A WORLD WITHOUT – Making an Edition of Prints

Students research an endangered species and then create a collagraph printing plate that they use to make an edition of 3 prints that expresses their understandings about the issue.

Supplies:

Crayola Marker & Watercolour Paper - 22.9 cm x 30.5 cm (9" x 12")
Crayola Tempera Paint
Crayola Scissors
Crayola Washable Glue Sticks
Crayola Construction Paper - Variety Colours - 22.9 cm x 30.5 cm (9" x 12")
Pencils
Onion Skin Tracing Paper
Tag Manilla Paper - 22.9 cm x 30.5 cm (9" x 12") - 2 pieces per student
Brayers or Soft Paint Rollers
Wooden Spoons
Plastic Trays or Plastic Placemats
Recycled Newspapers
Recycled Magazines
Paper Towels

Steps:

Find pictures on the Internet of the endangered speciaes you have chosen.
Download one you like.
Resize it to fit on your 22.9 cm x 30.9 cm tag manilla paper.
Print the picture and cut it out.

Trace the outline of the animal onto a piece of tag manilla or other cardboard.
- Instead of tracing the outline you can also simply draw it.
Pay attention to the size of your shape.
- You need to balance the positive and negative space on your paper.
- The animal shape will fill the positive space.
- Whatever is left over will be the negative space.
Place the paper on top of another sheet of tag manilla.
Cut them both out together.
Draw details on one of the cutouts.

Place a piece of onionskin tracing paper on top of the cutout.
Trace the whole thing.

Place the tracing on top of the other cutout with the drawing side face down.
It should be the reverse of the original drawing.
Draw over the lines.
- You can draw a line directly on top of the traced lines or scribble over the lines to transfer the lead pencil to the tag manilla.
Remove the tracing paper. You should have two drawings that are a mirror image of each other.
The original shape is shape A.
The reverse is shape B.

Cut out details from shape A and glue them to shape B.
Glue a strip of tag manilla to the outside edge of your shape.
Keep adding details until you are satisfied.
Make sure everything is glued down well so pieces do not lift off once you start printing.
This will be your printing plate.

Use a soft roller to spread the paint onto a plastic surface.
Make sure you get an even coat of paint on the roller.
Place the printing plate on a page of an open magazine.
Roll the paint over the surface of the printing plate.
Make sure to apply an even coat of paint.

Carefully lift the inked plate off the magazine page.
Turn the page over to a new, clean page.
Carefully place the inked plate onto the new page.

Place a piece of paper on top of the inked plate.
Rub over the surface with your hand.
Use a wooden spoon to burnish the print.
Make sure you apply even pressure to the entire plate.
You need to transfer the paint from the plate to the paper.

Gently pull the paper away from the plate.
Repeat the process to make 3 prints that look the same to complete your edition of prints.
- An edition of prints means that every print in the set of prints made looks the same.

Make 3 more prints that look the same.
Use a pencil to number the prints in the order that you made them.
- First print - 1/3
- Second Print - 2/3
- Third print - 3/3
Sign them and give them a title.