2nd Grade Ancient Egypt Printmaking in Art Class

        As the second graders embark on their study of Ancient Egypt in their classroom, they are becoming more familiar with imagery associated with the time period. In art class, they were introduced to the concept of a motif, or a decorative image, and quickly identified some motifs from Ancient Egyptian artwork and artifacts. The students began their first Ancient Egypt art project by drawing an Egyptian motif of their choice on paper. They then transferred their images to a thin styrofoam printmaking plate. 

 


        In the subsequent art class, they learned how to use a brayer to roll out printmaking ink and apply it evenly to the surface of their plates, then place paper on top and apply pressure using a baren, creating a print of their image. They then set to work, selecting different colors of paper and creating an edition of at least four prints.

 

         In order to prepare their work for exhibition at Egypt Night, they created decorative metallic painted frames and their prints were mounted to their frames. The second graders were thrilled to learn about the artistic practice of printmaking and enjoyed the magical moment when they peeled their paper off to reveal their design. As students had multiple opportunities to practice the technique, they noticed that being careful to apply ink evenly and using the baren to apply pressure all over the surface, resulted in clearer prints. They can't wait to see their work displayed in the hallways!

A 2nd grader reflecting in her sketchbook about the process