Printmaking Landscapes

Overview

In this final session of the "Watercolour Wonders: Klee Inspired" unit, students will explore printmaking by using their carved foam designs to produce multiple landscape prints. This lesson deepens their understanding of colour layering, pattern, and repetition, linking their watercolour work to a new artistic technique.

Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 30 students
Year group: Year 1

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National Curriculum Links

Art and Design - Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2)

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Use a range of materials creatively to design and make products.
  • Use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.
  • Develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.
  • Learn about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Programmes of Study Specific to Year 1:

• Experiment with and use colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space in their artwork.
• Explore and use a variety of materials and processes.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Create multiple prints using their carved foam designs, demonstrating control and repetition.
• Experiment with layering different colours and patterns to enhance their prints.
• Make connections between their previous Klee-inspired watercolour paintings and their printmaking designs.
• Talk about their artwork, using simple art vocabulary to describe what they see and what they have created.

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Resources

• Carved foam plates created by students in previous lessons
• Rollers (brayers) and palettes
• Water-based printing inks in various colours
• Paper (A4 or slightly larger), at least 3 sheets per child
• Aprons and wipes for cleaning hands and surfaces
• Mirrors or photo samples of Paul Klee paintings for reference
• Whiteboards and markers for whole-class reflection
• Visual step-by-step demonstration cards

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Recap and Reflect

• Gather students on the carpet with visual prompts: pictures of their Klee-inspired watercolour landscapes alongside simple print examples.
• Briefly discuss:
  • What did we do last time with watercolours?
  • What might happen when we print instead of paint?
• Introduce printmaking as a way to make many copies of a design using their foam plates.
• Emphasise printmaking involves using colour layering and patterns, just like their watercolours but in a new way.

Assessment Focus: Oral participation and recalling prior learning.

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2. Main Activity (40 minutes)

Part A: Demonstration (10 minutes)

• Show how to roll ink evenly and gently press the foam onto paper.
• Demonstrate layering a second colour or pattern carefully on top of a dry first print.
• Highlight the importance of cleaning the roller between colours to keep colours bright.
• Emphasise care and control when printing, especially when lifting the foam plate and placing paper.

Part B: Creating Prints (30 minutes)

• Pupils work at tables in small groups (5-6 pupils) to create at least 3 prints each.
• Encourage experimentation with:
  • Colour layering (one colour on top of another)
  • Different positions of the print on the paper for repeat patterns
  • Comparing results with their watercolour landscapes for mood and effect
• Support pupils needing help with roller technique or plate positioning.
• Circulate, ask open questions:
  • What colours work well together?
  • How does layering change the picture?
  • How is this different from using watercolour paint?

Assessment Focus: Observation of skill with printmaking tools, use of colours and layering, engagement and experimentation.

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3. Plenary (10 minutes)

Group Sharing and Evaluation

• Invite volunteers to show their prints and describe what they did.
• Use sentence stems:
  • "I liked using..."
  • "My prints look different because..."
  • "Layering colours made my print..."
• Reflect on how their prints connect with their watercolour art.
• Praise effort, creativity, and willingness to experiment.

Assessment Focus: Use of art vocabulary, ability to reflect on their process and outcomes.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide pre-inked foam plates for pupils who struggle with using rollers, or offer one-on-one support.
• Challenge: Encourage more confident pupils to create repeat patterns across the paper and experiment with three or more colour layers.
• Visual step-by-step prompts for students who need reminders.

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Health and Safety

• Use water-based inks only, non-toxic and washable.
• Wear aprons and provide wet wipes for cleaning hands.
• Monitor tools to ensure safe use of rollers and paper handling.

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Teacher Notes

• Emphasise the link between painting and printmaking to deepen conceptual understanding.
• Focus on the process over the final product, encouraging exploration and enjoyment.
• Use art vocabulary explicitly: print, roller/brayer, ink, layer, pattern, motif, repeat.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through observation of participation and technique during the printing activity.
• Pupils’ ability to discuss and reflect on their work during plenary.
• Evidence of understanding repeat pattern and layering through their prints.

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This lesson offers a vibrant and tactile way to consolidate Year 1 pupils’ understanding of colour, pattern, and artist Paul Klee’s inspiration, while introducing practical skills in printmaking aligned with the National Curriculum.