Question:

Do you
understand the difference
between contour lines, cross
contour lines, gestural lines and
implied lines?

Plastic Bag
Printmaking

Overview:

Unit:
Printmaking
Grade and Course:
6th Grade Art

Students will be making 2

monoprints. One print will be
done in primary colors and then
the other will be done in
secondary colors. Both prints
will have to have 3 different
layers of three different lines
(contour lines, gestural lines
and implied or cross contour
lines).

Objectives: At the end

of this lesson, students
will be able to make the
following statements
Form and Structure:

I can practice working

and creating interesting
shapes/textures using
lines C.8.6 Develop the
craft and skills to
produce quality art

I can demonstrate
understanding in
contour lines through
out my project by
illustrating correct lines
while layering them
correctly. - J.8.2
Understand how the
choice of materials and
techniques influence the
expressive quality of art.

Art Standards
A.8.2 Learn appropriate
vocabulary related to their
study of art
C.8.6 Develop the craft and
skills to produce quality art
A.4.2 Learn basic
vocabulary related to their
study of art
B.8.4 Know ways in which
art is influenced by artists,
designers, and cultures
J.8.2 Understand how the
choice of materials and
techniques influence the
expressive quality of art.
C.8.5 Use thumbnail
sketches to experiment and
start developing visual
ideas

Context:

I can use and

understand a variety of
line (Contour line,
Implied line and
Gestural lines) - A.8.2
Learn appropriate
vocabulary related to
their study of art
I can understand the
difference
between
Plastic
Bag Printmaking
primary and secondary
colors. - A.4.2 Learn
basic vocabulary related

Content
Contour line
Gestural lines
Implied lines
Primary Colors
Secondary Colors

Materials
Colored Pencils (For
Sketching)

Procedure: 5-Day Lesson

Day 1:
Time

Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks

Purpose

Students enter the classroom, are seated

and ready to begin class.
5 min:

Anticipatory Setting: Understanding prior

This is a formative
background knowledge

The students will answer questions about their

prior background knowledge of printmaking.
Have any of you ever heard of printmaking? If
so, what is printmaking?
Have you ever done a form of printmaking
(giving them examples of what is considered
printmaking).
Shifting from asking my students their prior
background knowledge, we will continue on to a
Power point of the history of printmaking.

5min:

Introducing the history of Printmaking

Plastic Bag Printmaking

We will start with a power point of the history of

printmaking.
In the power point we will touch base on the
following topics:
Johannes Gutenberg: He was a German
craftsman and inventor.
He is best known for the Gutenberg press, an
innovative printing press machine that used
movable type.
When and how did printmaking begin? :
Printmaking began in the 18th century in China
It was first used as a form of communication.
Now its valued for its technical qualities as an
artistic medium.
How does it work? :
Artist creates an image on a particular surface.
Metal, Stone, Wood, Linoleum or found objects.

way of assessing
their prior
knowledge of
printmaking.

Understanding the
history of
printmaking and
why its important.

5min:

Image is then inked and pressed onto paper to

form the new, original print
The types of printmaking:
Woodcut Etching - Lithography - Monoprint
What type will we work with?
Monoprint: A type of printmaking that has
images or lines that can only be made once and
its unique process incorporates elements of
painting and drawing, ensuring that no two
prints are exactly alike and making editing
impossible
Edgar Degas
One of the most famous artists to use
monoprinting.
He brought the process back from the verge of
extinction in the 1860s.
Influenced by the presence of contrast in
photography, Degas used plates, rags and even
his fingers to wipe paints across surfaces and
create unique "monotypes."
Paul Gauguin
In the later half of the 19th century, Paul
Gauguin famously created his own kind of
monoprinting, called "trace monotype." This
process involved drawing on layers of paper.

Introducing the vocabulary

Plastic Bag Printmaking

Contour Lines: A contour is the line, which

defines a form or edge - an outline. It describes
the outermost edges of a form, as well as
dramatic changes of plane within the form.
Cross contour Lines: Are the lines that reflect
the movement of your eye in and around what
you see.
While contour lines describe edges, crosscontours describe form and volume. These lines
can follow planes of form, moving around and
across objects as well as through them.
Implied Lines: Created when the artist lifts the
pen or pencil from the paper, continuing its
direction of travel, and then applies pressure
again and continues in the same direction.
Across the gap in the line is the 'implied line',

Understanding
your content and
your academic
language.

