THE Curriculum for Creativity TM
R
Color and Composition BOOK TWO MIDDLE SCHOOL 6-8
Brenda Ellis
A Comprehensive Art Program Designed to Involve the Student in the Creative Process While Developing Observational Skills
PLUS Master Works Featuring World Art Art Instruction Newly Expanded Edition
CONTENTS
ART SUPPLIES
Page Unit
1 – Nupastel assorted colors, set of 24or larger 1 – Sakura Cray Pas Junior Artist Oil Pastel, set of 50 1 – Pastel paper pad in assorted colors 1 – Drawing paper pad (white) 1 – Paper stump 1 – Kneaded eraser 1- Vinyl eraser 1- sharpener 1- Natural Chamois 4x 4in. Additional supplies: aerosol hairspray (for use as a fixative), masking tape, cotton ball, drawing board (optional)
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Contents / Art Supplies What Parents Want to Know Book Contents and Scheduling What Students Want to Know The Mysterious Language of Color
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5 6
Color Pastels
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Hue and Intensity
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The Elements Combined – Smooth and Rough Textures
12 17 22 23 28 33 34 39 44 49 50 55 60 65 70 71 76 81 86 91 92
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Primary and Secondary
Monochrome
The Elements Combined – Color and Form
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Complementary Pairs
Neutrals
The Elements Combined – Shapes and Values Warm Analogous Colors Cool Analogous Colors
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Color Application
Composition
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Balance in Color Parallel Rhythm
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Converging Rhythm Space with Little Depth The Elements Combined – Color and Texture
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13 14 15 16
Depth
Viewpoint, Low Viewpoint, High
Emphasis
Evaluation Sheet
Bibliography
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Getting Started
What Parents Want to Know Book Content and Scheduling
To learn to make art in color artists have always focused on two groups of topics known as the elements of art, including color theory, and principles of design (composition). Each unit in this book introduces one of these topics over four lessons. Each topic is explored in unique ways, giving students enough experience with the topic that they naturally incorporate it into the way that they draw. It becomes part of their thinking as they draw any kind of subject matter. This kind of focus and many opportunities to practice is how children learn to draw.
First Lesson of Each Unit
Building a Visual Vocabulary Here students are given a topic to focus on explained in words and pictures. The creative exploration assignment guides students to observe the topic in their own environment. They make connections to real-world experiences, and create a work of art from their own observations and ideas. The assignment for this lesson is colored brown. Second Lesson of Each Unit Art Appreciation and Art History Students see how the topic is used in a work of art by the masters and apply their new observations to a work of art that they create. Students gain knowledge of artists and art history. The assignment for this lesson is colored brown. Third Lesson of Each Unit Techniques Students learn how to use the materials and tools of art and apply that knowledge to make an original work of art. The assignment for this lesson is colored brown.
Fourth Lesson of Each Unit
Application Students do a final project incorporating new techniques and application of the topic while using a variety of references such as still life objects, landscapes, portraiture, photographs and more! The assignment for this lesson is colored brown.
Scheduling Art Class
CLASSES PER WEEK: TWO
TIME PER CLASS: ABOUT ONE HOUR
PERIOD: 36 WEEKS OR FULL SCHOOL YEAR This schedule can be modified to fit yours. Keep in mind that students can work independently so it is their time you are scheduling, not your own. Schedule art class at a time when they can complete the art assignment, even if it runs over an hour. Once interrupted, students can rarely return to an activity with as much enthusiasm as they first had. Time for completing each activity will vary greatly depending on students’ approaches; however, you should see that as they learn to use more of the elements within their pictures that they are taking more time on each piece.
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Getting Started
What Students Want to Know
THE MYSTERIOUS LANGUAGE OF COLOR
If the secrets of color were contained in a book, would you open it? We hope your answer is YES! Just as learning the rules of a sport adds to your enjoyment of playing it, learning the rules of color adds to your enjoyment of making art in color. The first thing everyone should know is where to find the rulebook for color. The rulebook is the color wheel.
