Block Reduction Prints for Dia De Los Muertos

It has been two years since I last had the opportunity to do a Day of the Dead project. I went back to an old favorite, block reduction printing with my middle school classes. If you'd like to see a more in-depth step-by-step process, visit my old blog: http://schutzart.blogspot.com/2011/10/block-reduction-printmaking-with-grade.html.

Block Reduction Printmaking HS Art

What is your inner/spirit animal I asked my students? To find out we visited the World Wild Life website and took their quiz. Respect is part of our school's mission statement and philosophy, as it should be with any school. Part of my interpretation of that is the need and respect for other living beings. Although humans are at the top of the food chain doesn't mean we should take other animals contribution to our ecosystem for granted. 

A friend of mine several years ago invited me to Chicano Park in Barrio Logan (San Diego) to watch her danza Azteca (Aztec Dance) performance. Afterwards she described her form and moves as an imitation of her spiritual animal. They say that owners look like their pets and vice versa. I wonder how much of that is true and how much we adapt the behaviors and movements of other living beings around us.

I do block reduction printing every year, it is one of my mainstays and the kids love it. My joy from it comes in making the student process the problem of adding/removing color. I hear the eternal cries of "I don't want all my prints to be yellow!" Below is a sample of the beginning, middle, and end product. 

Prior to starting the project I had the students draw the tools they will be using in their sketchbooks. I found this to be an effective exercise for students learning the vocab. 

A rubber block and a gouge  

I have students use color pencils on their drawing to figure out how many colors they will be using. I limit the colors to five and that is at times pushing it.  

From light to dark is the way I roll. So yellow it is.

My example

Printing her 3rd color

After three colors

Inking the plate

Action shot

Gouging

After three colors.

Almost done.

After 2 colors

Finished print

Finished print.

Almost done, one color to go.

Finished!

Getting there

Discovering your inner penguin.

His real last name is Sharky

Roar!

Very 80's color scheme.

Panda is a name of a cheese here and they have the best commercials.




Monochromatic print.

Block Reduction Printmaking with Grade 8

The first time I ever used a gouge was in third grade in Mrs. Hargrovers Art class. I quickly learned the dangers of the tool when the tip accidentally went into my finger and subsequently taken to the nurse by Mrs. H. Aside from the little mishap I became a fan of printmaking from that day forward. This is why I keep iodine, bandaids, and cotton handy during this project.


As Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is just around the corner I figured it is time to bust out the softkut blocks and gouges and share a little bit on what goes on in Mexico in addition to how other cultures remember the passings of their loved ones and ancestors. We looked at some José Guadalupe Posada and Artemio Rodriguez prints in addition to images and a chat about the celebrations.

Posada

Posada

Rodriguez

Rodriguez

Some students don't feel comfortable drawing skulls so they have an option of making a face.
Supplies: paper, gouge, softcut blocks, ink, brayer, sheet of glass, and pencil
Vocabulary: Reduction print, brayer, ink plate, gouge, block/plate, edition, pulling, inking, and baren 

Step one: design an image on paper with pencil. 

Step two: transfer image to a softku block. 

Step three: use gouge to remove the "white" areas. 

Step four: print background color with a light color.

Background color results.

Step five: use gouge to remove the background.

Step six: print dark color over background image.

Pulling a print.

Final outcomes:
well registered print (left)
off-registered print (center)
over-inked print (right)

Step seven: sign and number prints with pencil.

Here's Johnny....

Printing the first color

Using a brayer to roll-on the ink.

Final prints.

Sherif's

Farida's

Amna's

Vighnesh's

Tamara's

Aly's

Ahmed M.'s

Ahmed's