10min:

which the mind fills in the gaps. Implied line

usually describes a subtle change of plane.
Gesture Lines: Lines used to sketch and bring
out contour lines through adding detail to a
drawing.
Gesture lines are what an artist draws before
refining and detailing his drawing.
They are for defining areas and movements to
get an idea of where he wants things to go or
how proportions and weight distributions should
be.
While going over the power points use
formative assessment to quiz the students
on what you just reviewed and what you
will review.

In class activity:
Draw four big squares on the white board.

Then label each square: 1. Implied lines 2.

Contour Lines 3. Gesture Lines 4. Cross Contour
lines

Next, pick four students to volunteer. Then have

each student draw an example drawing in the
correct labeled box.

This will be a good way to see if your students

really understand what you explained to them. If
they have any trouble trying to remember what
each word means, have the rest of the class
help out the student instead of you telling them
again. (Get the whole class involved)

5min:

Sketching:

Have the students open up their sketchbooks to

an open page. Here we will be drawing four
squares that fill up the entire page.

Closure:

Plastic Bag Printmaking

This is a way to do
a formative
assessment on
your students to
see how well they
understand the
content and
academic
language.

Plan out your

ideas for the next
step.

They will label each square: 1. Implied lines 2.

Contour Lines 3. Gesture Lines 4. Cross Contour
lines

Once they have labeled each square they will fill

each square with a drawing corresponding to
the label of the square.

Time

Setup:

5min:

End of class Explain what we will be doing during

our next class period to get them thinking about the
project. Then dismiss the class.

Day 2:

3min:

At the beginning of class, make sure each table has the

following materials: - Paper plate, 4 plastic bags, tooth
picks, Q-tips, 4 plastic forks, cup of water, paper towel
and scratch paper.

Anticipatory Setting: Understanding prior

background knowledge

8min:

10min:

How well do the students know their primary

colors? Ask your students who can name the
primary colors and what primary colors mean.
Then ask them to name the secondary colors
and what they mean. Then touch base on what
was talked about in the last class to see who
remembers what we talked about.

Sketching:
Students will be given 5 minutes to finish up
their sketches from last class period.

4min:

Time
Plastic Bag Printmaking

Demo:
The first demo will be working with primary
colors and how to create their print.
We will go over how you create a print and all of
the tools
I will show an example of each layer that will be
created and then show how each print will be
layered.

Setup:

Work Time:
The students will get the chance to experiment
on their own.
They will be given one color of paint and the rest
of the class time to attempt to recreate their
sketches while using the tools they were given.
Clean up:

2min:

Have students use this time to clean up their

materials and put away their practice prints.

Day 3:

23min:

5min:

Setup: At the beginning of class, make sure

each table has the following materials: - Paper
plate, 4 plastic bags, tooth picks, Q-tips, 4
plastic forks, cup of water, paper towel and
scratch paper.

Anticipatory Setting: See what your students

remember from the last few classes by formatively
assessing them. Then review how to experiment with
printing and explain to them that today will be a work
day to complete their first print using only primary
colors

Time

Setup:

Work Time:
The students will get the rest of the class time
to create their first print using primary colors.
They can do a couple practice prints before the
final one but the students are expected to finish
their first print during this work time.

2min:

Clean up:

23min:
Plastic Bag Printmaking

Have students use this time to clean up their

materials and put away their practice prints and
their final prints on the drying rack (Make sure
that names are on projects).

Day 4:

5min:

Time

Setup: At the beginning of class, make sure

each table has the following materials: - Paper
plate, 4 plastic bags, tooth picks, Q-tips, 4
plastic forks, cup of water, paper towel and
scratch paper.

Anticipatory Setting: See what your students

remember from the last few classes by formatively
assessing them again. Then review what primary and
secondary colors are. Explain to them that today they
will be moving on to their next print but working with
secondary colors.