1. Learn the rules of color using the color wheel.
“OK”, you say, “I’m looking at the color wheel and I don’t see any rules.” We won’t let you be stuck there. Each unit in this book will introduce you to the vocabulary of the color wheel. As you practice one idea at a time, you will soon understand how to mix any colors you want with the few that are in your color set. The second and most important secret when dealing with color is all about what set you choose. Choose a set that contains blue, red, and yellow as shown on the color wheel. Most sets that are designed for students will contain the primary colors that you need.
2. See color variations and color mixtures.
Your brain is a storehouse of color knowledge. You would agree that oranges are orange and lemons are yellow. Each statement has simplified what we really see in order to reduce it to one color for easy identification. What we really see are reflections, shadows, color combinations, and all kinds of other factors that change the original color. Artists learn to see these color variations and color mixtures. An orange may appear blue in the shadows. A lemon may appear green around the ends.
3. Exaggerate colors
Artists may overstep the bounds of truth when applying color to the paper. They do this in order to make objects clearer and easier to identify. They might exaggerate to create a mood. They might use color for its associated me anings by using red because it seems “hot” or green because it seems “peaceful”. By using the color rules, you will unlock the secrets of color and gain the skills to work in color with confidence.
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UNIT 5
Lesson 1
When complimentary pairs are mixed, they become less intense and make neutral colors. Neutral colors are described as brown or gray. Neutral colors vary when different complementary pairs are mixed.
Be Creative
“The universe is God’s work of art. God’s creation established the foundational necessities-the physical, aesthetic, and human realities- that make subsequent art possible.” -Gene Edward Veith, Jr., Author One must actively seek inspiration. Inspiration does not seek people out nor does it tend to appear magically when we need it. It is tough to get inspired while sitting in a room that is familiar to you. So where do you go for inspiration? Get closer to nature, the work of a creative hand. The Psalmist states, “The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament (earth) shows His handiwork.” (Ps. 19 :1, the New King James Version). Step outdoors; look, observe natural things. TRY IT: Go outdoors and away from your house if possible. Look up at the sky. Look down at the ground. Look to distant scenes. Find inspiration.
CREATIVE CORY
Cory had to use your vehicle for the still life, dear. He says he saw it all in a moment of inspiration.
OBJECTIVE: to encourage active participation in finding meaningful, inspiring subjects for art.
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Lesson 2
Look at Neutral Colors in Art We often name neutral colors brown or gray. All colors can be lowered in intensity until they become brown or gray. They have different qualities depending on which colors are used in the mix. In this pastel work by Degas, we see different neutral colors. The wall has a light yellow hue. The hat on top of the stand is also a yellow-neutral color. It is less intense than the wall. The stand and object in the woman’s hands is a reddish - brown. The lady’s dress is a gray neutral color. Gray is also seen in other parts of the picture. The picture is much more interesting because there are so many variations in brown.
Neutral color with emphasis on yellow.
Neutral color with emphasis on red.
Grays are neutral too. Some grays are more blue, some more yellow, and some more red. This gray has an emphasis on red.
Edgar Degas, At the Milliners, c. 1905-10 Pastel on tracing paper. Photo Credit: Dover Publications Inc., NY.
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The Artist
The Culture Even though Edgar Degas was well educated at the art academy and knew all the rules involved with painting, his work was at odds with the academic standards when he pushed figures to the edges of a painting or part way out of it. In an academic work, the figures would be placed well within the edges of the picture. By doing this, the artist showed a complete picture or idea. Degas’ figures, leaning out of the edges, suggest that the world goes on beyond this single idea or format. It suggests a world that the artist has only hinted at. The Chinese created similar worlds in their hand held scroll paintings. A long strip of silk or paper was rolled into a scroll and a continuous landscape was painted onto the scroll. The viewer only saw a piece at a time as he unrolled one end while rolling the other up. One view led into the next, suggesting a world beyond the one we see. Degas would not have been aware of Chinese scrolls. It was the new invention of photography that influenced his technique. He saw the way snapshots caught a moment with people or animals going into and out of the picture. The r esult of Degas’ work and of the Chinese scroll was that art captured a segment of time and space while suggesting that there was more to be seen.
