Warm Sun and Cool Moon

Grades 3-4

Art 207-04, Group 1

Joeleane Lucido, Karen Moglia, Jiwan Ghag

Introduction:

George Seurat (1859-1891) In search of a way to represent nature more faithfully, Georges Seurat studied optical science. His was an attempt to measure scientifically the effects of light. The result was the introduction of an approach he called divisionism also known as pointillism.

Seurat's experiments with color led him to paint in small dots of color, which are arranged in such a combinations that they seem to vibrate. Individual colors tend to interact with those around them and fuse in the eye of the viewer. The concept is similar to the dots or pixels in a computer image. If you magnify any computer image, you will see individual colors that, when set together, produce an image. Seurat was interested in the way colors worked together to create a particular tone. Seurat's theories were adopted by a group of his followers, the neoimpressionists, although the style did not last long as a movement. His studies influenced other artists of his day and such major artists as Camille Pissarro and Vincent Van Gogh experimented with the style of pointillism at some point in their careers.

Objectives:

1. Students will learn multimedia techniques in a drawing using a pencil, oil pastel, and tempera paints.

2. Students will learn about Seurat and his style of painting

3. Students will learn how to visually express their ideas

Students Materials:

1. White paper (thick)

¨ 9 by 12 inches

2. Pencils

3. Green, blue, violet, yellow, orange and red tempera paints

4. Paper towels

5. Plastic containers

6. Prints of Seurat (optional)

7. Newspaper (to cover tables)

8. Rulers

9. Q-tips

Teachers Materials:

1. Example (s) – Pre-made

2. Examples of Seurat art work

Vocabulary:

1. Seurat

2. Pointillism

3. Camille Pissarro

4. Vincent Van Gogh

Procedure:

1. Introduction:

¨ Lecture about Seurat

a. Time period

b. Art Style

¨ Ask questions such as:

a. What did you do over the summer?

b. How could you illustrate that?

¨ Talk about Seurat and his style of painting

¨ Multiple colors for each section

2. Students will be given a separate piece of paper to sketch their idea. They can use anything that represents their summer vacation.

3. Once students have decided on what they want, they will sketch their picture on the white piece of paper.

4. Students will then use tempera paint and Q-tips to fill in each section

¨ Apply colors one at a time, letting the colors blend together on the edges

5. Closure

¨ Talk about what the students have learned and what the assignment was about

¨ Make sure name is on paper

¨ Clean up tables and put supplies away

Comments/Suggestions:

1. Have children sketch drawings on a separate piece of paper before they start on their final project

Summary of Children’s artistic Development (3^rd – 4^th grade)

Reference: Artwork – Donald Herberholz & Barbara Herberholz

The artistic development of 3^rd and 4^th graders should be in Stage 3 entitled Realism. In this stage children should (a) devote more attention to body proportion, action of figure, and details of clothing, (2) make closer observations of environment gradual disappearance of baseline and emergence of horizon: shadows, and shading may begin to appear, (c) children show depth through diminishing sizes and overlapping, (d) children use realistic colors, and (e) children become more critical of their own work. Children will pay more attention to detail of the hair and they will gain visual information from actual objects, landscapes, and photographs. Still-life setups can help students perceive relative proportions and sizes, relationships, directional angles, and three-dimensional forms.