Fish Print

Nature provides great textures, simple introduction to printing.

Level: Novice, Intermediate

Van Aken Product(s):
Jazz liquid tempera, Jr. Jazz 'truly washable', Jazz School, or Jazz Gloss

Materials:

• Jazz paint in assorted colors
• a big and flat fish
• various paint brushes
• paper towels
• cotton
• straight pins
• scrap sheets of cardboard
• heavy white paper
• newspaper

Procedure:

• clean the fish with a dampened paper towel, and if its insides have been removed stuff it with paper
• lay fish on a piece of cardboard, spread out the tail and fins, and pin it down flat
• cover the eye with cotton and let the fish dry two hours
• pull pins out and put newspaper under the fish
• brush a thick layer of tempera paint onto the fish
• pull newspaper out and lay thick white paper on the fish and rub carefully
• lift paper and see the print
• after dry, paint in the details or any designs

Handy hints:
This technique can be used with other natural materials that have interesting textures. Try printing onto light blue paper or paint a background for your fish before printing it onto the paper. Cut the fish prints out and make an underwater world to show them off.