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) French Impressionist Painter
Early in his career, Edgar Degas wanted to be a history painter. He was well trained within the traditional Academy style. In his 30’s he changed course. He was part of the Impressionist movement and was influenced greatly by their ideas; however, he did not want to be called an Impressionist. He preferred to think of himself as a realistic painter. His subject matter became more modern as he sought out subjects in ballet studios, at the horse track, and in workplaces like the hat shop in the picture, At the Milliners . He was greatly influenced by the new invention of photography and was noted for composing his paintings like a snapshot. He cut off figures, like the figure on the right in the work you just looked at, painting them at the edge of the canvas or paper. Degas worked in pastels, perhaps more often than any other Impressionist painter, except for Cassatt, who greatly admired the work of Degas. Pastels could be applied to the paper quickly and could be carried on location easily.
Make a chart of neutral colors to use for future reference. Find at least ten combinations and variations of neutral colors using all the colors in your pastel set. Label each combination with the hues that were used in the mixture. When finished, apply fixative (hairspray) to the chart. Keep the chart for future reference. The Challenge
3 0
HOW TO DRAW SKIN COLORS
Lesson 3
One does not need many colors to make a satisfying portrait when using a colored background. The pastels at the right of the two pictures show which colors were used. Select the flesh tones from your pastels. Conte crayons often come in flesh tones and are very similar to hard pastels.
A medium-dark paper is chosen as a background for the dark skin of the man. The face is not completely filled in but the paper shows in some areas. The entire portrait uses only neutral colors.
Try New Techniques Draw a portrait of a person using color paper and pastels. Work from a photograph that shows the form of the face. Look for both highlights and shaded areas. Apply fixative (hairspray) to the finished work. Light paper is chosen as a background for the light skin of the girl. The blue colors seen in shaded areas of the skin reflect the colors around the face. These colors are not found within the skin itself. These shaded areas tie in with the blue shirt and give unity to the portrait.
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The Project
Lesson 4
Draw a self-portrait from your image as seen in a mirror. Use neutral colors.
To be successful with pastels it is helpful to look at the work of those who used pastels in the past. Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas were especially skilled in its use and are perhaps our best instructors in this medium. Look for the following practices in their work: They worked large. Creating details within a small area is difficult when one applies color with a stick. They worked on color backgrounds. It is not unusual to begin with a color background in other media but it is of special benefit when working with pastels. The light colored pastels are opaque when placed over a dark background, creating an immediate contrast of light and dark. They worked in loose strokes, placing color beside color. This is especially suited to pastels because they are difficult to blend.
Materials Flesh tone pastels kneaded eraser cotton ball chamois pastel paper aerosol hairspray mirror References Set up a mirror and observe your face and shoulders in it. Sit your drawing materials in front of you as you face the mirror. NOTE: Self-portrait mirrors are available for art students. These plastic mirrors stand up, making it easy to see a reflection while working from a table.
This work shows how pastels can be applied loosely, while layering one color over another.
Student Gallery
Student work by Geoffrey Lohr uses quick strokes in a layered effect.
LOOK BACK! Did you use light and dark colors to contrast with the neutral background of the color paper?
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Lesson 1
UNIT 10
Rhythm is the repeated use of color, line, value, texture, or shape within a work of art. Since the eye is quick to see the relationship of similar things, rhythm is a useful tool for carrying the eye across the picture. Parallel lines in both horizontal and vertical positions create rhythm in this drawing by Nathan Voss.
Be Creative
Be Creative Life is full of visual information, but we can miss it when we do not purposefully engage in the act of observing. Artists are visually more in tune with their world than the person who has never spent time looking at things. As artists draw, they continually observe. Observation is a skill that is developed. TRY IT: Do a 5-minute drawing that is from memory of something you have observed in the last 24 hours. Continue this exercise daily, for the next two weeks. If you continue this short practice, you will find that you are becoming more aware of the world you live in. Each day is filled with great visual information. See for yourself!
5-minute memory sketches will not have a lot of detail at first. As your memory skills improve so will the amount of detail in your sketches. Here is a great sketch by student, Nathan Voss after working in this manner for about six months.
OBJECTIVE: to start a daily drawing habit that will greatly increase awareness of the visual material.
