Student monotypes

My Art Foundations class recently finished a printmaking unit.  Look under the "school" tab to see recent student work.  We created monoprints using a technique in which we made an alternating ink and paper "sandwich" of five layers on plexiglass.  We moistened three sheets of printing paper, and pulled a first print and then two ghost prints. The project is very spontaneous, exploratory, and experimental from the student perspective, and is designed for them to experience colors mixing and blending through the process itself, without needing prior knowledge of color theory when manipulating the medium.  This lesson precedes a painting unit where color theory is a focus, and they paint in a representational way.  By ordering the units in this way, I found that they are really excited and stimulated from the printmaking, and will diligently engage in a more demanding set of lessons for the Family Metaphor Painting that is the culminating activity for the color theory unit.  My next post will share samples of their wonderful paintings!