1. 1st Grade Art Project Northwood Elementary PTA Art Enrichment Program
Butterfly Prints
Presentation modified and prepared by Alice Finch 2012 – updated by Northwood PTA 3/17
1st Grade Art Project
Northwood Elementary PTA Art Enrichment Program

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3. Lesson Overview Grade: First Lesson: Printmaking
Medium: Scratch foam, acrylic paint
Time: 60 minutes
Volunteers: 3-4 plus the lead
Curriculum Tie: Butterflies
Project Overview/Skills 
Students will discuss printmaking and then create a butterfly print using scratch foam.
Art Resources
Andy Warhol - Marilyn Monroe
Vocabulary
Print - as a noun
Print - as a verb
Brayer

4. Butterfly Prints Materials Needed
Innova Art Foam (scratch board)– ½ sheet or about 5”x7” pieces (1/student) plus a few extras for "oops" (please don’t use foam core even if you find it in the supply room)
Wooden scratch tools to scratch the design
Acrylic paint - red, blue, green, purple, yellow, orange
Acrylic boards - for spreading paint on (or can use old cookie sheets)
Brayers (rubber rollers)
White Construction Paper - 8 1/2 x 11, 2 per student plus a few extras for "oops"
New pencils with new erasers
Paper plates per table
Paper towels - 1/2 sheet/student
Newspaper to cover work area where paint or ink will be
Baren (a.k.a. rubbing pad)
Photos of Butterflies
Scratch paper same size as one students print foam
Paper to cover the table for the station where you will have the students bring their design to roll on the ink – this area can get messy!
Post-Lesson
the Parent Letter for this lesson to your room parent (available on the PTA website under ”Art Docent Volunteer Resources”) and ask your room parent to forward it to the class. The letter gives the parents context for the lesson their student completed and this step helps ensure on-going support of the Northwood PTA Art Docent program!

5. Lesson Notes 1 This lesson is to explore the art of printmaking.
Ask the students to think of some examples of prints. Photos, rubber stamps designs, reproduction prints of artwork, thumbprint, newspaper, are just a few examples.
What is similar in all of these things? You can make more than one print of a given design!
Many artists use wood, rubber of linoleum and special sharp carving tools to create their designs. We are using scratch foam because it is easier and safer to work with for little hands.
Pass around a few sheets of scrap scratch foam and let the students feel it. Press it with your finger nail and show them how easy it is to make lines in it. They will be using a dull pencil or the wooden scratch sticks to make their design.

6. Lesson Notes 2 Demonstrate the process to the students:
Demonstrate the process to the students:
1. Create a design on the scratch foam using the scratch tool or pencil. Press hard.
2. Ink the brayer - show how to achieve a thin layer of paint by spreading it out.
3. Apply the ink to the foam.
4. Place the clean paper over the inked surface and rub with clean brayer.
5. Peel off the paper from the scratch board.
Have students notice that the lines that they drew remain white while the rest of the surface has been inked. Have them notice that the image is reversed. (Although butterflies are symmetrical, you may want to draw your example with some asymmetry to demonstrate this aspect of printmaking.)
NOTE: Specifically tell students NOT to write their names on the scratch foam. The letters will come out reversed and this is a tough concept for first graders to understand.

7.  Activity Tips
It is recommended to set-up at least two print stations each with a set of volunteers to really help with the printing.
After applying the ink, press the foam sheet down onto the paper and then use the brayer to roll on top of the back side of the foam (step #4).
 It’s tricky to get the right amount of paint so that it doesn’t seep into the areas you want without paint.
For the border detail (step #5) place 3 pencils to a bowl of each color of paint.  This way the pencils stay with their designated color and the colors don’t get mixed together.

8. What is a Print?
Examples of prints…

9. Printmaking

10. Today’s Project
You will create your own butterfly print using foam and ink.

11. What are the different parts of a butterfly?
Help students identify the different parts of a butterfly they will want to include in their design. Body, antennae, wings…

12. What do you notice about the butterfly’s appearance?
Some have spots, some have lines, design on the wings are symmetrical or a mirror image of each other.
What do you notice about the butterfly’s appearance?

14. Step 1 – Sketch your idea
Look at the pictures of butterflies and use scratch paper to map out what you will draw.
Try to avoid super small details as paint will get stuck in the grooves and not print as you want it to.
NOTE: Even though butterflies are usually multiple colors, you will be using only one color of ink on your print.

15. Step 2 – Scratch your design into foam
Use the wooden scratch tools or a dull pencil to scratch a large butterfly into the scratch foam – use all of the space on the scratch foam.
Scratch details into the butterfly’s wings and don’t forget the antennae
TIPS:
Do NOT write your name on the scratch foam. The letters will come out reversed
Scratch deeply, but do not poke through the foam.
Avoid super small details.

16. Step 3 – Prepare your print
When you are pleased with your design, move to the printing station and choose your paint color.
Pour some paint onto the acrylic board and roll the paint out with the brayer until just a thin layer of paint is on the brayer. ( NOTE: If the paint is too thick on the brayer, it will fill in the lines on the foam and you won't get a clean print. )
Roll the paint onto the scratch foam in a variety of directions making sure all areas of the scratch foam are covered evenly.

17. Step 4 – Create your print
Take a piece of construction paper and write your name on the back
Line the edge of the front of the paper carefully over the wet, painted foam.
Press the paper onto the foam evenly.
Use a clean brayer, barren, or a block of wood to press evenly over the paper being careful not to let it slide over the scratch foam.
Carefully peel the paper off the scratch foam and lay it on a separate table to dry.
Note: If paint gets into the lines on the foam (it almost certainly will), an adult can take a pencil and "scrape" it out prior to printing to ensure that the print comes out. Wooden skewers also work well.

18. Step 5 – Add the finishing touches!
When the print is nearly dry, add a design to the border.
Each table will have plates with a few drops of different colored paint.
Using the eraser of a new pencil and dip it into the paint and ”stamp" it in a creative design around the edges.
Wipe the eraser clean with a paper towel before dipping it into another color.
Let it dry.
If time and volunteer help allow, you wash your foam print make another butterfly print!