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Block Printmaking

School:: Spruce Creek High School
Subject:: Art
Teacher:: Jeffrey Eason
Students Impacted:: 60
Grade:: 9-12
Date:: August 31, 2023

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Anonymous Family Foundation - $980.37

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 30

I am so thankful for the opportunity that your organization has provided for the students in my 2D Studio Art class. As you may know, printmaking can be an expensive unit and having the proper materials adds up. With your funds, I have been able to establish a foundation for future printmaking units for many years to come and I am hopeful that I will be able to continue to develop the printmaking experience for future students.

My current class of 30 students were excited when they learned that I had received a grant for printmaking. Actually, they felt pretty special that they would be the beneficiaries of the grant. I learned that many of my students in the year long course had never printed and most students, had little to no knowledge of the printmaking experience, vocabulary or techniques. To start the unit, students had to create a series of thumbnail sketches and then choose one idea to refine. Students then learned to transfer their image onto a piece of soft-kut rubber, (the printing plate). During this transfer process, student had to grasp the idea that whatever they transfer onto the plate will create a print that is the mirror image of their actual print, (important to know if they want text in the final print for example). Students were then taught proper carving techniques and safety procedures and I am proud to say that not a single student accidentally cut themselves during the carving process. Upon completing the carving, students printed an artist proof and an edition of 4 prints. Students were required to properly number, sign and title their work.

As an extension to the edition, students experimented printing different colored inks on different colored paper and then collaged parts of their prints together.

As another extension, students created prints using marker to color the plate and print monoprints.

Summary:

When I first wrote the grant, I had no idea what I was getting into, but I am a big proponent of the printmaking experience in any art program. Printmaking is a magical experience and one where a majority of the students will experience success. One student stated that she found carving to be so relaxing and that she wished that she could stay in the art room all day and print. Another student created an additional project where she used printmaking to illustrate her experience as an exchange student from Italy.

I would love to continue to build the printmaking unit here at Spruce Creek High and may be writing another grant for next year, 24-25. I would have liked to have had enough budget to include a wider range of ink colors and papers but did not have the funds this year.

Thank you again for this extraordinary opportunity and I will be forever thankful for how your support help me in my first year of teaching in Volusia County.

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printing in the studio

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using our new brayers and inking plates

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all inked up and ready to pring

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assembly line of printing

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carving out the image

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artist proof print success!

Original Grant Overview

Goal

My goal is to incorporate block printing into the current studio art experience for all students enrolled in my art classes

