DIY Suminagashi
Age of participants: 12+
Organization: greer c workshop for the arts
MCAD teaching artist: greer coffman
Number of students: 2
Overview of Project
● In this project we will come together to explore the printmaking technique Suminagashi! We will be focusing
on a DIY approach, mixing traditional techniques with a slightly more home-friendly, experimental focus.
Ideas Explored
● Exploring the more accessible sides of printmaking
● Control vs chaos, and controlling the chaos
● Nature vs nurture, in terms of the development of an art piece
Student Outcome Objectives
Students will:
1. learn about the art of suminagashi
2. experiment with different ways to effect the ink on the surface of the water
3. Create their own suminagashi prints as a result of their knowledge and experimentation
Prior Knowledge
● usage of a paint brush
Lesson Preparation Timeline
● Took a class on suminagashi
● Experimented and practiced it
● Cut down 60+ sheets of paper
Examples of Artwork
● A variety of my own personal prints
● Natalie Stopka
● Wandering and Orinoco Flow by CHEUK Ka-wai, Cherie
● Tadao Fukuda
Additional Resources:
● suminagashi.com
● https://www.pinterest.com/gomeditate/suminagashi/
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdgRQf6UiDM&ab_channel=RokoleeDIY
● http://marblinginspain.blogspot.com/2009/11/suminagashi-and-harunobu.html
Assessment:
● Do the students leave the class with a basic understanding of suminagashi?
● Did everyone have a good time?
● Will the students be able to replicate this on their own time if they please?
Materials
● empty hummus containers x3
● 30 precut 3x3 sheets of mullberry paper
● 30 precut 3x3 sheets of handmade paper
● a variety of paint brushes including sumi brushes
● one container of sumi ink
● small containers to hold ink
● spray bottle x3
● 5 hand towels
● 1 gallon of water
● dishwashing liquid
Learning Activities and Timeline
● Single day workshop, 1 hour
● 25 minutes of more traditionally structured suminagashi demonstrations + troubleshooting
○ 5 minutes: Start with stretches and setting the space for suminagashi, physically and mentally
○ 2 minutes: Go over a brief description and history of suminagashi
○ 5 minutes: Start demoing
○ 10 minutes: After one demo is complete, we will work in tandem to create together
○ Once that demo is done, the participants will work independently with suminagashi as I provide
assistance and troubleshooting
● 35 minutes of open work/experiment time
○ We will conclude with creating 3 collaborative suminagashi pieces together that we can each take
home (all of the students individual work they will be able to take home too).