Year 2 – Batik Style Art
Project Overview
In Year 2, we have been learning about Batik art. Batik is a method used to produce colourful designs so that they can be used in the home.
The children started by what a textile is and when they are used. They were able to describe the different textures, colours and patterns used and then go on to draw pictures to suggest where they are used around the home.
The children then went on to learn about Batik. It is an Indonesian technique of dyeing applied to a white cloth. When we watched Batik being made the children noticed that traditionally, hot wax as applied first to the parts to be left undyed and then they dye the fabric so that beautiful patterns are left. They then talked about the similarities in the Indonesian Batik and used these ideas to create their own using wax crayons and paint.
Once they were happy with their designs, they were placed under muslin cloth and then a mix of toothpaste and hand cream was used to draw onto the cloth so that when paint was applied you could see the pattern left behind just like in traditional methods. The outcomes were so beautiful!
What The Student Says
“I loved painting with toothpaste! It was a little hard to see though.” Year 2 pupil.
“It was really exciting to see my pattern at the end. We weren’t sure if it was going to work because we couldn’t see it when we painted over it.” Year 2 pupil.
What skills were developed?
The children have:
- Used paint and ‘wax’ for fabric printing.
- Designed patterns including shape and symmetry.
- Used observational skills to evaluated traditional Batik designs.
- Taken what they have learned about Batik designs and used these to create their own designs.
- Used appropriate language to describe tools and the process.
- Identified the purpose of printing on fabric.
What The Teacher Says
What a fantastic start to the year! It has been lovely to see the children’s art skills and I am already so impressed. The children have shown a real interest in Batik and they enjoyed watching the process undertaken to create these beautiful designs. Throughout this project, the children have thought carefully about how they want their design to look and this can be seen in their final pieces. Well done year 2! – Mrs Jones, 2CJ Class Teacher
