Lesson #3: Finishing the Collographic Plate

Part of the unit: Making Collographic Prints of the Community |
Download PDF of Lesson
Download PDF of Lesson

Goals

Aim: 
Why is it important to add details to a collographic plate?
Students will be able to:
complete their collograph plates by building up detail
use scissors and glue to cut out shapes and glue them to a background
Students will understand that:
Adding details to a collographic plate creates visual interest.
Materials
oaktag (several colors), 2 sheets of 9x12, glue, scissors, hole-punchers
Resources
Sketches and photos of neigbhorhood buildings

Motivation & Demonstration

[Back to top]
Motivation: 
Revisit with students the sketches and photos taken of the buildings. Discuss details:
  • What details do you see? [arches, ledges, windows, bars, columns, clocks etc.]
  • For what reason are they there? [functional vs decorative]
After you have finished your building details, you can add imagery outside of the building.
  • What type of things might you see in front of, above, behind, or next to buildings? (trees, the sun, cars, bicycles, etc.) Only work on this after the building details have been done.
Show the students the a rubbing of a plate. Discuss the imagery:
  • How was it made? [introduce the word rubbing]
  • What does rubbing mean?
  • What art materials can you use to make rubbings?
  • What part or side of the material do you use to rub?
  • How is this different than drawing?
We will be using the technique of rubbing to make our print.
Demonstration: 
Using a collograph plate made outside of class, the teacher should demonstrate how to build up details. Discuss large and small shapes and how how layering can add to texture and depth.
  • What shapes do you see?
  • Are they all the same size? Why are they different?
  • What kinds of details can we add, and where?
Demonstrate how to make a rubbing of a collographic plate. Direct students to run their fingers along their collographic plates to feel the edges. Take a piece of 9x12 tracing paper (taped at opposite corners) and do a simple rubbing with graphite. Explain what happens when the pressure is added or released.
  • What do you see?
  • What creates the darker lines in the rubbing? (the edges of the forms)
  • Are there areas that need more work? Where are they, and what could I add?   Discuss revisiting the plate to add more detail.
Add one more detail and do another quick rubbing.
  • How is this rubbing different from the previous one?
Worktime
[Back to top]
Students will continue to work on their collograph plates, adding details. The layering will add complexity to the imagery.
Reflection & Assessment
[Back to top]
Display student work on the wall (where it will stay to dry).
  • Which plate shows a lot of detail?
  • What specific details did the student create?
  • What was the hardest thing you had to do to create this plate?
  • How did you solve that problem?
  • What do you think we're going to do the next time we meet?