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Lesson 2
Look at Parallel Rhythm
Rhythm in a work of art is a repeated element of art: line, texture, shape, form, value, or color. It is like a repeating beat in music. Just as rhythms in music can be quite different and affect how we feel when listening, the rhythms in art can also be quite different. A rhythm creates a steady flow across the painting. These are controlled movements used to direct our eyes over a work of art and control the speed at which they travel. Here the artist uses vertical and diagonal lines. We feel a quiet, rhythmic calm as we look at this painting. Looking out over the bridge, the man sees another bridge. This was made during the industrial age and bridges were a monument to invention and man’s ability to control nature. This made them worthy subjects for painting.
Gustave Caillebotte, Le pont de l’Europe ; 1877. Photo Credit : Dover Publications Inc.
Vertical lines are shown in blue. Diagonal lines are shown in green.
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The Artist Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) French Impressionist Painter and Collector
Using hatch strokes is a way of creating texture on the picture space. Use any type of repeated motion with your hand to create other kinds of textures. Try making short dashes, dots, vertical lines, or using a tight wandering line. Some examples are shown below. How do the strokes change the appearance of the apple? Choose one simple object to explore texture. Draw it four or more times using different types of strokes each time. The Challenge Caillebotte studied art at the French Academy after obtaining his law degree and fighting in the Franco-Prussian War. He became friends with artists outside the Academy, the Impressionists, and did much to help them in their struggles to get their work seen. He helped keep the group together with his diplomatic skills during disagreements. Because he was from a wealthy family, Caillebotte was able to help many Impressionists financially. He rented their exhibition space with his own money. He paid to advertise for the show, bought frames, and hung the pictures. He also made many of the first purchases and at his death donated sixty-eight Impressionist works to the French government. Without his management and marketing skills and his wealth it is questionable whether the Impressionists could have made such a bold impact in such a short time. They were known and their work accepted by the general public after just twelve years. Caillebotte was a painter as well as patron. His other interests included stamp collecting, gardening, and yachting.
Dashes
Dots
Lines
Squiggles
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Lesson 3
HOW TO MAKE HATCH STROKES Hatching is to make
quick lines that go in the same direction, and then to layer colors on top of each other. It is not like blending because each
mark is distinct, and not blended into another. Here are some examples of hatch strokes in different colors. Hatching is a good technique to use with oil pastels because they do not blend as easily as soft pastels.
1.
1. Begin by drawing the outline of the subjects you’ve chosen like the three monkeys shown on the left.
2.
3.
4.
2. Put in the first layer of colors, which are the middle values, making your marks go in the same direction. 3. Add new colors, which are close to the middle values in the same strokes. 4. Finish by hatching in the very darkest and the very lightest areas.
Try New Techniques
Choose an object and try making hatch strokes as described above. Always choose subject matter that you like. Consider models, toys, sports equipment, favorite bedroom accessories, and things that are around you.
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The Project
Lesson 4
The monkeys on the previous page show rhythm through repetition of a similar form. They all have the same blockish shape. Look for this kind of repetition in a landscape scene.
Materials oil pastels sharpener drawing paper drawing board References Go outdoors and look for rhythm. There are often rhythms to be found in manufactured things like buildings or along streets. Look in the following places: Flowerbeds Gardens Parks Roadsides
Student Gallery
Student work by Annie Walker. This work uses blending throughout. Oil pastels were rubbed with her finger. Blending creates a calm mood. She creates rhythm with the parallel lines of the trees and their shapes. Student work by Eva Fan. Eva created this work using a hatch stroke throughout the drawing. She creates rhythm in the curved lines following the edges of the water on both sides.
Decks Lanes Fields Hedges Lakesides Home
developments
LOOK BACK! Did you use the repetition of a subject to create rhythm in your work of art?
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Evaluation Sheet For Obtaining a Number and Letter Grade
Teachers may calculate a number and letter grade for each project within each unit. Follow the instructions below when reviewing the final work. DO NOT take off points for concepts not yet taught. Follow the objectives carefully when grading. Because of the subjective qualities of art, it is best to mark higher rather than lower when deciding between two levels of achievement. If the student enjoys doing the lessons and has made the effort to create a work of art in a thoughtful way, then that student should be given a good grade. Allow the student to grow into mature artistic expression. Do not demand results that can only be obtained by years of experience that the student has not yet had. It is very likely that an individual who enjoys making art will get A’s . This does not mean that the student has arrived at a full knowledge and use of artistic concepts. It does mean the student is doing well in the pursuit of that goal.
LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT: Choose the number of points that most accurately describes the work from each of the three categories below. Add the numbers from categories 1, 2, 3, and 4. This is the student’s total score f or the unit. This number can be translated into a letter grade: 90-100 (A), 80-89 (B), 70-79 (C), Uncompleted work (D-F).
1. Creative Exercise
2. The Challenge
3. Technique Drawing
4. The Project
25 POINTS / COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT OBTAINING ALL OBJECTIVES IN THE BROWN BOX
25 POINTS/ COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT SHOWING GOOD
25 POINTS/ COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT
25 POINTS/ COMPLETED PROJECT SHOWING A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIT (SEE TITLE) AND USE OF THOSE ITEMS ASKED FOR IN
SHOWING A GOOD UNDERSTANDING AND USE OF MATERIALS OR TECHNIQUES 20 POINTS/ COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT SHOWING AN ATTEMPT TO USE MATERIALS OR TECHNIQUES 15 POINTS/ COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT DID NOT USE MATERIALS CORRECTLY OR TRY THE TECHNIQUES SHOWN
UNDERSTANDING OF CONCEPT SHOWN IN ART WORK 20 POINTS/ COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT SHOWING AN ATTEMPT TO USE CONCEPT SHOWN IN ART WORK 15 POINTS/ COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT DID NOT USE CONCEPT SHOWN IN ART WORK
THE BLACK BOX, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
20 POINTS/ COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT
20 POINTS/ COMPLETED PROJECT SHOWING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIT BUT DID NOT ACCOMPLISH SOME ITEMS ASKED FOR IN THE BLACK BOX, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE 15 POINTS/ COMPLETED PROJECT DID NOT SHOW UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIT OR ITEMS ASKED FOR IN
OBTAINING SOME OF THE OBJECTIVES IN THE BROWN BOX
15 POINTS/ COMPLETED
ASSIGNMENT BUT DID NOT OBTAIN OBJECTIVES IN THE BROWN BOX
THE BLACK BOX, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
Note: If you do not see how the student accomplished the objectives asked for, do ask them about it. At times, the student will understand the objective very well and will be able to tell you how they accomplished the task in the drawing. This is valid. Remember that getting a visual idea across clearly is a process that takes time. Allow the student to grow it .
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ART/EDUCATION
MIDDLE SCHOOL 6-8 BOOK TWO This THIRD EDITION offers students the opportunity to discover their own creative strengths in the arts. Color theory and composition are explored through beautiful color reproductions of World Art. • Text written in conversational manner means student can work independently • Full year course in one book includes 68 lessons with projects • Four unique projects in each unit include an exercise in creativity, art history and appreciation, techniques, and exploration of various subject matter • Special assignments broaden student’s experiences with art materials “I love the way ARTistic Pursuits gives just enough information that the children enjoy it…with great facts that are intriguing yet, it doesn‛t go into overkill with too much information! LOVE the joy and laughter that fills our home as we sit and create using these books together!” Homeschool Parent – Rebecca Brandt / Georgia “How does someone like me, who is so artistically challenged, teach art successfully in their homeschool? They use a fantastic art curriculum called ARTistic Pursuits. When I mentioned that we would be receiving the next book in the series, my son literally lit up. He was so excited to continue his studies through this curriculum and to learn color theory and how to use pastels.” Homeschool Parent – Brenda Emmett / Wyoming “I really, really like this curriculum. I can see my children applying the things they‛ve learned through it. We walked through the art museum last week and they were finding compositional things, like motion, within the pictures.” Homeschool Parent– Nancy Gorman / Massachusetts
Use this book again and again! Non-consumable
Published by Artistic Pursuits Inc. www.artisticpursuits.com
Middle School 6-8 Book Two USA
This book has shown thousands of students how to create original works of art while laying a solid educational foundation under their feet. Your role as parent/teacher is to praise and encourage. Isn’t that what you want to do anyway? Start today.
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