Landscape paintings in the style of the Impressionists

Painting by Dea E., Grade 6

Grade six students learned the fundamentals of painting and used a variety of Impressionistic techniques to create these richly textured, colorful paintings. Students studied Impressionism, a 19th century art movement made up of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to fame in the 1870s and 1880s. We learned about the movement and analyzed the paintings of  Claude Monet, whose painting Impression, Sunrise sparked the use of the term Impressionism because it used very loose brush strokes, which suggested rather than delineated.
     Students created landscape paintings in the style of the Impressionists and used a photo as a reference image. Students learned how to use complimentary colors to make browns, as well as how to accentuate highlights and shadows, create atmospheric perspective and work wet paint into wet paint.  Additionally, students repeated brushstrokes and learned how to control brush flow and pressure.

Painting by Rose H., Grade 6

Project Rubric

Grade 6: Color Mixing and Color Theory

Students studied the color wheel and created their own with Tempera paints to start off their painting unit in Studio Art. Through a variety of painting exercises, students became familiar with the medium and learned how to control flow of paint and how to use the brush in a variety of ways to create impressionistic-like marks. Additionally, students learned basic color theory and made examples for their sketchbooks. 

Grade 6 Sketchbook Sample

Grade 6 Sketchbook Sample

 Students did the following exercises in class:
1. Paint it Black – Created washes and experimented with brushes only using black paint
2. How to mix Tertiary Colors
3. How to make Tints and Shades of a color
4. How do I make Brown?
5. Create a Color Wheel