Acrylic Painting
Assignment #1.
Bring an example of own work and have canvas sketched out to paint from.
I brought the Impressionist painting and 2 canvases sketched to paint. The first was a little still life of tomatoes. The second was a whimsical little scene with 4 figures in the rain.
I also have several example of my own work on this website. Under the "Homecoming Banners" tab I have photographs of my paintings from 2005 to present. These were done in tempera, since they are temporary works that ultimately get run through by the varsity football team. They measure 6' x 12' approximately. Under the "Home" tab you will see the Rolle Bolle mural my artists painted 2 years ago, I was responsible for most of the faces and hands.
Bring an example of own work and have canvas sketched out to paint from.
I brought the Impressionist painting and 2 canvases sketched to paint. The first was a little still life of tomatoes. The second was a whimsical little scene with 4 figures in the rain.
I also have several example of my own work on this website. Under the "Homecoming Banners" tab I have photographs of my paintings from 2005 to present. These were done in tempera, since they are temporary works that ultimately get run through by the varsity football team. They measure 6' x 12' approximately. Under the "Home" tab you will see the Rolle Bolle mural my artists painted 2 years ago, I was responsible for most of the faces and hands.
Assignment #2.
Research three specific art styles. Write a summary and create a sample of each style. I chose: Impressionism, Expressionism, and Pop Art.
Research three specific art styles. Write a summary and create a sample of each style. I chose: Impressionism, Expressionism, and Pop Art.
Impressionism
Impressionism is an art movement, which took place in the mid-19th century, centralizing in France. The artists of this time period were reacting against the strict traditions of the official French salons (art exhibitions recognizing the best artists). Salons wanted conventional themes (religious/mythological, historical, still life, etc.) and established painting techniques (careful gradations of tone and value, realism at its finest, etc.). As artists started to push against tradition, beginning with subject matter, the art critics and public were horrified. Many artists who we now consider to be masters of painting were rejected from the salons. Under an uproar from the rebel artists, Emperor Napoleon II ordered an exhibition for the refused work—Salon des Refuses. This event marked the beginning of Impressionism. The movement did not get its title until 1874 when Monet’s Impression: Sunrise was exhibited at an independent showing where journalist Louis Leroy became inspired by the piece and coined the group’s name. The movement is famous for broken brushstrokes or loose painting techniques, experiments with light and environment (fog, mist, snow, etc.), the deletion of black, and open-air painting. These artists wanted an artistic break from traditional art, they did not want to impose rules for technique, they wanted to express spontaneity, and they wanted to study the phenomena of light.
Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir are the artists I like to discuss with my students as they are considered to be the greatest artists of Impressionism. Manet was the oldest, enjoyed scandalous subject matter but still kept with traditional painting techniques. I believe his most famous painting is Olympia. Degas experimented with a wide variety of media. He enjoyed casual settings for portraiture with new and intricate poses—dancers, horse jockeys, singers, etc. He became most famous for his paintings of dancers, my favorite is the sculpture, The Little Dancer Aged 14. Monet loved landscapes and created his own garden, complete with a Japanese bridge covered lily pond, to paint with all of his Impressionist friends. Renoir was the youngest. He loved portraiture and enjoyed painting women and children. He didn’t use broken brushstrokes or contrasting colors, but infused his paintings with light and serenity. His most famous painting is Luncheon of the Boating Party.
Impressionism is an art movement, which took place in the mid-19th century, centralizing in France. The artists of this time period were reacting against the strict traditions of the official French salons (art exhibitions recognizing the best artists). Salons wanted conventional themes (religious/mythological, historical, still life, etc.) and established painting techniques (careful gradations of tone and value, realism at its finest, etc.). As artists started to push against tradition, beginning with subject matter, the art critics and public were horrified. Many artists who we now consider to be masters of painting were rejected from the salons. Under an uproar from the rebel artists, Emperor Napoleon II ordered an exhibition for the refused work—Salon des Refuses. This event marked the beginning of Impressionism. The movement did not get its title until 1874 when Monet’s Impression: Sunrise was exhibited at an independent showing where journalist Louis Leroy became inspired by the piece and coined the group’s name. The movement is famous for broken brushstrokes or loose painting techniques, experiments with light and environment (fog, mist, snow, etc.), the deletion of black, and open-air painting. These artists wanted an artistic break from traditional art, they did not want to impose rules for technique, they wanted to express spontaneity, and they wanted to study the phenomena of light.
Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir are the artists I like to discuss with my students as they are considered to be the greatest artists of Impressionism. Manet was the oldest, enjoyed scandalous subject matter but still kept with traditional painting techniques. I believe his most famous painting is Olympia. Degas experimented with a wide variety of media. He enjoyed casual settings for portraiture with new and intricate poses—dancers, horse jockeys, singers, etc. He became most famous for his paintings of dancers, my favorite is the sculpture, The Little Dancer Aged 14. Monet loved landscapes and created his own garden, complete with a Japanese bridge covered lily pond, to paint with all of his Impressionist friends. Renoir was the youngest. He loved portraiture and enjoyed painting women and children. He didn’t use broken brushstrokes or contrasting colors, but infused his paintings with light and serenity. His most famous painting is Luncheon of the Boating Party.
Expressionism
Expressionism is an art movement, which took place between 1905-1918, centralizing in Germany. The artwork is characterized by strong, emotional content and dramatic, national temperament resulting in harshness, power, and tension—a striking reaction against Impressionism. The artists of the time period were politically engaged, for them there was no difference between society and art. Art was pointless unless it had a revolutionary effect on society.
There were two main groups of Expressionists in Germany: The Bridge and The Blue Riders. Both groups used plein air (open air) painting and preferred landscapes to figures. Artists of The Bridge lived in Dresden and worked together, painting communally. They used harsh color schemes, emphasized contours in bright red or green, and rendered entire subjects flat with complex patterns. The name of their group was chosen as a symbol of the developing future. I discuss Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Max Pechstein, and Otto Mueller with my students.
Artists of The Blue Riders lived in Munich and did not work together or participate in communal activities. They were seen as the more technically skilled group—still using harsh color schemes and contouring, however they also fragmented; sometimes rejected form and space; and used non-representational elements of art. The name of their group was chosen as a literal illustration of Kandinsky and Marc’s love of horses, riders, and blue. I discuss Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, August Macke, Paul Klee, and Alexej von Jawlensky with my students.
As Expressionists, these artists all have several strategies in common—harsh color schemes, angular portraits, and the love of contours. However Kirchner is distinctive for his slanting cityscape-figure pieces using acid-electric color schemes. Schmidt-Rottluff is noted for simple compositions filled with brilliant color. Mueller is unusual, using muted color schemes and focusing on the angular figure with soft values. Kandinsky is a genius with color, line, form, illustration, the father of non-representation art. Marc is known for his shattered, animal pieces that fill the canvas with gleaming color. Klee is revolutionary using translucent color and child-like illustrations to create fantasy-grid worlds.
Expressionism is an art movement, which took place between 1905-1918, centralizing in Germany. The artwork is characterized by strong, emotional content and dramatic, national temperament resulting in harshness, power, and tension—a striking reaction against Impressionism. The artists of the time period were politically engaged, for them there was no difference between society and art. Art was pointless unless it had a revolutionary effect on society.
There were two main groups of Expressionists in Germany: The Bridge and The Blue Riders. Both groups used plein air (open air) painting and preferred landscapes to figures. Artists of The Bridge lived in Dresden and worked together, painting communally. They used harsh color schemes, emphasized contours in bright red or green, and rendered entire subjects flat with complex patterns. The name of their group was chosen as a symbol of the developing future. I discuss Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Max Pechstein, and Otto Mueller with my students.
Artists of The Blue Riders lived in Munich and did not work together or participate in communal activities. They were seen as the more technically skilled group—still using harsh color schemes and contouring, however they also fragmented; sometimes rejected form and space; and used non-representational elements of art. The name of their group was chosen as a literal illustration of Kandinsky and Marc’s love of horses, riders, and blue. I discuss Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, August Macke, Paul Klee, and Alexej von Jawlensky with my students.
As Expressionists, these artists all have several strategies in common—harsh color schemes, angular portraits, and the love of contours. However Kirchner is distinctive for his slanting cityscape-figure pieces using acid-electric color schemes. Schmidt-Rottluff is noted for simple compositions filled with brilliant color. Mueller is unusual, using muted color schemes and focusing on the angular figure with soft values. Kandinsky is a genius with color, line, form, illustration, the father of non-representation art. Marc is known for his shattered, animal pieces that fill the canvas with gleaming color. Klee is revolutionary using translucent color and child-like illustrations to create fantasy-grid worlds.
Pop Art
Pop Art is an art movement, which took place in the mid-20th century, centralizing in the U.S. The movement is an exploration of “pop”ular cultural imagery, usually driven by consumer goods. Advertisements, product packaging, celebrity photographs, and comic strips become sources of high art during this period as artists rebel against the techniques and concepts of Abstract Expressionism. The movement is known for characteristically flat, graphic images; large canvases; and huge sculptures—all of which express easily recognizable, consumer products.
