Transcript Reduction Printmaking with Foam Plates

Reduction Printmaking
with Foam Plates
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE
Materials
Plate preparation:
paper (to plan drawing)
pencils and erasers
foam plates (cut to size)
masking tape
scissors
folders
Printing:
foam plate
printing paper
block print ink
utensils to dip ink
inking surface
brayers
cardboard/poster board
registration plates
brayers (for ink transfer)
1 – Prepare an image for transfer
2 – Transfer image to foam plate
Tape image to foam on one edge so
the paper can be lifted to see the
lines on foam beneath.
Trace your image onto the foam plate.
Lift the paper and retrace the lines
using a blunt soft pencil (an ebony
pencil that is dull and rounded
works great).
3 – Complete plate for first printing.
Areas can be “carved” out with pencils, lines can be widened,
textures and patterns can be added. Some areas can be
completely removed by tracing several times with a sharp pencil
and punching out or by cutting out with scissors or a utility knife.
Put Name on back of foam with a permanent marker.
Printing Set up
If possible group colors (warm/cool, light/dark, etc).
A rainbow print station can be set up separately. (This station needs to be
monitored more carefully for effective use.)
A sheet of card board or poster board under the inking plates is preferable
to newspaper. The paper can tear and stick as printing progresses.
The card board can be saved and reused indefinitely.
The Printing Process
Students should select their papers and put names on them before the printing begins. Usually
this is done the week before when the plate is being completed. The papers are then placed
in their folders with their foam plates. This makes hand out quick and easy on printing day.
Students take only their foam plate to the printing station. They dip
the brayer in the ink and only roll out a small portion of ink at a
time to prevent overloading the brayer. (Only the teacher can
replenish the ink from the jar at the inking station!)
After rolling the ink they return to their seat with their foam plate (they can
show it to the teacher before printing to check the amount of ink and
determine readiness).
They place their plate ink face down on their paper flip and roll on the back
with a clean brayer.
Students should roll on the back of their paper not on the back of the foam
plate. It is easier to make sure the plate has been printed well and any
finger prints , marks, etc. are on the back of the paper where they won’t
show later.
Registration Options
If registration is an issue the students can use a
registration block supplied at their table. Paper can
also be copied in advance with a registration line.
Usually however, visual registration for future printing
works very well.
4 – Print the first color.
The entire plate can be one color (this works best for most projects) or you can roll in
sections. For example, the sky above the horizon line can be a different color from the
water in a seascape.
Make sure to print all the
prints you want to end up with
at the end of the project.
Remember that because this
is a reduction process you
cannot go back and add
prints once the plate has been
changed!
5 – Reduce the plate
Go back into the plate and add lines and shapes,
patterns, textures, details, etc. The plate can also be
cut into pieces with a pair of scissors. Keep pieces
big, cutting into no more that four or five pieces if you
plan to print them separately.
6 – Print additional colors.
Examples of reduction print projects.
Fourth Grade Seascapes
Fourth Grade Cityscapes
Third Grade Aborigine Prints
Fifth Grade Self Portraits
Fifth Grade Insects
Variations
Marker can be added to the print margins, rainbow prints can be made,
colored pencil and pastels can be added over the inked areas. Paint
can be added over the prints, plates can be cut apart and glued to
cardboard with space between pieces, plates can be reversed and
printed in layers of different colors, prints can be cut apart and collaged
back together, additional papers can be cut and glued to the prints, the
possibilities are endless.