Lesson Title: Ukiyo-e
Course: Foundations
Grade: 9-12

Objectives: As a result of instruction, students will be able to…
1. Identify major Ukiyo-e artists and the themes and characteristics of their work.
2. Describe aspects of Japanese art and culture.
3. Create an edition of a reduction print of something Japanese.
4. Research the topic and write a description of what is in the print.

Materials:
Paper
Pencils
Colored pencils
Transfer paper
Linoleum
Linoleum cutters
Brayers
Printing press
Block printing ink
Plexi-glass palettes

Instructional Resources:
Postcards of Ukiyo-e prints
Actual Ukiyo-e prints from Japan
Video- Japenese Prints: The Floating World. Double Diamond Corporation.
Art & Man, February 1989 Vol. 19 No 4. Japanese Prints: Special Feature on Hokusai
Fahr-Becker, Gabriele. Japanese Prints. Taschen, 1999
Hillier, J. Japanese Colour Prints. Phaidon, 1991.
Tadashi, Kobayashi. Ukiyo-e: An Introduction to Japanese Woodblock Prints. Kodansha Ulak, James. Japanese Prints. Abbeville Press Publishers,1995

Vocabulary:
Hanga- the general term for a woodblock print
Hangi- printing block, usually a plank of cherry-wood or boxwood.
Ukiyo-e- Woodblock prints of the floating world
Bijin-ga- Pictures of beautiful women, usually courtesans.
Yakusha-e- Portraits of Kabuki actors.
Edition- a group of numbered prints that look the same
Plate- the surface that is manipulated in order to create a print
Relief- ink is rolled over the uppermost surface of a carved plate and printed
Press- the machine which inked plates and paper are rolled through to print
Reduction- the process of alternately cutting and printing one plate
Bench-hook- the metal piece that hooks onto the edge of the table to cut on
Brayer- the roller with which ink is rolled onto a plate
Registration- the process of lining up the different layers of a print

Motivation:
1. Teacher will put up a display of postcards of Ukiyo-e prints and actual Ukiyo-e prints.
2. Teacher will introduce unit by describing the process and the topics of Ukiyo-e prints.
3. Students will watch the video Japanese Prints: The Floating World.
4. Teacher will present a slide show of Japan, telling students about Japanese art and culture.
5. Students will choose a topic from the slide show to represent in a print.
6. Students will print out a picture and research the topic.
7. Students will summarize their research in a paragraph that will posted with the print.

Procedure:
1. Students will do a drawing and color it in colored pencils using 5 colors or under (not including white).
2. Teacher will demonstrate transferring the image.
3. Students will transfer the drawing onto a piece of linoleum.
4. Teacher will demonstrate carving.
5. Students will carve away the white if they have any.
6. Teacher will demonstrate printing.
7. Students will print their lightest color 4 times.
8. Students will carve away the color they just printed.
9. Teacher will demonstrate registration.
10. Students will print their 2nd lightest color, registering it on top of the lightest color.
11. Students will carve away the color they just printed.
12. Students will continue with steps 10 & 11 until all the colors are printed.
13. Students will choose their best print to frame and display.

Evaluation: To what extent did students…
1. Identify major Ukiyo-e artists and the themes and characteristics of their work.
2 . Describe aspects of Japanese art and culture.
3 . Master the skills and techniques of printing a reduction print.
4 . Write a comprehensive description of the Japanese topic in the print.

Photos of students working on prints