Rock Art Stencil Printing

Submitted by: Mary Jane Hadley
Unit: Native American art - rock art - printing - painting
Lesson: rock art stencil printing
Grade level: elementary (grade 3 through 6)

Objective:
The student will learn about the picture writing that the Native Americans used. They will create a painting using these symbols or symbols that they design.

Materials:

12" x 18" (30.5 x 46 cm) Construction Paper for stencil
12" x 18" (30.5 x 46 cm) black Construction Paper
Drawing Pencils, Scissors (older student may use X-acto Knives)
Tempera Paint in many colors
Small pieces of Sponges
Q-tips or small paint Brushes

Background information:
Prehistoric people all over the world painted and carved pictures on rocks. Painted images, figurative drawings or pictures representing a word are called Pictographs. Carved images are called Petroglyphs. Native Americans were no different. They left markings on rocks. We are not real sure why these markings were done… maybe to mark time… Maybe to pass messages on to other people… Maybe to mark a good hunting place.

We are not really sure of the reason for these markings but their beauty throughout the world is fascinating. These were especially abundant in the southwest. One rock has so many images on it that it is called newspaper rock.

Instructional resources:
1. Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchac and S.D. Nelson (See Teachers' Guide)
2. Poster from Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, New Mexico or Dinosaur National Monument in Dinosaur, Colorado (See Resources below)
3. Pictures of rock art (See below)
4. Seminar given by S.D. Nelson
5. If Rocks Could Talk (video) by B. Jane Bush
6. Secrets of the Stone by Harriet Peck Taylor
7. Another Rock Art lesson

Resources:

Posters

• Mckee Springs Petroglyphs, Dinosaur National Monument Artists Photographic Poster Print by Phil Schermeister
• Warriors Petroglyph of Fremont People at McConkie Ranch, Vernal, Utah
• Volcanic Rock with Petroglyphs of the Bird Man
• Petroglyph in Little Petroglyph Canyon

Books

Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit: The Origin of Creativity and Belief - This book will appeal to anyone attempting to appreciate the underlying symbolism and cultural significance of Ice Age cave art.

Legacy on Stone: Rock Art of the Colorado Plateau and Four Corners Region - Author Sally Cole traces the connections between art on canyon walls, rock shelters, and boulders to the connections of designs on pottery, basketry, and other artifacts in order to place them in cultural context.

Rock Art and Ruins for Beginners and Old Guys - This is an "easy to read and understand" guidebook for all people interested in Indian Rock Art and Ruins. Illustrated with full color pictures.

Vocabulary: (See this lesson)
Rock art
Petroglyph
Pictograph
stencil
Bridges

Procedure:
1. Watch the rock art video.

2. Show the students the poster and other pictures of rock art.

3. On the black piece of construction paper, sponge on colors to represent celestial skies, ethereal sky, milky way or misty atmosphere. Royal blue, turquoise, black, white. Make a nice sky (set aside to dry).

4. Draw an animal or human figure as large as your hand on stencil paper.

5. Connect sides of figure with bridges -the bridges divide the animal or figure into interesting sections. Instead of cutting out the entire stencil, we made bridges to go across the stencil. It made them more sturdy and gave them a decorative aspect. For instance, say your figure was a lizard. You might have a bridge across his body, maybe a v bridge - or several v bridges if the lizard is long.

6. Fold figure down the center and cut out figure between bridges - be careful not to cut the bridges at the sides. Accidents can easily be repaired with tape.

7. Demonstrate transitional colors, having one color fade into the next.

8. Stencil figure on sky paper using the transitional sponging method.

9. Repeat figures, some figures may go off the page. Dry stencil between each one.

10. On edge of stencil paper, cut out a geometric design.

11. Sponge border around picture with geometric design.

12. To add stars, use white paint and the end of a q-tip or use the end of your paint brush. Also yellow paint with a white dot in the middle and then pull away in all directions with the tip of brush look good. Use larger star designs around stencils.

Closure:
Review concepts/vocabulary - display artwork in the school.

Evaluation:
1. Was the student successful in creating a stencil figure with bridges?
2. Did the student create an interesting sky?
3. Did the student arrange the stencil figures using the whole paper?
4. Does the finished project neatly done?