Step 1: Your rough draft:

Create a design showing emphasis.

You need to select at least 2 types of shapes.
Create a design that stresses the difference between those shapes to create visual interest.


Step 2: Your finished product:

Ask a parent to point out the center of interest in your design. If he or she has trouble, recreate the design. If he or she has no trouble, you are probably ready to move on.

Sketch your design in your sketchbook, or on a separate piece of paper.

Cut the edges off of the tray so that it is a flat piece.

Transfer your design onto the smooth side of the foam tray by drawing firmly with a dull pencil.
*If the pencil is too sharp it could poke a hole in your tray, which could interfere with your design.

After you have transferred the design, use your dull pencil to make deeper grooves into the tray.

After you are satisfied, paint the surface of the tray with any color acrylic craft paint - do not paint too thick! Remember you want the paint on the surface, not flowing into the channels.

Carefully turn your tray over onto a white piece of paper that is bigger than the tray.

Apply pressure so the paint will come off the tray and onto the paper, but avoid moving the tray side to side.

Slowly peel the tray off.

Your design can be seen in white and the negative space in black. This is your first print.

Label it: 1/3 on the corner of the paper. This means this is the first (1) out of three (3) you have completed.

If you have used too much paint, you may need to wash the tray and let it dry in order to make your next print.

Try two more prints of the same design.