Printing African animals

You need:

1. styrofoam
2. pencil
3. block printing ink
4. paint roller
5. flat piece of plexiglass
6. coloured paper

Explain the principle of printing. Why is it that people started to print texts and pictures?

Draw an African animal with a pencil on the styrofoam. Press to get a print in the foam. Squeeze out “toothpaste” amount of ink on plexiglass. Roll ink out. The ink is ready when lines appear. Ink should look wet.
Put the styrofoam on a newspaper. Roll one colour ink onto the foam, working quickly to cover all areas. Lay a sheet on top of foam and press with a flat hand. Take away the sheet and your print is ready. Let dry and cut it with about 1 cm around. Paste one or more prints on a white sheet. 

 

All artworks made by students of grade 6

Bogolan - African mudcloths

What do you need?

• black construction paper
• tempera paint in brown, white and gold
• brushes

Instruction

A bogolan is a handmade Malian cotton fabric traditionally dyed with mud. It has an important place in traditional Malian culture. The cloths are nowadays being exported wordwide for use in fashion, fine art and decoration. 
Show this movie about bogolans and show pictures of bogolans. Discuss colors, patterns and symbols. 

What should you do? 

Two students get their own black sheet, but have to make one bogolan together - the sheets will be stuck together when finished. So they have to come to agreements about colors, patterns and symbols. 

Artworks made by students of grade 4.