Hawthorn Community Primary School
Hawthorn Community Primary School, Kettering, Northants.
Hawthorn Community Primary School
As a leaving present to the school, head-teacher Richard Hall commissioned illustrator Liz Anelli to create a whole school cut-away picture for their assembly hall.
During her day on site, taking photographs and making preliminary reference drawings, she also gave a 2 hour print-making workshop to year 4 pupils
After a brief talk and demonstration
- The class split into four equal groups of seven children
- In the print room (in this instance the schools’ community room that had plenty of floor space to rearrange furniture) the children:
- Used their imaginations to represent events and activities at their school, by drawing into ink rolled onto small plastic sheets with various shaped tools.
- They also tried cutting and tearing out thin newsprint paper to use as stencils that could block out the ink. They found that the media leant itself well to more abstract imagery, reassuring for those not so confident with drawing skills.
- These plastic sheets – or plates – were then assembled on the printing bed (a large protected table top with the printing area marked out in masking tape) and the calico carefully stretched over the top.
- As there was no press available, wooden spoons rubbed over the back of the material ensured a good even print.
- Meanwhile the other groups made pencil sketches of their classroom contents or favourite scenes around the school. They tried to use continuous line as a way of making the drawing process more considered and shading to look at blocks of shapes.
- Each of the groups rotated between making their own drawings and being involved with Liz in the print room, adding their ideas and pictures to the collaborative piece.
- Gaps were filled by relief printing. The children inked up wooden type and shape blocks and printed these on to the calico that was now facing up and taped to the ‘table press’. This textual aspect helped to give the more abstract images a context.
MATERIALS: calico, water-based block printing ink, small plastic/perspex sheets, drawing tools such as sticks, combs, scrapers, ink rollers & trays, stamper & block letters, newsprint, drawing paper, pencils, masking tape, aprons, disposable gloves. THIS is quite a messy project but everything cleans with warm soapy water.