Setup:
Work Time:
The students will get the rest of the class time
to create their second print using secondary
colors.
They can do a couple practice prints before the
final one but the students are expected to finish
their first print during this work time.

5min:

3min:

Clean up:

Have students use this time to clean up their

materials and put away their practice prints and
their final prints on the drying rack (Make sure
that names are on projects).

Day 5:
20min:

Setup: At the beginning of class, make sure

each table has the following materials:
-Black/colored construction paper, glue and
scissors

Anticipatory Setting: The students will be given a

quiz to do a summative assessment on how well they

Plastic Bag Printmaking

know their content, academic language and the

history of printmaking.
Quiz: Students will be given a quiz and have 5
minutes to complete it. They will be told that it will
count towards their final grade.

2min:

Demo: (Matting their project)

Give a demo on how to matte their prints.

Show them different ways to cut out their print

and how to glue it properly to construction
paper.

Work Time:
The students will get class time to finish up any
of their prints if they still have some to complete
but it will take up their time to matte their
project.

Students will also be given a self-evaluation

sheet that they will need to fill out.

Students can cut out their print using crazy

scissors or just basic scissors to display it.

They will then glue down their print on a piece

of construction paper so their prints can be
displayed.

Clean up and closure:

Plastic Bag Printmaking

Have students use this time to clean up their

materials and turn in their final prints matted on
construction paper and make sure everyone has
completed their quiz and handed them in.

Self Evaluation/Quiz
6th GRADE
Plastic Bag Prints: Grade Sheet: NAME: ___________________________Total
Points______/100
1. What is the name of the German craftsman/Inventor? What did he
create? 10pt
A.
B.
2. What are primary and secondary colors? 10pt
A. Primary colors: ___________, _____________, _____________
B. Secondary colors: ____________, _____________, _______________
3. Name the four different types of lines that we used in our prints and
draw an example of each line in the spaces below. 10pt
1. ______________ 2. ________________ 3. _________________ 4. ________________

Plastic Bag Printmaking

4. What are some other forms of printmaking? 10pt

5. What are the types of lines that you used in your print?

Plastic Bag Printmaking Rubric

Vocabulary
Notes

Primary and
Secondary
colors

Exceeds
4 Points

Meets
3 Points

Progressing
2 Points

Unsatisfactor
y
1 Points

You took notes

on all of the
vocabulary

You took most

of the notes
but not as well
as you should
have

You did not

finish taking all
of your notes

You did not

take notes on
the vocabulary
at all

You show that

you
understand the
difference
between
primary and
secondary

You
understand the
difference
between
primary and
secondary
colors but

You show that

you dont
really know the
difference
between
primary and
secondary

You do not
understand
primary or
secondary
colors at all

Plastic Bag Printmaking

colors

sometimes get
confused

colors

Page is clean
and paint is
not smeared
everywhere

Page is
somewhat
clean but
starts to get
messy

Page is messy
and it looks
like the
student did not
take their time

Page is messy
and not
complete

Worked
efficiently and
had a positive
attitude

Worked most
of the time

Worked some
of the time

Was not
efficient with
class time/had
a bad attitude

Lines

You show all

three layers of
lines in the
correct order

You show all

three layers of
lines but not in
the correct
order

You do not
show three
different layers
of lines

You did not

complete your
layers

Sketches

You designed 4
sketches in
your sketch
book

You designed
sketches in
your sketch
book but did
not complete
all 4

You only did

about have of
your sketches

You did not

complete your
sketches

Craftsmanshi
p

Participation

Final Score:

Total:
________/24 Points

Grading Scale
A+ 99-100
A 94-98
A- 92-93
B+ 90-91
B 85-89
B- 83-84
C+ 81-82
C 76-80
Plastic Bag Printmaking

C- 74-75
D+ 72-73
D 67-71
D- 65-66
F 0-64

Yes

No

You completed all four sketches in your sketchbook.

Yes

No

You made practice prints while experimenting with tools.

Yes No
Being .

You completed two final prints. (1. Being primary colors 2.

secondary colors)

Yes

No

You matted your prints successfully

Yes
. .

No

In your two prints you can define the types of lines that you
decided on.

(Any No responses result in -5 point off of the total score).

Plastic Bag Printmaking