Friday, January 20, 2012

Batik Buildings High School

Yes, there was a crayon fire in the process and thankfully no injuries. Our inspiration was looking at architectural. The students were given a list of different types of buildings and had to research and make preparatory drawings in their sketchbooks. Below are the results.  

UPDATE OCT 2016: I've had a few request for lesson plans over the years. Here is how I came up with the project. I recalled when I was in Grade 5 or 6, I had a lesson similar where we painted with crayons taped to a wooden board and then we dipped it in dye and ironed the wax out of it. I always thought it was cool idea and wanted to explore it with my students especially sincere there was a huge box with old crayons that were sitting in a closet. 

Here are the steps. 
1. Choose a theme. 
2. Get your supplies together: stretcher bars, cloth, tacks, crayons, a tin to foil to cook the crayons on, a hot plate, muffin pan and/or foil old pint brushes, iron, newsprint. 
3. Stretch out cloth on the board, like you would canvas and have students use a pencil to draw the image.
4. Melt crayons and apply to cloth 
5. Take cloth off stretcher and make into a ball to crack the crayon way and submerge in dye for 24 hours. 
6. Take out and let air dry for 24 hours
7. Iron with news print on top and bottom absorb the wax (this also make a nice mono print or a background for another project). 
8. Done   

Stretcher bar, tacks, and cloth
Crayons, cakes of color, brushes, muffin pan
Iron
Newsprint with image that was ironed
Additional news print

Adding crayon