Under the Sea Collagraph Print

A collagraph is made when you draw an idea, cut the components out of a material such as craft or styrofoam and then glue it onto a plate, applying ink and making copies.  You can use other objects to glue to the plate such as string etc. for a similar take on the process.  We made ours with an Under the Sea theme based on the book, “How to Survive as a Shark” from The Innovation Press  which is both informative and humorous! 

Here is where you can purchase the book:

Canadians

•  Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/How-Survive-Shark-Kristen-Foote/dp/1943147337/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516155476&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+survive+as+a+shark

• Chapters/Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/how-to-survive-as-a/9781943147335-item.html?ikwid=how+to+survive+as+a+shark&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0

Americans:

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Shark-Kristen-Foote/dp/1943147337

*Disclaimer:  We received a copy of the book for review as we love so many books from The Innovation Press.  This is not a sponsored post and nor do we use affiliate links.*

Materials

• Styrofoam sheets (your could use the bottom of a clean tray or a sheet of craft foam)
• Scissors
• Pencil/eraser
• Printing ink (We use Speedball- a little goes a long way)
• Brayer
• Tile (you can get a single one inexpensively at the hardware store)
• Paper (we used watercolour paper)
• Glue

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

• Read a book or dive into your imagination for a picture for your collagraph.  When I taught a specific technique, I would show the kids it and then let them decide on the theme for it or we would have a very general theme so that each of the pieces turned out unique!  Think about what you might see in your sea scene and the placement of your creatures and vegetation.  We used the featured book for inspiration for our sketches.

• Design your scene on paper.

• Tape your paper onto your styro/craft foam and trace over your lines.

•  Cut your shapes carefully out of the foam and glue them to your cardboard to make your plate.  We used a glue gun for quick drying, but you could use craft glue.   Use a pencil or pen to create some interest on your shapes, by creating lines.

• Once your plate is ready,  put a blob of printing ink on a large tile and run your brayer through it, assuring that you get an even coverage on your brayer.  The ink should get a sticky consistency.

• Apply your ink to your printing plate.

• Put your paper over top and rub it to each edge and corner to assure contact.

• If you find that you are getting ink in areas that you don’t want it- temporarily tape some blank styrofoam there (as shown) for a clean print.

• Carefully remove your paper and mount it for display.  Our son decided to colour in his patterns and add them to his print.

Purpose

• Using various methods for printing.
• Taking non-fiction information and translating that into a creative project.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray or table cloth to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors and a glue with care and direct, adult supervision.