Lesson Plan #4: The Studio Palette: Picking Up the Impressionist Paintbrush

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

 1. create individual realistic sketches of waterlilies and sunflowers.

2. work cooperatively and creatively to design a waterlily mural painting and a sunflower still-life painting using tempera and acrylic paint.

3. value the fruits of their labors by creating an Impressionistic SHOWCASE ART GALLERY of their paintings.

Time Required: Day 7-16 (see timeline) 10 days, 40-minute periods

Advanced Preparation & Materials: Prepare and set up for use by students the following materials:

paint palettes, water containers, brushes, paper, pencils, erasers, and a sampling of  reproductions       of Monet and van Gogh’s paintings. Teacher may bring in real sunflowers and waterlilies (if possible), as well as silk flowers for students to sketch realistically by direct observation. Listen to CD of “A Walk in the Garden”, cut 3’x4’, and 5’x6’, mural size paper and gather illustration boards for advance students wishing to use acrylic paint.

Procedure:  (Play CD  “A Walk in the Garden” as background music.).

  1. Students will learn to draw “Waterlilies” and “Sunflowers”. Using posters for reference and after teacher demonstration on the board, students will practice drawing these flowers in their sketchpads, noting the variation in shapes, size and color.

-          What does the shape of the lily pad remind you of?

(a heart, or an artist’s palette)

-          How is van Gogh’s sunflower different from a real sunflower?

(his is more expressive and fiery; he uses his trademark of thick, swirling, brush strokes)

                Working individually, students will sketch flowers from direct observation into their sketchpads.

2. Using sketchpad designs, students will refine their ideas and choose the project they feel most comfortable with, as they create individual sketches for their mural and still-life.

-          each student must sketch BOTH a waterlily and sunflower composition, first in a realistic style and then in an Impressionistic style.

   3. As the teacher walks around the classroom, she reviews students’ sketches if they

have captured the essence of the Impressionist flower.

4. Based upon the teacher review and recommendation, students are assigned to work in groups of 4 or 5 on either the waterlily mural or sunflower still-life, using the Impressionist style.

Note: Not all students must work in a group.  Some students may prefer to work alone.

-          The next day the teacher assigns and prepares work areas for each group.

-          The group is given a large pre-cut sheet of mural paper.  As a problem-solving activity, the group decides and negotiates how to best adapt and combine their individual sketches into a much larger single composition.

Evaluation of Process: observed degree of cooperation and decision-making by individually and collectively.

    5. Once an agreed upon plan of action is developed by the group, students begin the

drawing and painting process.

6. Still “walking in the shoes” of Monet and van Gogh, the students now pick up their “Impressionist paintbrush”.

-          With a palette of Impressionist hues, students:

-          mix and blend a variety of subtle and vibrant shades of blues and yellows to capture the ever changing light and fleeting moments that is the essence of an Impressionist painter. (In doing so, they become the Impressionist painter).

-          now they are ready to apply the paint to their “canvas” in short, quick, sometimes swirling, always expressive brush strokes.

-          students continue the painting process for the remaining time until their masterpiece is completed.

-          students all sign the finished paintings.

Evaluation Strategy: The paintings are now displayed in the classroom gallery for purposes of both teacher and peer evaluation and discussion.

                Steps:

-          Teacher-made questions are written on board for students to copy an answer for the first half of one class period.

1. What similarities and differences do you find in the work of Monet and van Gogh?

            (Monet uses a softer palette to capture the ever-changing effects on light on colors as they hit the objects he focuses on as the subject for his painting. Van Gogh is more concerned with his expressive and powerful use of color as he applies heavy, thick swirls of color to his subject matter).

2. How do you feel about painting, now that you’ve “walked in Monet and van Gogh’s shoes”? Explain.

3. Why was Impressionism such an important part of art history?

           (“Captivated by the enchantments of nature, the Impressionists through their swift and sure method of execution, succeeded in rendering the transience of the spectacles nature offers.  They are the glorious painters of fleeting effects and swift impressions”.)

                                                                   - Paul Signac, From Eugene Delacroix to Neo-Impressionism, 1899

        4. How did your visits to museums in Giverny and Amsterdam help you with this project?

           (“My favorite painting on this site was the painting of the Japanese footbridge, because the way he painted it, made it look magical, and it is almost like you are there, standing on that bridge, looking at the waterlilies”.) – Lana, 6^th grade art student

                                     5. Which paintings do you like best? Why?

-          Students exchange papers.

-          Teacher reviews and elicits the responses from the students.

-           Class discussion follows and teacher notes degree of comprehension.

Final Day: The classroom gallery is moved and transformed to a hall showcase for the entire school community to share and enjoy.  Parents are invited to the gallery. A guestbook is available for visitors write comments. Some of the feedback from parents are included in Student Gallery Guestbook: Parents' Comments.