Cultural letters, Crosshatching, And Rembrandt
I have tried printing units before like Gelli Printing, and Foam Plate printing even as a Collaborative Project. But it wasn’t until I found a good water-based ink that I was ready to dive into etchings.
Printmaking connects students to one of the most important traditions in art history, especially the work of Rembrandt van Rijn, who helped elevate etching into a respected fine art form during the 1600s. Rembrandt scratched detailed images into metal plates, covered them with ink, and pressed them onto paper to create rich, expressive prints filled with line, texture, and emotion. THIS VIDEO is a nice introduction, and the Rijks Museum has a nice slideshow HERE.
Printmaking connects students to one of the most important traditions in art history, especially the work of Rembrandt van Rijn, who helped elevate etching into a respected fine art form during the 1600s. Rembrandt scratched detailed images into metal plates, covered them with ink, and pressed them onto paper to create rich, expressive prints filled with line, texture, and emotion. THIS VIDEO is a nice introduction, and the Rijks Museum has a nice slideshow HERE.
In this lesson, students explored a similar process by scratching into plastic plates and using water-based ink to create their own prints. While the materials are safer and more accessible for the classroom, the artistic thinking remains very close to historical printmaking methods.
Students had to plan compositions carefully, understand how lines hold ink, and think in reverse because printed images flip during the process. This technique also teaches patience, craftsmanship, and experimentation, since every scratch permanently changes the image.
Printmaking allows artists to create multiple originals while exploring texture, contrast, and expressive mark-making in unique ways. By trying etching-inspired printing, students experience a process that connects contemporary classroom artmaking to centuries of artistic innovation and communication.
In this particular lesson, I had students create monograms of their name and then incorporate symbols of their cultures and interests. They were allowed to use AI and generate ideas, but they got more points for hand-drawn images. (Normally, we would all do hand-drawn work, but this was a last project of the year, and I was limited to 6 days.) 2 to draw, 2 to etch, 2 to print.
If you have read my blog, you know that I set Multiple Goals for my students to keep them challenged and on task.
To meet expectations they had to:
1. Create a line image and reverse it (We used Google Docs)
2. Etch an image of their initial and incorporate cultural and interest symbols
3. Create 6 prints total, 1 of which should be clean and of high craftsmanship
To exceed expectations:
1. High level of detail
2. Incorporate crosshatching/stippling
3. Hand color 1 or more prints
In this video, I explain the process we used. Though we have focused on monograms, this could easily be done with any subject, portraits, landscapes, still lives, or even abstract works. Had I more time, this lesson would be an introduction to a longer independent etching assignment where students choose their subject using their own resources and without the aid of AI.
Students had to plan compositions carefully, understand how lines hold ink, and think in reverse because printed images flip during the process. This technique also teaches patience, craftsmanship, and experimentation, since every scratch permanently changes the image.
Printmaking allows artists to create multiple originals while exploring texture, contrast, and expressive mark-making in unique ways. By trying etching-inspired printing, students experience a process that connects contemporary classroom artmaking to centuries of artistic innovation and communication.
In this particular lesson, I had students create monograms of their name and then incorporate symbols of their cultures and interests. They were allowed to use AI and generate ideas, but they got more points for hand-drawn images. (Normally, we would all do hand-drawn work, but this was a last project of the year, and I was limited to 6 days.) 2 to draw, 2 to etch, 2 to print.
If you have read my blog, you know that I set Multiple Goals for my students to keep them challenged and on task.
To meet expectations they had to:
1. Create a line image and reverse it (We used Google Docs)
2. Etch an image of their initial and incorporate cultural and interest symbols
3. Create 6 prints total, 1 of which should be clean and of high craftsmanship
To exceed expectations:
1. High level of detail
2. Incorporate crosshatching/stippling
3. Hand color 1 or more prints
In this video, I explain the process we used. Though we have focused on monograms, this could easily be done with any subject, portraits, landscapes, still lives, or even abstract works. Had I more time, this lesson would be an introduction to a longer independent etching assignment where students choose their subject using their own resources and without the aid of AI.
Adding images to Google Docs or Word programs is helpful though in mirroring the image so to make etching in reverse more easy, but you can also use a light table and flip the image and trace from there. Another method is to slightly oil the paper to make it translucent.
We used a sharp pin tool to scratch our plastic plates. The same used for ceramics. A sharp nail, needle, exacto, or anything that will scratch the surface you are working with will suffice. Fine sandpaper (400 grit) was great to keep the point sharp on our "pokey tools."
Here are some images of our process and the results.
We used a sharp pin tool to scratch our plastic plates. The same used for ceramics. A sharp nail, needle, exacto, or anything that will scratch the surface you are working with will suffice. Fine sandpaper (400 grit) was great to keep the point sharp on our "pokey tools."
Here are some images of our process and the results.
If you would like to investigate other lessons by ArtEdGuru, use the search option on the blog’s home page, or try out my app at https://app.artedguru.com. It is connected to hundreds of choice-based lessons and dozens of my books and blog posts to generate authentic lessons for your students.
Etching (Printmaking) Material Links:
Though we used acrylic sheets, opened soda cans, opened milk cartons, and many items that are smooth but can be scratched, can work as a printing plate.
- Printing Press on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4dyzwRa
- Cheaper Option: https://amzn.to/4eULUxc
- Water-based ink (soy)16 oz. https://amzn.to/4uCP1yR
- Scratch Tool (Awl) https://amzn.to/3Rdf2G5
- Chip Board for pressing ink: https://amzn.to/3Rdf2G5
- Newsprint 500 sheets: https://amzn.to/4eUcdn9
- Affordable printing paper: https://amzn.to/4digIXl
- Acrylic Sheets (many sizes): https://amzn.to/4nMeS4p
Though we used acrylic sheets, opened soda cans, opened milk cartons, and many items that are smooth but can be scratched, can work as a printing plate.
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