Baking Sheet Printmaking - Process Art Activity

This delightful art project uses a…kitchen tool?! That’s right! Raid the kitchen, grab some paint, and it’s time to try this baking sheet printmaking process art activity!

Four pieces of paper sit next to one another, each with a print on them in colorful paint (greens, red, and blue). Next to the papers sits a baking sheet turned over with red paint on the bottom. In the middle of everything is a small jar with red paint and a paintbrush.

I fell in love with baking sheet printmaking one million years ago

Many, many moons ago, I discovered printmaking, and it has been true love ever since.

There’s something enchanting about covering something in paint or ink, adding a design, and watching the design transfer to paper. Enchanting.

The best part? It’s just as fun with preschoolers as it is with adults.

Related: Check out this list of the best printmaking projects for kids!

Kristian smiles and looks down at a baking sheet she's holding that is painted with green paint. In the green paint she uses her finger to draw the outline of a star, pressing hard enough to see the baking sheet through the paint.

Baking sheet printmaking is as easy as pie

One demonstration with my preschoolers is all it takes before they’re off to the races.

And the best part?

Whenever I need a quick, easy activity again during the year, I can set the supplies on the table again, and the kids know exactly what to do.

Looking for more printmaking art projects? I can understand why!

Lemon Stamp Art – Friends Art Lab
Shaving Cream Marbling – The Artful Parent
Magic Marker Leaf Prints – The Kitchen Table Classroom

Materials

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Baking sheet – or any smooth surface (bottom of a pie tin, top of a smooth table, etc.)
Paint – I’m using BioColor here, but tempera also works great
Paintbrush – the fluffier/larger, the better
Paper – any kind

Kristian smiles and looks down at a baking sheet she's holding and painting with green paint.

Directions

A quick note about the demonstration

I always model this first for the kids. I go over and narrate the steps, then set them loose.

When doing a demonstration, I always make sure to say, “I’m making this design, but you can make ANYTHING you want.”

How to make baking sheet prints

Paint the bottom of a baking sheet with lots of paint
Draw a design in the paint with your finger, pressing hard enough that you can see the baking sheet through the paint
Press a piece of paper onto the baking sheet, gently rub it on, then lift to reveal your print

How easy does all of that sound?

The only hard part is trying to stop making more and more and more and…

A baking sheet is upside down and the bottom is painted with red paint and has concentric hearts drawn in the paint. Next to the baking sheet is a jar of red paint with a paintbrush, a completed blue print, and white paper.

What should the kids draw?

It’s completely up to them!

Sometimes, we leave the supplies out and each kid draws whatever they want. One kid might draw a dog while another makes a rocket while another makes a heart, etc.

However, you could also turn this into a seasonal activity by inviting the kids to all draw something similar, such as a pumpkin.

The sky’s the limit.

A print is lifted off of the baking sheet with a white piece of paper. The concentric heart design drawn into the red paint on the baking sheet is transferred onto a piece of paper.

What kind of printmaking is this?

Ready for a fancy ol’ art term?

This type of printmaking is called subtractive monoprinting.

In subtractive monoprinting, the artist lays down paint or ink (like we did), then removes some of the paint or ink with a tool or finger (like we did), and then lifts a one-of-a-kind print.

And even though preschoolers might not understand the prefix “mono-“ or the entire science of subtractive art, I absolutely would introduce this term to kids.

Absolutely.

100%.

You know how kids can memorize and name dinosaurs with names that are a billion syllables long? They can absolutely say, “I made a subtractive monoprint!” and when they do, you’ll melt into a puddle.

Kristian holds a print in her hand of a star drawn in green paint. Below the print she's holding is the baking sheet painted with green paint with a star outline drawn into it.

FAQ

What type of paint do you have to use?

Any that you love! Here I used BioColor, but tempera would work well, too.

How long do these take to dry?

It depends on the temperature where you’re at and the exact paint you’re using, but as a general rule of thumb, they dry quickly because the paint isn’t think on the paper.

Is this process art?

It sure is! Each piece is unique to the artist, no two pieces are exactly the same, and kids can make anything they want!