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Lesson Plans


Re: Seurat

From: Bicyclken
Date: Sun Apr 16 2000 - 16:37:30 PDT

  • Next message: Artemis420: "Re: Seurat"

    In my art 1 class we do a project with a simple still life.

    Have them draw banana's, oranges (peeled with a curl), apples, lemons.
    Individual drawings big enough to go onto an 8x10" newsprint, that is one
    banana, one orange etc. Draw a background line and one vertical line going
    from the top of the subject to the top of the format. Tansfer the sketches
    to a cheap chipboard or other hard painting surface.

    Next have them look at the sections of their drawing, let's say the orange.

     The outside is darker orange than the inside sections and the pulp around
    that. Each one of the areas will be painted blue but different values of
    blue. Add white to the blue to change values so that the base color resembles
    the values of the areas to be painted.

    With a small pointed brush, and a palette, mix some orange with white, pure
    orange, orange with some blue mixed, and one with more blue, and one that's
    very dull.

    Lastly using the small pointed brush use dots of color (orange with white) in
    the high lighted area of the orange and in the lighter sections of the inside
    of the orange. The dots should cover the base, but not completely so that
    some of the blue shows through. The blue intensifies the orange and it
    becomes alive and vibrant.

    Continue to paint with full dots of colors that get duller and darker to show
    how the light hits the forms. Overlap the dots so that there is a slow but
    definite change in color and value. This will use basic form ideas, intensity
    changes, pointillism, color mixing, and so on.

    This seems difficult to read but its not hard and the kids love it because
    the results are great. Many have made Mom's kitchen walls.

    When you study Seurat you can see how he used the complimentary pairs to show
    shadows and form. I think it's a great tie in to the Impressionists.

    Ken Schwab
    San Jose CA 

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