Children will learn best when they are having fun, so have them create their own Impressionist painting.
Impressionism is a 19th-century art form brought about by a growing popularity with photography, which then led to the Impressionist movement in Paris. Impressionist paintings are characterized by short brush strokes used to capture the impression of a moment, with outdoor landscapes being a very popular subject. The best way to teach children about Impressionism is to have them create an Impressionist-style painting. By offering hands-on experience with the art form, they are more likely to understand its terms and concepts. Creating a Monet-like landscape introduces one of the most well-known Impressionist painters and allows children to discuss color theory, light studies and the use of negative space.
Instructions
Discuss Impressionism Referring to the Art Posters
1. Display the art posters for the children to see and study.
2. Discuss the name "Impressionism." The term came from a Claude Monet painting called "Impression Sunrise" that depicted a sunrise focusing on the lights movement across a body of water.
3. Discuss the use of short brush strokes to portray movement in the paintings. Notice how the paintings look like a fuzzy mess from up close, but as you step back and take in the whole painting, you can see the scene that the artist is portraying. Notice that the short brush strokes create a hazy and soft image, a characteristic of Impressionist paintings.
4. Discuss the use of color. Notice that the colors are not mixed before they are placed on the canvas but used in short strokes laid next to each and blended directly on the canvas while the paint is still wet. As you step back from the painting, your eyes blend the colored strokes into the intended mix of color. Notice that there is no black paint in the painting. Dark colors and gray were mixed by using combinations of of the primary colors red, blue and yellow.
5. Discuss the portrayal of light. Impressionist paintings emphasize natural light because they tended to paint "en plein air," or outside.
Paint an Impressionist Painting
6. Clip your paper to the clip board and get creative to determine what sort of landscape you want to paint. Choose from typical impressionist settings, such as gardens, ponds or sunrises over large bodies of water. If you want, you can loosely sketch out your painting with a pencil using a very light touch.
7. Mask off the silhouette of any man-made objects you will be depicting in your painting using masking tape. For example, mask off any bridges, buildings, fences or paths.
8. Clip the sponge with the clothes pin to form the handle of your sponge brush.
9. Pour a dollop of each paint color onto your paper plate palette and mix some colors on your palette. Don't mix the paint too much because you want to paint with colors that will blend into a vibrant painting when you view it from a distance.
10. Sponge your painting. Pick up some paint on your sponge brush and dab it onto your painting to form water, flowers, skylines, etc. Notice that the sponge technique looks like short paint brush strokes. Be sure to cover the entire painting, masking tape and all, until you are happy with the finished paint application. Remove the masking tape to reveal the delicate man-made structures on your painting. Let your painting dry.
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