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Printmaking with a Twist (Grades 1–4)

Hope Creek Studios
Aug 6
1 min read

Colorful artwork of abstract buildings against vibrant orange, yellow, and blue backgrounds. The mood is lively and creative.

We kicked off this project with a sunset over water—a simple yet striking tissue paper collage. Warm colors filled the sky, cool tones flowed below, and a crisp horizon line divided the two. With the backdrop ready, students chose a building to feature: some designed lighthouses, others went for houses or castles. The choice was theirs.

For our printing plates, we used styrofoam trays and practiced carving lines without cutting all the way through—a valuable first step into printmaking. Once their building designs were carved, students cut out the shapes to prepare for printing.

Then came the twist—printing the reflection. After learning the basics of the brayer and roller, students inked their plate three times across the horizon line. The first press gave us the bold building on land. The second press, flipped into the water, became the reflection—lighter, softer, and a little more mysterious. That careful press-and-pull moment never fails to wow them.

✨ Why it works:This lesson blends collage, printmaking, and visual storytelling in a way that’s both accessible and exciting. Students explore color theory (warm vs. cool), line work, and symmetry/reflection without feeling bogged down by technicality. The styrofoam plates make printmaking approachable, and the reflection reveal? Always magical.