Paste Paper!

Students in grades K-2 recently learned about the word texture in art room as they looked at work by the collage artist and illustrator Eric Carle.  

As a beginning to a longer project where students are illustrating a book using collage, each student experimented with making and imitating textures in paint.  

First we discussed the word texture and how it means the way something feels, and then we talked about how artists often try and mimic or show the way something feels by how they use their materials.

Students first applied the paint to their paper with a large brush, and then dragged things through the paint like combs, forks, pencils, and sponges.  By doing so, they got some interesting results.   

The colored paste is made from 50% paper mache' glue and 50% acrylic paint.

 This is a similar process to how Eric Carle produces his own collage papers that he then cuts up for his famous illustrations.

It sure was a challenge and a rush to put our smocks on, make two different textures on two pieces of paper and then wash everyone's hands, but we pulled it off.   Students in grades K-2 will be using these paste papers within their collage illustrations that will be coming soon...