Amate Bark Paintings
By Crystal Boganwright
Orrum Middle School
6th grade
Student Samples:
North Carolina essential standards
6.V.1.1 Use appropriate vocabulary to describe art, including Elements of art and principles of design,
processes and styles.
6.V.1.2 Understand how the EOA can aid in the planning and creation of personal art
6.V.2.3 Understand that original imagery is a means of self-expression used to communicate ideas and
feelings.
6.V.3.3 Create art in different media using various techniques and processes
6.cx.1.1 understand the visual arts in relationship to the geography, history and culture of the world
civilizations and societies from the beginning of human society to the emergence of the first Global Age
(1450)
6.cx.1.3 Analyze the effect of geographic location and physical environment on the subject matter of art
with an emphasis on South American and European art.
6.cr.1.1 Generate responses to art using personal preferences, prior knowledge, and relationship to ones
self.
Goals:
1. The student will explore the history of Amate Bark Paintings, and analyze unique characteristics
and styles used by the artists of Latin America.
2. The student will demonstrate knowledge of Amate Bark Painting processes by simulating the color
and texture of the paper and produce a visual representation of an Amate Bark Painting using similar
colors, symbols and subject matter.
3. The student will support the choices made in the creation of his Amate Bar.
4. Students will apply skills previously learned (composition, line, shapes, space and color) and learn
how to apply texture as well.
Materials
Brown paper or a large paper bag
India Ink or paing
Shallow bowls for ink wash
Foam Brushes
Newspaper to soak up excess ink wash
White Chalk
Bright Fluorescent Tempera paint colors plus white
Paint Brushes
Black Markers
Procedure
Day 1
1. Introduce Amate Bark painting by showing an example (if possible) of an original Bark Painting
produced in Mexico. Explain the history and the process of making the paper and the stylized
painting traditionally done on the paper.
2. Use the audio visual program, "Gente del Sol" from Crizmac to reinforce the introduction and build
on their knowledge of Bark Painting. This program provides a video tape about the artform along
with printed material that could be used as a resource for the introduction.
3. Use the Internet to research a variety of sites on the web that show examples of paintings done by
local Mexican artists. Use the websites included in this lesson, and use search engines to search for
more sources. Ask students if they notice things all the paintings have in common such as the use of
a border, stylized designs, and the subject matter traditionally used. Point out the stylized animals
and plants, the use of colorful paint, the use of white to produce more contrast, and the black
outlines used in most traditional bark paintings.
Production:
4. To create a simulated bark paper, have students crumple up brown paper. You could use paper
bags, craft paper, or heavy brown paper produced by most paper mills. Dilute some India Ink with
water and have students paint the ink wash on the crumpled paper. The crumpling produces
creases, which traps the diluted India Ink, thus producing a texture similar to actual bark paper.
Students should lay the paper out on some newspaper, as flat as possible to paint the ink wash on,
using foam paint brushes. Allow to dry thoroughly before moving to the next step.
Day 2
5. Draw the design out in chalk before painting. Mistakes wipe away easily. Use stylized designs and
decorative borders similar to that of the original bark paintings, or allow students to create original
subject matter depicting some event in their lives.
6. Tempera paint is best because of the flat finish it produces on the paper; however, almost any
colorful media such as acrylic or oil pastel would work fine. Use the brightest colors available but
definitely use white. You may also use white to brighten up spaces before applying the color, for
example pink shows up better on the paper if there is a coat of white behind it.
Day 3-4
7. When the painting is completely dry use black markers to outline the shapes in the design.
8. Upon completion of the projects, display them together where students can gather around for a
class critique discussion. Give each student a rubric to do a self evaluation and prepare for the
critique session.
9. To conduct a class critique discussion, begin by reviewing the characteristics of an authentic bark
painting. Then ask each individual student to tell about his/her work, giving a description, analysis,
interpretation and judgment. Or, using the rubric ask individual students to justify the rating they
gave themselves in the self evaluation.
At the end of the critique take up the rubrics/self evaluations to give a teacher evaluation and return
them to the student for them to reflect on.
Discussion questions
What kinds of colors do Amate Bark Painting artists use traditionally?
How would you describe the style used traditionally by Amate Bark Painters?
What subject matter is traditionally seen in Latin American Bark Paintings?
Resources
Background Information:
Students should know basic drawing and painting procedures, as well as the basic computer
operations of research using the Internet.
This lesson provides a source of enrichment to the study of Latin American Culture and Art.
Bark paper or papel amate, is produced by hand in the state of Puebla by Otomi Indians using bark
from the mulberry or fig trees. The mulberry tree creates off-white paper, while the fig tree creates
much darker paper. The bark is washed, boiled and laid.
Links used




Mexican Bark Painting- A lesson from a California art teacher
Mexican Bark Painting Lesson- From Van Aken
Amate Bark Paintings- A gallery of work by Oakland Terrace Elementary
Beautiful bark painting by Bigger Bids
Follow-up activities
Rubric:
Have students fill out the rubric themselves as a self-evaluation. Also allow students to use it as a
reference during the class critique discussion to help them prepare to tell about their work.
Class Critique Discussion:
Display completed Bark Paintings together and gather students around to discuss the merit of the
projects.
Begin by asking students if they feel they were successful in creating Bark Paintings that reflect the
Latin American Culture. Responses will vary, ask students
Vocabulary
Elements: color, line, shape, space, texture
Principles: contrast
Other: culture, pattern, style, symbol, Folk Art, papel amate, stylized