they have made some observational drawings of leaves beforehand, so that they are not making the image for the first time.
