Printing without ink.

Often we find great ideas around the artroom. One day I spotted several pieces of construction paper that had gotten wet near the sink. They had stained the white paper they were lying on. I noticed a design of strong contrast exhibited by the stains. Layers of transparent color had created textural nuances resembling a multicolored rock canyon. I stopped everything and began to purposely play with wet construction paper on white dry paper. I was beginning to make prints without ink. I recalled a statement by Marc Chagall I had heard years earlier: "Originality stems from the Origin."

I went outside and gathered leaves and laid them down on white paper. Next, I placed wet, torn pieces of construction paper over the leaves: red, black, yellow, blue, a collection of anything I could find. I worked rapidly, overlapping the pieces on top of the leaves. I was hoping that the leaves would create a silhouette by blocking out the various shapes of the colored paper. Overlapping the wet construction paper created various abstract stains

Step One

First, take construction paper and remember that not all brands or colors bleed as easily as others. Colors such as black, blue, red, and green yield the best prints while lighter values such as yellow, pink, and orange sometimes fail to transfer.

Step Two

Next, shape the wet paper to fit your desired design. It can either be a controlled cut resulting in a more geometric shape or simply torn paper, which can leave a more organic shape. Now decide what you would like to leave an impression on, which can be just about anything capable of receiving a stain. While white paper is neutral and readily available and yields good color contrast, it may not be the best receiving surface. You may want to experiment with something more original. What might Chagall reach for if trying to leave a stain on something: an eggshell? a light-colored rock or board? or maybe air-dried clay that has been shaped to receive the stain? Once the construction paper has been soaked in water, lay it down to make your print. Then let it dry.

If you want to alter the receiving surface, you can wet it first. This may result in the standard watercolor technique of wet-on-wet, leaving a softer look.

Step Three

You can also place down a natural object, like a leaf. You may want to experiment with nuts, screws, bolts, and washers from your local hardware store. You can work with anything that will leave a silhouette, or blocked-out area.

Techniques

Further experimentation with drawn crayons on the receiving surface may allow for the juxtaposition between a drawn image and the creative "original" stains. Using wax resists, along with the watered stains, can yield some exciting results. In addition, tissue paper that's been soaked in water also leaves great stains. You may even want to try the watercolor technique of sprinkling common table salt onto the wet, stained surface. After the design is dry, you may choose to mat your work that "stemmed from the origin."

Take care to wear disposable gloves to provide protection from ink stains on your hands. After your prints have dried, you may want to consider having students sit and observe their works and write a story based on the observation. If you combined this project with a discussion on fantasy or Surreal art, and/or shared some images by Joseph Cornell or Giorgio de Chirico, some mysterious and creative writings might take place. De Chirico apparently based his paintings on his exploration of the mysteries of life. Now go tear up some construction or tissue paper, get it wet, and begin making those prints. Have fun and remember to keep your eyes open for those accidents around your artroom. Chagall would have!

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.

WEB LINK

www.intersurf.com/~redstic/Paper/Tissue.htm

James P. Thompson is an associate professor of art at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. [e-mail]