Printmaking Sunflowers
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL – THIRD GRADE
HELEN WINDHORST
Visual Arts Standard 1
Media and Techniques
Understanding and Applying Media
Techniques and Processes
BENCHMARK:
5. The student uses control in handling art
materials and tools in a safe and responsible
manner.
6. The student shows responsibility in
organization and clean-up of materials.
MEDIA: printmaking
FOCUS:
The student will create multiple
prints of a sunflower using more than one
color.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will draw a sunflower in
portrait view.
2. Students will transfer that drawing to
a meat tray to make a print plate.
3. Students will ink and print the same
image in different colors on the
same piece of paper.
4. Students will organize their
materials and clean up in order to
keep their prints smug free.
ASSESSMENT:
Grading Rubric:
4 Consistently achieves above the standard:
You met the objectives and
understood the concept(s)
thoroughly and completely and
included significant and accurate
details. You used prior knowledge
to help you. You related your work
to class discussions. Technically
correct and used prior skills and
creative experimentation.
3 Consistently achieves the standard:
You met the objectives and
understood the concept(s) without
elaboration. Your work shows that
you understood what is important.
You related your work to class
discussion.
Neat, technically correct with little or
no experimentation.
2 Approaching standard:
You met the objective and
understood the concepts. There is
missing information. You did not
relate your work to your prior
knowledge or information shared in
class.
Average craftsmanship. Neatness
was not a priority.
1 Beginning:
Your work shows that you did not
meet the objectives nor understood
the concept(s) of this lesson. You
did not relate your work to your prior
knowledge or information shared in
class.
Some attempt at using your skill and
keeping your work neat.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES:
3 ½ X 3 ½ drawing paper, pencils
3 ½ X 3 ½ meat trays, 8 ½ X 8 ½ assorted
colored construction paper for background
6 stations for printing: 6 ink colors (be
careful to keep these in a family because
they will mix on the print plates unless you
wash them after every print) 6 brayers paper
6 inking surfaces, lots of newspaper, baby
wipes
silk sunflowers, cut sunflowers, van Gogh’s
and Monet’s sunflowers, calendar sunflower
pictures, the Kansas state symbols
examples of prints (children’s picture books
are a good source)
VOCABULARY:
still life, Kansas state symbols, sunflower,
radial, repeat, radial, pattern, background,
foreground, portrait view, sunflower, petals,
center, leaves, space, unique
ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES:
colors, radial symmetry, space, pattern
PROCEDURE:
1. Discuss Kansas symbols. View
examples of sunflowers. View prints.
2. Students draw a bird’s eye view of a
sunflower on the 3 ½ X 3 ½ using
the examples as models.
3. After teacher approval students
transfer their drawings unto the 3 ½
X 3 ½ meat tray. (This is usually
how far we get the first week)
4. Students choose the color of
background they want for their prints
and write their name on the back.
5. Teacher demonstrates the
printmaking process. Each teacher
does this process their own way….I
control the ink for all print
stations!
* I put ink on the printing surface
which is on a cut stack of
newspaper that can be changed as
need.
*Then show the students how to get
ink on the brayer smoothly.
* I then roll the ink onto the dented
meat tray surface which is placed on
another stack of cut newspaper that
can be changed as needed,
*I turn the print plate upside down
and place it in one corner of the
paper leaving some of the
background paper showing on the
two outside corners.
*I take my print plate and print to
another station with a different color
and repeat the process until I have
printed in all for corners.
*I chose 2 or 4 colors, but I print 4
times.
Starting with the lightest color is the
most successful.
6. Students make lines and take turns
at each print station.
7. Students raise their hands when
their ink is getting too dry and I put
new ink of the printing surface.
8. When students have completed
their prints, they put their prints in
the drying rack and their print plates
in a tub to be washed later by me.
9. When everyone is finished, print
surfaces and brayers are put in
another tub to be washed later.
10. Students throw away newspaper
and tidy their spaces as they go
back to their own space.
11. Each student is given 1 baby wipe
to wash their hands and then their
table.
12. Neatness and being organized is
stressed in this process because the
whole class is up and moving and
working. Chairs must stay pushed
in. Fair turns must be taken.
Respect and responsibility are the
key words for this process.
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS:
Choice is a very important part of creating
art. Framed choices give the security they
need to be individuals without the fear of
failure.
TEACHER NOTES AND REFLECTIONS: