We have patterns all around us. We see them in math, we use them verbally in poetry, we find them in nature, we use them in art...

Stamp printing is a wonderful way to explore patterning in art. Here you'll find some guidelines for sponge stamp printing, followed by some guidelines for exploring patterns. As you experiment with this series of pattern types with your students, you'll find the last one - random patterns - with its coin-toss game driving their art, will be an enormous hit.

At the end of this page you will find some project suggestions using patterns.

Sponge Stamp Printing

What You'll Need

• White or light colored construction or drawing paper
• Scratch paper for practice
• Tempera paints
• Paper plates or smooth styrofoam meat trays - one for each color
• Sponge brushes - one for each color (note: toothbrushes are also shown in the picture above - this picture was taken for a project that combined sponge stamping with spatter paint, using the sponge shapes as stencils - something else to try!)
• Sponges cut up into interesting shapes
• Newspapers to cover your work surface (or a vinyl tablecloth)

Getting Started:

1. Moisten the sponges so they are no longer stiff.

2. Put some paint on a paper plate and smooth it flat with the brush.

3. When you have the sponges prepared and the paint set out in paper plates, you are ready to start! The main thing to keep in mind is to try not to overload the sponge. Kids will tend to goop up the sponge with a lot of paint. Show them how to lightly dip it in and then to lightly press it on the practice paper. Show them how interesting it looks when you can see the sponge holes in the print - this gets lost when they load up the sponge with too much paint.

Patterning Exercises

Before you start the patterning exercises, the students will each need two stamp shapes and two stamp colors. (To start use scratch paper because this is about the process, not so much about results. Later they can apply what they have learned to nicer projects.)

When everyone is ready, go through the following patterns, having the students print a line or two of each type.

• Alternating patterns (A-B-A-B) that use one shape two ways. Triangles that alternate between right-side-up and up-side-down are a good example of this. They nest nicely to make an interesting pattern.

• Alternating patterns (A-B-A-B) that use two shapes, and one or two colors.

• Staggared patterns (A-B-B-A) using two shapes, two colors.

• Complex patterns - see what you can come up with! For example, A-B-B-A-C-A-B-B-A

You can see some examples of these different kinds of patterns in the example below.

Now that the students have experimented with these different types of patterns, it is interesting to discuss what drives patterns - repetition, numbers, symmetry.

Repetition Driven Pattern
Repetition is another important element in patterns. In fact, a pattern could simply be the repetition of only one shape, repeated over and over. Something as simple as a repeated slash line makes a strong border pattern... like this:
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And if we look around we see simple repeated shapes making patterns all around us - such as roof tiles, or the bricks in a walkway. Have the students make their own simple pattern using repetition.

Number Driven Patterns
What do we mean by numbers driving a pattern? An example is when you are stamping with shape A and changing to shape B based upon a number, such as every three times. Have the students come up with their own number driven pattern.

Symmetry Driven Patterns
Symmetry is a part of many patterns. You may have noticed that some kids = in fact, many of the younger kids - will start their pattern experimentation in the same way. Instead of lining up the shapes in rows, they start by first placing a shape in each corner of the paper. Then they go on to add their alternating patterns in between, keeping it all symmetrical, like the picture below.. Give your students a fresh sheet of paper and have them make a pattern based upon symmetry, using the four corners.

But some designs, while they use a repetition of shapes and colors, are not driven by numbers or symmetry. One way is driven by the artist's eye. In other words, the artist has determined a sequence based upon the relations of color and shape and how his or her eye wants them balanced. The matboard below is a wonderful example. This young artist didn't create a pattern based on numbers, and not really upon symmetry either - she did it the way her eye wanted it.

Another way is Random Pattern. To give kids an understanding of a pattern driven randomly, try this game, where the toss of a coin determines their pattern! (Kids love this game, and it works well in a classroom.) Here's how it works:

• Each child is to choose two shapes and two colors, one shape for each color.

• Now they each determine which shape is Heads and which is Tails.

• They should each have a clean piece of paper in front of them.

• Explain that they are to work from left to right, just as if they were writing. (When they get to the right edge of the paper they will start back on the left, in the next row.)

• When everyone is ready, get out a coin and toss it. Call out the result. If it is Heads, everyone is to make one print using their Heads shape. If it is Tails, everyone is to print with their tails shape. And so on.

If the coin comes up tails twelve times in a row (and it has!) everyone has to keep printing with that tails shape. You only print what the coin "tells" you to. When you are finished, you have a page that is a random pattern, like the one in black and silver shown below. And here's the interesting part - these random patterns end up looking good. While most of us would never think to create a pattern like that, especially when either heads or tails has an especially long run, the result is surprisingly satisfying!

Pattern Projects

Any of these can be used to tie in with other curriculum, from Kwanza mats to Native American crafts.

Sponge Stamp Printed Borders

Have the students prepare borders on large sheets of paper. Later these can be used to mount other artwork on.

Sponge Stamp Matboards

A sponge stamped matboard makes a framed picture even more special. Start with a white or light colored matboard (usually available where picture frames are sold) and use sponge stamps or a block to print a design around the edge. In the beautiful example shown here, a third grader chose to use one stamp for one half the frame, and the other stamp for the second half. The paints are opalescent temperas.

You can help support this site by getting your art and framing supplies from Dick Blick when you go there from here!

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