Animal Prints with Border

Fifth grade girls' recently completed this printmaking project. First, they drew a stylized animal design on paper which we transferred to a rubber-like material. They then used gouges to carve away at the spaces of their choosing, while trying to balance positive and negative space in the piece. When the carving was finished, students used various colored inks to print the animals. The last step was to create another 2" x 2" printing block in which the design coordinated with the animal in some way (either its habitat, something it likes to eat, etc.). These designs were again printed on two different colored papers, cut out and then assembled around the border of the animals. I love the results!