Stamps and Repeated Prints

A stamp is any object dipped in paint and pressed onto paper to make the same shape over and over again.

Reading is good — doing is better. Practice Stamps and Repeated Prints as an interactive lesson.

Definition

When you press a paint-covered object onto paper, it leaves a print — a copy of that object's shape. If you do this again and again with the same object, you make repeated prints. Together, stamping and repeating prints is one of the easiest and most fun ways to make patterns in art.

Remember the rule

Dip, Press, Lift, Repeat — always in that order for a clean print every time.

Key words

Stamp: An object you dip in paint and press onto paper to make a shape.
Print: The mark or picture left on paper after you press a stamp down.
Repeat: Doing the same thing more than once, like pressing the same stamp again and again.
Pattern: Shapes or colors that repeat in an order you can predict, like circle, star, circle, star.
Texture: The way the surface of a stamp feels or looks, like bumpy or smooth, which shows up in the print.
Ink pad: A flat sponge soaked in color that you press a stamp into to get paint on it.
Overlap: When two prints are pressed so close together that they touch or go on top of each other.
Negative space: The empty area around and between your prints on the paper.

Worked examples

You have a potato cut in half with a star shape carved into it. You dip it in red paint and press it onto white paper five times in a row. What do you make?

→ You make five red star prints in a row — that is a repeated print pattern. · Each press should look almost the same because you are using the same stamp each time.

You want to make an AB pattern using a circle sponge and a square sponge. What order do you press them?

→ Circle, square, circle, square, circle, square — keep going in that order across the paper. · An AB pattern means two things take turns repeating.

You press a leaf flat into green paint and then press it onto paper. What will the print look like?

→ The print will show the outline and the veins of the leaf because those parts hold the paint and transfer it to the paper. · Natural objects like leaves make great stamps because they already have interesting textures.

You pressed your stamp but the print came out faded and hard to see. What probably went wrong?

→ You did not put enough paint on the stamp, or you pressed too lightly. Dip again and press down firmly and evenly.

You want to make a border around the edge of your paper using a heart stamp. How do you plan it?

→ Start at one corner, press a heart, move the stamp one heart-width to the right, press again, and keep going all the way around the edge of the paper. · Spacing your stamps evenly makes the border look neat and finished.

Two of your prints look smeared instead of clear. What happened?

→ You probably moved or wiggled the stamp while it was still touching the paper. Press down, hold still, then lift straight up.

Common mistakes

Wiggling or sliding the stamp while pressing it down, which makes the print blurry and smeared.
Not putting enough paint on the stamp so the print is too faint to see.
Putting too much paint on the stamp so the print is a big blob with no detail.
Pressing the stamp in a different spot before the first print is dry, which smears wet paint.
Forgetting to re-dip the stamp in paint between each press, so later prints get lighter and lighter.

FAQs

Can we use anything as a stamp?

Almost! Good stamps have a flat surface that holds paint well. Try cut fruits and vegetables, sponges cut into shapes, foam pieces, corks, or even the bottom of a plastic bottle.

How do we keep the prints from smearing?

Use the Dip, Press, Lift, Repeat rule — especially the lift part. Lift the stamp straight up without sliding it sideways.

Does the paper need to be special?

Thick paper like cardstock works best because thin paper can wrinkle when it gets wet paint on it. Regular copy paper works fine for practice.

What is the difference between a stamp and a print?

The stamp is the object you use, like the cut potato or the leaf. The print is the mark the stamp leaves on the paper. One stamp can make many prints.

Why do some prints look different even when we use the same stamp?

The amount of paint, how hard you press, and whether the stamp moved a little all change how the print looks. That slight difference is part of what makes handmade prints special.

How do we clean the stamps when we switch colors?

Rinse the stamp under water and pat it dry with a paper towel before dipping it into a new color, so the colors do not mix into mud.

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