Working on Black Paper

By Jan Miller

In this post, Jan talks through a range of painting projects using black paper as a starting point. Beginning with still life plates of fish, the ideas move across age groups and subject matter, providing lots of inspiration for having fun and moving away from white paper.

Sardines on a plate.

Introduction

There is a tendency to work on white paper in the classroom. We use white paper sketchbooks for much of our lesson starters and observation drawing so recently, we have been trying final pieces on coloured paper. We have used subtle coloured sugar papers and rich tones of mineral paper, but I’ve found the darker colours, particularly black, have been most popular. The effect of this black paper is that the colours appear bright and bold. The gaps are not a problem and they do not have to be filled. Adding texture such as sgraffito is very effective as the black shows well from underneath. Printing with textures creates a bold effect and colourful collage paper works well also.

We have painted on black with several classes recently and all have been successful. This project used Picasso’s ceramics of his fish on a plate as our inspiration. The approach to learning and painting was joyful and playful.


Please log in here to access full content.

Username
Password


Remember me
Forgot Password

 

To access all content, I would like to join as…

An Individual

Creative practitioners, educators, teachers, parents, learners…


An Organisation…

Schools, Colleges, Arts Organisations: Single and Multi-Users



AccessArt is a UK Charity and we believe everyone has the right to be creative. AccessArt provides inspiration to help us all reach our creative potential.



You Might Also Like…

Drawing Spirals

Making the spirals their own

Thinking Silhouettes

Thinking Silhouettes

Painting with Poster Paint

Poster Paint Collage


Coat-hanger Shells

You Might Also Like…

Drawing and Making Flowers

Student creates texture and colour by mark making onto a sculptural flower

Painted and Sculptural Plant Pots

A finished collaged plant made with painted card and wire.

Drawing Insects with Wire

Lottie makes her wire 'drawing' inspired by her continuous line drawing of a moth


Hew Locke Inspired Boats

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Reception, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Reception, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Reception, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Reception, Ruth at Carden Primary School

You Might Also Like…

Making a Treehouse

Finished AccessArt Treehouse

Dropped Cone Sculptures

Ice-cream cone shaped sculptures by Julia Rigby

What is Sculpture?


Modroc Plasterboard

You May Also Like…

Session Recording: how to use modroc

session recording modroc

How to use modroc

Modroc


Deconstructing to Help You See

You May Also Like

ten minutes, five times a week

Diverse mark making

the drawing journey

Continuous Line Drawing Of A Shell By Zoe Coughlan

all drawing resources

Observational drawing of a shell


Recycled Baubles by Scarlett Rebecca

You May Also Like

making a puzzle purse

An unfolded origami puzzle purse by Eilis Hanson

Turkish map fold

Theresa Easton Turkish Map Fold

adapting accessart: 2d to 3d

Paper Sculptures by Yu-Ching Chiu


Introduction to Ink

You May Also Like

Graphic inky still life

Drawing of a red ink bottle

See Three Shapes

See Three Shapes

see all ink resources

Home Made Tools and Ink by Andrea Butler


Artist Studio Series: Saya McNairn-Yanagi


Artist Studio Series: Sherrie Leigh Jones


Artist Studio Series: Alej Ez


Printing with String

Dalery Rowney Logo
Scola Logo registered trademark l_r png-01

You May Also Like…

Repeat Pattern Printing Roller

Gluing String by Tobi Meuwissen

Modroc Plasterboard

Removing String From Modroc by Paula Briggs


Marbled Hole Punch Sketchbook

Dalery Rowney Logo
Scola Logo registered trademark l_r png-01

You May Also Like

folded sketchbook

Making a simple folded sketchbook

buying and making sketchbooks

Selection of over printed screenprints, folded in half

the sketchbook journey

Jo Blaker Sketchbook


Recycled Baskets by Scarlett Rebecca

You May Also Like

paper bowls

Paper Bowl by Lisa Smith

explore paper weaving

Final Weave by Naomi Kendall

recycled baubles

display your bauble by Scarlett Rebecca


Session Recording: Exploring Modroc

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Using Art To Explore Global Issue

This is featured in the 'Using Art To Explore Global Issue' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Using Art To Explore Global Issue’ pathway

Pathway: Festival feasts

This is featured in the 'Festival Feasts' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Festival Feasts’ pathway

Pathway: Telling Stories Through Drawing and Making

This is featured in the 'Telling Stories Through Drawing and Making' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Telling Stories Through Drawing and Making’ pathway

Pathway: Drawing and Making Inspired by Illustrators

This is featured in the 'Drawing and Making Inspired by Illustrators' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Drawing and Making Inspired by Illustrators’ pathway

accessart modroc resources

Modroc finger puppet


Insect Hotels

You May Also Like

patterns with nature

balancing sticks

Continuous Line Drawings of sticks

Cantilevered stick

Making a Mask from Sticks and Tissue Paper

Mask made from sticks and tissue paper


Top Tips for Cardboard Creations

Dalery Rowney Logo
Scola Logo registered trademark l_r png-01

See This Resource Used In Schools…

EYFS, St Michaels Community Academy
EYFS, St Michaels Community Academy

You May Also Like

Creating a book world

Book world 3 by Rose Feather

World in a matchbox

under the sea2

Insect hotels

Final Insect Hotel by Tobi Meuwissen

Pedagogy in 250 words: Making is hard

Making is Hard, Image by Tobi Muewissen for AccessArt

Prop Making for Toys

Toy with his Props by Tobi Meuwissen


Artist Studio Series: Scarlett Rebecca


Painting with Poster Paint

Dalery Rowney Logo
Scola Logo registered trademark l_r png-01

You May Also Like…

Explorer’s Books: Collecting Colour

Explorer's Colour Book by Tobi Meuwissen

Repeat Pattern Printing roller

Final Repeat Print Made With Kitchen Roll Tube by Tobi Meuwissen

autumn floor textiles

Final Autumn Floor Textiles Made Using Rubbing by Tobi Meuwissen


Drawing with Soft Pencils

Scola Logo registered trademark l_r png-01
Dalery Rowney Logo

You May Also Like

Shells: Observational and Imaginative Drawing

Rachel T Shells - small circular shell

All graphite resources

graphite cloud

introduction to graphite

Hard Shiny Graphite by Lancelot Richardson


The Blood Bag Project

What We Like About This Resource….

This project combines art and science in innovative and creative ways. It engages children with simple and more complex sewing skills, both hand and machine. The fact that a local artist collaborated on this project, bringing her own set of skills and experience is so valuable for any extended art project, and the children were able to connect with the sensitivity of the subject matter and to empathise with it’s message.

You May Also Like

Autumn Floor Textiles

Final Autumn Floor Textiles Made Using Rubbing by Tobi Meuwissen

Cloth, Paint, Print: Inspired by Natural Objects

Embroidered Leaf by Tobi Meuwissen

Making Painted & Sewn Landscapes

Painted and sewn cloth

which artists: merlin evans

Visualising Mental Health By Merlin Evans