Doodlebug Dabblings: Printmaking with watercolors

Like many art instructors, I am sometimes faced with "challenging" budgets when working out in the community so it becomes necessary to find different ways to use the same materials to provide children with a variety of art experiences.

Discovering a way to do a printmaking project with watercolors has to be one of my favorite "ah ha" moments. Yes, there was a lot of prep time up front the first time I did the project but it has been well worth it as the materials I made have been used in so many different ways over and over again since I did this the first time two years ago.

First, you have to create some plexiglass plates.

I bought the cheapest sheet I could find at the local hardware store. Seriously, the hardware store is my nirvana for art supplies. I think I am there more often than the art store.

Anyhow.... I then divided the plexiglass into eight squares and my wonderful and fabulous husband who only sometimes annoys me, like now when I asked him what type of saw he used to cut them and he tells me it is a "trade secret", cut them with a SKILL saw.

So much for his trade secrets.

Then I sanded all the edges until smooth with nothing sharp the kids could cut themselves on and one side of the glass so it was "rough".

THAT my friends is the prep work and before you say, "Gurlll, you are crazy! I am not putting that much time into getting a project ready." and move on to another blog, hear me now. As God as my witness, you will use these plexiglass sheets in so many different ways you will be singing my praises for the next decade. Believe me, it's the best investment of time and twenty bucks EVER. I promise.

So now that you are still with me and are singing, "I'm ALL IN" and have created your plexiglass plates, here's what you do to create some great monoprints.

Before the kids arrive to class, wipe on Dawn dish soap on the rough side of the glass and let it dry. Do NOT wash it off. I am not sure why Dawn dish soap is an art instructor's best friend, but it seems to be the dish soap of choice for many a project.

Anyway then there are two ways to proceed with the kids. You can either have them find a reference picture they can place their plate on top of- rough side up- or first have them draw their sketch on paper and then place it under the plexiglass.

Once the kids have done this, hand them the watercolors. I have used both pan and tubes and personally like the cheap tube watercolors for this project. I place a bit in the palettes and give them a jar of water and a paintbrush and tell them to go to town.

When finished, let it dry. It won't take long and you'll want to photograph them anyway because they are truly beautiful.

watercolor on plexiglass before printing, 9 year old

I use watercolor paper for printing and so spritz it with some water and then wipe off the "glossy" shine. The kids lay the paper on top of their plexiglass, painted side up, seriously I have to actually say this because there is always one child bless their heart who will march to their own drum, and then with the back of a spoon give the entire work a good rub.

Wow. Do some of the kids get into the rubbing and you'll have to watch that they don't actually adhere the paper to the plexiglass they have rubbed soooooo hard. Usually the same kid you had to remind to put the glass painting side up......

I do have them go over the edges of the glass so they get an imprint into the paper as if I was actually lucky enough to have a printing press to use for these also.

Then pull the print.

Kingfisher monoprint, 9 year old

Oh yes, it prints in reverse so tell the kids not to do any writing, especially the one in the corner enjoying the beat of their own drum.

And they will have had so much fun, you can spritz another piece of paper and let them do it all over again to pull a ghost print with any paint that remains on the glass. Once they have this print, I usually put out the chalk pastel and let them go over it for a whole different work of the same subject.

chalk pastel over ghost print, 9 year old

I have been so happy with this project and I hope I've convinced you to do the prep work up front to try it too. If you only ever use your glass for this project, it is successful enough that you will use those plates over and over again for years to come making the time and money a great investment.

Here are a few more examples for you to enjoy that have been created over the last couple of years.