Leaf Prints

 

Print Making Project with Pre K

Leaf Prints

 

 

This project was fun! A lot of work and very messy! In this lesson I was able to teach the students about printmaking and showing positive and negative space. Also we went over the Fall season and how leaves fall.

 

 

Materials:

 

1. Different types of leaves
2. Cookie Trays
3. Gelatin Clear (found at supermarkets)
4. Black Tempra paint
5. Brayer
6. White Paper (prefer thick paper)
   

 

 

I started off asking about the season. I did this at the end of September so the leaves are starting to fall, which is good for you when you have to collect it for this project. We talked the different trees and the different types of leaves. I have this great poster that show the types of leaves and also shows pictures of how you can transform the different leaves into a figure. Kids loved that!

 

 

After the seasons talk I told them about the art of printmaking. How you print on paper and what things we use is printed on. With Pre K students you have to be careful not to bore them. Again they lose interest easy so I just find fun facts.

Night before!!: You have to prep for this project the night before. Now to create the surface you need to go out and buy clear Gelatin at the supermarket. I was able to get a big box which helped me make about 5 trays. Now this is the trickey thing about this project. I say that one tray is good for one day especially with Pre K students! The issue with the gelatin is holes! The kids like to test you and man do they! Turn around and find a brayer in the gelatin! So just think when you buy the gelatin that the tray wont last. I used my trays for three days, the first day the prints came out great! After that the prints were getting a little rough. So I say buy enough gelatin. Another idea you might think about is why not just use the surface of the metal tin on the cookie sheet. Tried and it does not come out as good. The paint doesn't come off and nice as the gelatin. Another important info is when you are done and you have a break from another class PUT BACK IN FRIDGE!!! It will get goowy and bad!

Back to the class part...Have the black tempera paint out and the brayer. Tell them or shall I say STRESS to them it is like jello and breaks easy! I know gelatin is tougher but they don't know that! lol So when they use the brayer be GENTLE! Tell them to cover the whole jello in black paint.

When it is cover tell them to pick out different shape leaves and decorate the black jello by placing the leaves overtop of the paint. When they have their design place the paper overtop of it. With Pre K I put the paper over it cause they don't know how to properly center so I placed the paper over it. I then allowed them to pull the paper off. Again STRESS to them to pull the one corner and SLOWLY peel it off. If they pull off fast the paper can rip off the gelatin. I really stress to you that the gelatin needs to be cold so it stay in tack. Once it gets warm it will start to peal the gelatin off when you use it. The face on them when it they see their print is priceless. They love it! I then had them dry and matted!