Art History: Jacob Lawrence

This week we studied one of my favorite artist Jacob Lawrence. The children listened, I am ever amazed, intently and asked many questions as I read Jacob Lawrence (Getting to Know Great Artists). It was a drier read than the other books we have read but it provided a wealth of information at their level.

Other books we looked at:
Harriet & the Promised Land
Story Painter
The Great Migration
Toussaint L' Ouverture
I See You, I See Myself: The Young Life of Jacob Lawrence

After we explored the life and work of Lawrence, we explored the method of linocut printmaking. I showed them the tools and examples of my printmaking days. We discussed how artists sign prints with a number set, title, and signature. Then I showed them how we could create similar prints without the sharp tools.

Foam Prints
Supplies
Plate (smooth foam grocery trays with rims trimmed off)
Stylist (ball point pin, dull pencil, )
Ink (tempera paint)
Brayer ( brayer, a foam brush might work)
Paper
pencil

Use your stylist to draw on the plate.
Then squirt some ink onto a flat surface (tray) and load the brayer.
Roll out the ink onto the plate. Turn plate over onto center of paper and rub the plate to ensure good contact.
Peel off and sign the print. Repeat.

You can find another explanation of this method here.