What will be done with my students

VA.912.C.1.1
Integrate curiosity, range of interests, attentiveness, complexity, and artistic intention in the art-making process.
VA.912.C.1.2
Use critical-thinking skills for various contexts to develop, refine, and reflect on an artistic theme.
VA.912.C.1.3
Evaluate the technical skill, aesthetic appeal, and/or social implication of artistic exemplars to formulate criteria for assessing personal work.
VA.912.C.1.4
Apply art knowledge and contextual information to analyze how content and ideas are used in works of art.
VA.912.C.1.5
Analyze how visual information is developed in specific media to create a recorded visual image.
VA.912.C.1.6
Identify rationale for aesthetic choices in recording visual media.
VA.912.C.1.8
Explain the development of meaning and procedural choices throughout the creative process to defend artistic intention.
VA912.C.2.1
Examine and revise artwork throughout the art-making process to refine work and achieve artistic objective.
VA912.C.2.2
Assess the works of others, using established or derived criteria, to support conclusions and judgments about artistic progress.
VA.912.C.2.3
Process and apply constructive criticism as formative assessment for continued growth in art-making skills.
VA.912.C.2.4
Classify artworks, using accurate art vocabulary and knowledge of art history to identify and categorize movements, styles, techniques, and materials.
VA.912.C.2.7
Assess the challenges and outcomes associated with the media used in a variety of one’s own works.
VA.912.C.2.8
Compare artwork, architecture, designs, and/or models to understand how technical and utilitarian components impact aesthetic qualities.
VA.912.C.3.1
Use descriptive terms and varied approaches in art analysis to explain the meaning or purpose of an artwork.
VA.912.C.3.2
Develop and apply criteria to determine how aesthetic works are aligned with a personal definition of "art."
VA.912.C.3.6
Discuss how the aesthetics of artwork and utilitarian objects have changed over time.
VA.912.S.1.1
Use innovative means and perceptual understanding to communicate through varied content, media, and art techniques.
VA.912.S.1.2
Investigate the use of technology and other resources to inspire art-making decisions.
VA.912.S.1.4
Demonstrate effective and accurate use of art vocabulary throughout the art-making process.
VA.912.S.1.5
Compare the aesthetic impact of images created with different media to evaluate advantages or disadvantages within the art process.
VA.912.S.2.1
Demonstrate organizational skills to influence the sequential process when creating artwork.
VA.912.S.2.2
Focus on visual information and processes to complete the artistic concept.
VA.912.S.2.3
Demonstrate visual-thinking skills to process the challenges and execution of a creative endeavor.
VA.912.S.2.5
Demonstrate use of perceptual, observational, and compositional skills to produce representational, figurative, or abstract imagery.
VA.912.S.2.6
Incorporate skills, concepts, and media to create images from ideation to resolution.
VA.912.S.3.1
Manipulate materials, techniques, and processes through practice and perseverance to create a desired result in two- and/or three-dimensional artworks.
VA.912.S.3.2
Demonstrate a balance between spontaneity and purpose to produce complex works of art with conviction and disciplined craftsmanship.
VA.912.S.3.3
Review, discuss, and demonstrate the proper applications and safety procedures for hazardous chemicals and equipment during the art-making process.
VA.912.S.3.4
Demonstrate personal responsibility, ethics, and integrity, including respect for intellectual property, when accessing information and creating works of art.
VA.912.S.3.5
Create multiple works that demonstrate thorough exploration of subject matter and themes.
VA.912.S.3.7
Use and maintain tools and equipment to facilitate the creative process.
VA.912.S.3.8
Develop color-mixing skills and techniques through application of the principles of heat properties and color and light theory.
VA.912.S.3.10
Develop skill in sketching and mark-making to plan, execute, and construct two-dimensional images or three-dimensional models.
VA.912.S.3.11
Store and maintain equipment, materials, and artworks properly in the art studio to prevent damage and/or cross-contamination.
VA.912.S.3.12
Develop competence and dexterity, through practice, in the use of processes, tools, and techniques for various media.
VA.912.O.1.2
Use and defend the choice of creative and technical skills to produce artworks.
VA.912.O.1.3
Research and use the techniques and processes of various artists to create personal works.
VA.912.O.2.1
Construct new meaning through shared language, ideation, expressive content, and unity in the creative process.
VA.912.O.2.2
Solve aesthetic problems, through convergent and divergent thinking, to gain new perspectives.
VA.912.O.2.4
Concentrate on a particular style, theme, concept, or personal opinion to develop artwork for a portfolio, display, or exhibition.
VA.912.O.3.1
Create works of art that include symbolism, personal experiences, or philosophical view to communicate with an audience.
VA.912.H.1.1
Analyze the impact of social, ecological, economic, religious, and/or political issues on the function or meaning of the artwork.
VA.912.H.1.4
Apply background knowledge and personal interpretation to discuss cross-cultural connections among various artworks and the individuals, groups, cultures, events, and/or traditions they reflect.
VA.912.H.1.8
Analyze and compare works in context, considering economic, social, cultural, and political issues, to define the significance and purpose of art.
VA.912.H.1.9
Describe the significance of major artists, architects, or masterworks to understand their historical influences.
VA.912.H.1.10
Describe and analyze the characteristics of a culture and its people to create personal art reflecting daily life and/or the specified environment.
VA.912.H.2.5
Analyze artwork from a variety of cultures and times to compare the function, significance, and connection to other cultures or times.
VA.912.H.3.2
Apply the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills used in art to develop creative solutions for real-life issues.
VA.912.F.1.1
Use divergent thinking, abstract reasoning, and various processes to demonstrate imaginative or innovative solutions for art problems.
VA.912.F.1.2
Manipulate or synthesize established techniques as a foundation for individual style initiatives in two-, three-, and/or four-dimensional applications.
VA.912.F.1.3
Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability throughout the innovation process to focus and re-focus on an idea, deliberately delaying closure to promote creative risk-taking.
VA.912.F.2.6
Research and discuss the potential of the visual arts to improve aesthetic living.
VA.912.F.3.2
Examine the rationale for using procedural, analytical, and divergent thinking to achieve visual literacy.
VA.912.F.3.3
Discuss how the arts help students develop self-reliance and promote collaboration to strengthen leadership capabilities as priorities change.
VA.912.F.3.4
Follow directions and use effective time-management skills to complete the art-making process and show development of 21st-century skills.
VA.912.F.3.10
Apply rules of convention to create purposeful design.

Benefits to my students

One of the great benefits of printmaking (save for monotype) is that multiple impressions of the same design can be printed from a single matrix.
Linocut is now a very popular method of printing. The biggest benefit of Linocut printing is that, since, the linoleum sheet is soft as compared to wood. So, it is easier to do the carving on it.
As in other art forms, printing is dependent on the use of the visual language and is especially effective in focusing children's attention on line, shape, pattern and texture. It allows children to try out different techniques and to immediately see cause and effect in action.

Budget Narrative

The items listed above are to start up the program. In order to maintain the program, there will be annual costs: printing ink and carving tips will need to be replenished and replaced as materials are depleted and dulled. I will be submitting an additional request for funding for block printing ink, (2 @ 5 oz. tubes of assorted inks = $223.84)

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	15 @Speedball Bench Hook and Inking Plate for Block Printing Carving	$224.85
2	15 @ Speedball Deluxe Soft Rubber Brayer, 4 inch	$269.85
3	30 @ Speedball Linoleum Cutter Kit Assortment	$419.70
4	3 @ 12 pack of 4"X6" Pink Rubber Carving Blocks	$65.97
	Total:	$980.37