This free PDF handout is part of the “East Asian Cultural Crafts” series. In this lesson, we will be learning a little about the Chinese invention of printing and the Terracotta Warriors.
Learn more about the Terracotta Warriors, the history of printing, or woodblock printing (not recommended to try at home; be very careful if and when using any sharp object) by watching the videos below or reading about the history of printing here.
You can make your own Terracotta Warrior army! You can use the foam printing method or the pencil graphite transfer method.
For the foam printing method:
- Use a pencil to draw a Terracotta Warrior on your foam sheet. Make sure the foam is indented. NOTE: Whatever is indented will NOT show up on paper (white areas when printed).
- Take some scissors and cut around the shape of your warrior OR use acrylic paint and ONLY paint your Terracotta warrior.
- Press the side of the foam (with the paint) on another piece of paper. You can repeat these steps to make your own Terracotta Army.
For the pencil graphite method:
- Print out the handout or draw your own Terracotta Warrior.
- On the back of the image you drew or on the back of the printed handout, take your pencil and cover the page with graphite.
- Get out another piece of blank paper. Put the side of the paper covered in graphite on the blank paper.
- Trace along the outlines of the Terracotta Warrior that you drew or one from the handout. This will transfer the graphite to the blank piece of paper. You can repeat these steps to build your own Terracotta Army.
For visual help with these printing methods, here are some videos on step-by-step instructions: How To Do Foam Printing, Print Making With Marker on Styrofoam, DIY Graphite Transfer. Certain materials can be used or substituted (such as using acrylic paint instead of ink).