I like to discuss Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, and Claus Thure Oldenburg with my students, as they are excellent examples of the numerous factions of Pop Art. Warhol was all New York City—working in magazine and newspaper illustration during the 1950s, he started experimenting with his first Pop paintings in 1961. Campbell’s Soup Cans were created the following year, launching his success. He is famous for bold color (and personality); flat, graphic painting style; celebrity portraits; death and disaster subject matter; and mastering numerous media, specifically screen-printing. Lichtenstein was also a NYC artist, famous for his huge comic strip inspired paintings. His favorite subject matter themes were romance, war, and science fiction-- employing words to express sound effects. Lichtenstein’s painting style used a technique simulating ben-day screening (a printing dot pattern named after illustrator/printer Benjamin Day) in which an optical illusion expresses color or value change. Whaam! is a perfect example of this master’s work. Hockney was British but became seduced by the Californian coast during the 1970s. He was famous for simplified painting technique; a preoccupation with sunlight (especially in his pool pieces); frank yet everyday subject matter; huge photo-collages; and mastering numerous media like printmaking and set design. His most famous photo-collage is Pearlblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986, #2. Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor who eventually gained his U.S. citizenship and lived in NYC. He is famous for huge sculptures of food and consumer goods; white canvas “ghost” sculptures; soft (or unfilled/structured) sculptures; and cityscape-sized public art sculptures. Typewriter Eraser, Scale X is one of my favorite public pieces.
Pop Art is an art movement, which took place in the mid-20th century, centralizing in the U.S. The movement is an exploration of “pop”ular cultural imagery, usually driven by consumer goods. Advertisements, product packaging, celebrity photographs, and comic strips become sources of high art during this period as artists rebel against the techniques and concepts of Abstract Expressionism. The movement is known for characteristically flat, graphic images; large canvases; and huge sculptures—all of which express easily recognizable, consumer products.
I like to discuss Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, and Claus Thure Oldenburg with my students, as they are excellent examples of the numerous factions of Pop Art. Warhol was all New York City—working in magazine and newspaper illustration during the 1950s, he started experimenting with his first Pop paintings in 1961. Campbell’s Soup Cans were created the following year, launching his success. He is famous for bold color (and personality); flat, graphic painting style; celebrity portraits; death and disaster subject matter; and mastering numerous media, specifically screen-printing. Lichtenstein was also a NYC artist, famous for his huge comic strip inspired paintings. His favorite subject matter themes were romance, war, and science fiction-- employing words to express sound effects. Lichtenstein’s painting style used a technique simulating ben-day screening (a printing dot pattern named after illustrator/printer Benjamin Day) in which an optical illusion expresses color or value change. Whaam! is a perfect example of this master’s work. Hockney was British but became seduced by the Californian coast during the 1970s. He was famous for simplified painting technique; a preoccupation with sunlight (especially in his pool pieces); frank yet everyday subject matter; huge photo-collages; and mastering numerous media like printmaking and set design. His most famous photo-collage is Pearlblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986, #2. Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor who eventually gained his U.S. citizenship and lived in NYC. He is famous for huge sculptures of food and consumer goods; white canvas “ghost” sculptures; soft (or unfilled/structured) sculptures; and cityscape-sized public art sculptures. Typewriter Eraser, Scale X is one of my favorite public pieces.
Assignment #3.
Create an original painting (18" x 24") demonstrating what was learned through the previous research. Photograph the steps.
I wanted to use a photograph I took of my Nana years ago in a coffee shop. I researched Cubism for this piece as I want to use it this year when my high school students study Picasso and Braque. I learned that Picasso did minimal under-painting, just to set the values. I enjoyed working larger with this piece.
Create an original painting (18" x 24") demonstrating what was learned through the previous research. Photograph the steps.
I wanted to use a photograph I took of my Nana years ago in a coffee shop. I researched Cubism for this piece as I want to use it this year when my high school students study Picasso and Braque. I learned that Picasso did minimal under-painting, just to set the values. I enjoyed working larger with this piece.
Assignment #4.
Create a lesson plan that integrates something from the painting experience and how it will be implemented into the classroom. Provide a visual.
Create a lesson plan that integrates something from the painting experience and how it will be implemented into the classroom. Provide a visual.
Lesson: Under-Painting Study Comparison
Grade 9-12th; Art 2-4
Duration 1-3 class periods
Objectives Students will learn under-painting techniques and compare them with “raw” techniques (non-under-painting). They will employ complimentary and analogous colors in addition to tones and values to create individual studies of a “mini-Still Life.”
Procedures 1. Discuss the acrylic class I took this summer and the new techniques learned. Review color theory briefly. Demonstrate monochromatic painting, using the complimentary color of the dominant color, on a pre-drawn, pre-taped canvas or matte board. I think a sphere or a round fruit will work best for my students. Remember to do the demo on just 1 object and then wait to continue. Check for understanding.
