Primary Printmaking

One of Posada's Most Famous Prints, La Catrina

One of my goals this year was to bring printmaking into our classroom studio.  After having the supplies donated through Donors Choose, the fourth graders were the first to try out this new medium.  They looked at prints by Mexican cartoonist and illustrator Jose Guadalupe Posada.  His calavera prints have become an inspiration to many Mexican-American artists, and his work is highlighted each year around Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday celebrated in early November.  In these photos, you can see our fourth graders trying out the brayers and ink on their scratch-foam plates.  These plates are a safer alternative to traditional linoleum or wood blocks or etching plates.  The students can use the same steps in the print process without using sharp engraving or carving tools.  They got really excited for this activity, and I am enjoying the introduction to a new medium in my classroom.