Printmaking: Drypoint

Materials:

Plastic container or laminated cardboard*
Paper
Chalk or powdered makeup

*try drink cartons, milk jugs, produce containers

Tools:
Towel or old shirt
Scissors
Spoon
Bowl of water
Pushpin*

*Or screw, needle, nail

Cut out 2 squares of equal size from a smooth part of your carton. One square will be the printing plate. The second square will be the blanket.

Sketch a design onto one square. Use a pushpin to etch the design. This is your printing plate.

Rub chalk onto your etched design. The powder should fill the lines. Use your fingers to spread the chalk and wipe away any excess around the lines.

Put the printing plate face up on the towel.

Cut a piece of paper the same size as the printing plate. Dip your paper into a bowl of water. Let it soak for a few seconds. Remove the paper and shake off the excess water. The paper should be damp, but not dripping and soggy. This may take some trial and error.

Place the paper over the printing plate. Take the blanket square and place it over the paper.

Take the spoon and rub it back and forth across the blanket. Apply pressure while rubbing.

Peel off the blanket and paper to reveal the print! Rinse off and reuse the printing plate. Tip: To reduce wrinkling, lay the print between a towel and stack books or other heavy objects on top until it is dry.

Embellish your print!

Draw or color on your print. Print on patterned paper. Try different printing plate shapes.