2. Students will need to quickly draw the object/fruit. They may then continue to the under-painting stage.
3. Demonstrate painting realistic colors over the monochromatic layer. Remind students to use multiple colors often, yet strategically. Demonstrate painting these same colors over the non-under-painting object drawn.
4. Student work time to paint realistic colors over the base coat.
5. Demonstrate glazing with fluorescent colors.
6. Student work time.
7. Finish the studies—including background, surface, shadows, etc. Students may choose their own background colors.
8. Spray the work with clear gloss acrylic spray paint, remove tape, let dry.
8. Discuss the differences between the 2 studies in a semi-formal critique while addressing the benefits of under-painting, spray-varnishing, etc.
Materials Small canvas boards or matte board, pencils, erasers, acrylic paint, brushes, clear gloss acrylic spray paint, painting tape.
Builds Upon Previous Knowledge: Students understand color theory, value, and form. They have used acrylic paints and clear acrylic spray paint previously.
Assessment: Rubric is attached.
Under-Painting Rubric:
Objects/forms drawn on matte board
Monochromatic under-painting of object, shadows, background, etc.
Over-painting of object, shadows, background, etc.
2nd object painted without the under-painting stage.
Challenging color, tone, & value for Individual level
Grade 9-12th; Art 2-4
Duration 1-3 class periods
Objectives Students will learn under-painting techniques and compare them with “raw” techniques (non-under-painting). They will employ complimentary and analogous colors in addition to tones and values to create individual studies of a “mini-Still Life.”
Procedures 1. Discuss the acrylic class I took this summer and the new techniques learned. Review color theory briefly. Demonstrate monochromatic painting, using the complimentary color of the dominant color, on a pre-drawn, pre-taped canvas or matte board. I think a sphere or a round fruit will work best for my students. Remember to do the demo on just 1 object and then wait to continue. Check for understanding.
2. Students will need to quickly draw the object/fruit. They may then continue to the under-painting stage.
3. Demonstrate painting realistic colors over the monochromatic layer. Remind students to use multiple colors often, yet strategically. Demonstrate painting these same colors over the non-under-painting object drawn.
4. Student work time to paint realistic colors over the base coat.
5. Demonstrate glazing with fluorescent colors.
6. Student work time.
7. Finish the studies—including background, surface, shadows, etc. Students may choose their own background colors.
8. Spray the work with clear gloss acrylic spray paint, remove tape, let dry.
8. Discuss the differences between the 2 studies in a semi-formal critique while addressing the benefits of under-painting, spray-varnishing, etc.
Materials Small canvas boards or matte board, pencils, erasers, acrylic paint, brushes, clear gloss acrylic spray paint, painting tape.
Builds Upon Previous Knowledge: Students understand color theory, value, and form. They have used acrylic paints and clear acrylic spray paint previously.
Assessment: Rubric is attached.
Under-Painting Rubric:
Objects/forms drawn on matte board
Monochromatic under-painting of object, shadows, background, etc.
Over-painting of object, shadows, background, etc.
2nd object painted without the under-painting stage.
Challenging color, tone, & value for Individual level
Assignment #5.
Visit the Des Moines Art Center and take inspirational notes regarding possible student influence during instruction. I was given permission to visit a museum closer to my location. I went to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The photographs I took show painting techniques I think my students will find motivational and helpful.
Visit the Des Moines Art Center and take inspirational notes regarding possible student influence during instruction. I was given permission to visit a museum closer to my location. I went to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The photographs I took show painting techniques I think my students will find motivational and helpful.
Assignment #6.
Reflect and then submit an "open project" which should accommodate my classroom needs and objectives. It should be a painting at least 8" x 10".
I wanted to do a piece concentrating on under-painting. A simple still life was easy to control and have fun with the colors. I feel it will be an easier introduction to under-painting for my students, rather than portraits. They will have had a previous unit using "under-painting" in landscapes with pastels, so their color theory skills should be quite sharp. My more advanced students will love this application for portraiture.
I wanted to use the isopropyl alcohol on another piece for my "open project" in addition to the tomatoes, but I have not been able to find the correct percentage of alcohol anywhere.
Reflect and then submit an "open project" which should accommodate my classroom needs and objectives. It should be a painting at least 8" x 10".
I wanted to do a piece concentrating on under-painting. A simple still life was easy to control and have fun with the colors. I feel it will be an easier introduction to under-painting for my students, rather than portraits. They will have had a previous unit using "under-painting" in landscapes with pastels, so their color theory skills should be quite sharp. My more advanced students will love this application for portraiture.
I wanted to use the isopropyl alcohol on another piece for my "open project" in addition to the tomatoes, but I have not been able to find the correct percentage of alcohol anywhere.
These are photographs of the work we did in class.