Titian - Stafford PTSA

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Art Literacy
Titian
Titian (TEESH-un)
c.1488 - 1576
Italian Renaissance Painter
B
orn Tiziano Vecellio in the small town of Pieve
de Cadore in the Italian Alps, Titian was sent to
Venice at age 9 to become an artist’s apprentice. By
age 30, he was the official painter to the Venetian government. At 35, he was running a large workshop to
keep up with all his commissions. He gave his profession a modern, entrepreneurial direction in two significant ways: 1) he was the first (along with Raphael) to
consider his signature an added value to the painting;
and 2) he revolutionized his studio by organizing his
workers into three progressive groups: apprentice,
collaborator and assistant. Titian went on to dominate
the Venetian art world for over 50 years and became
the most sought after portraitist of his age.
Titian’s subjects included portraits, religious themes,
and mythological scenes. His contributions to art
technique included: rich, jewel-like colors, unique
compositional ideas, and an abililty to capture the
inner personality of his sitters. He was one of the first
to explore the possibilities of oil paint on canvas,
delighting in the translucent glazes of color he could
layer one on top of the other to create exceptional
brilliance and luminosity. In religious painting,
asymmetrical composition (his modification of the
Renaissance triangle composition) gave his work dramatic emotion and movement. With portraits, Titian
popularized the 3/4 and full length poses and created
insightful representations of his subjects’ souls.
Besides impacting Venetian painters, his work influenced many great European artists for over 300 years,
including Velazquez, El Greco, Rubens, van Dyck,
Rembrandt, Goya, Delacroix and the Impressionists.
Vocabulary
Patron—A benefactor or supporter of the arts, also a
regular customer.
Renaissance—From the French meaning “rebirth.”
A period that began in northern Italy after the Middle
Ages, lasting from 1400-1600. The Renaissance was
characterized by a renewed interest in ancient Greek
and Roman design, and included an emphasis on
humans, their environment, science and ideas.
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Composition—The combination and arrangement of
art elements within an artwork into a satisfying whole.
Portrait—A work of art showing a specific person or
group of people. Prior to Titian, a typical portrait had
been head and shoulders only; Titian helped popularize the 3/4 and full length portrait.
Texture—The surface quality of an artwork. Texture
can be simulated (visual) or actually created by technique such as brush strokes. Color and value contrasts
cause the eye to “feel” texture.
Art Elements
Color—Color is made of light and depends on light.
Color has three properties: 1) hue, or the name of the
color; 2) value, or the lightness and darkness of a hue;
and 3) intensity, referring to the purity of the hue.
Warm colors are those from yellow to red-violet on
the color wheel, and cool colors are those from yellow-green through blue-violet on the wheel. Titian
favored primary colors (yellow, red and blue) for
emphasis in his compositions.
Value—Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a
color. Varying the amount of light (by adding white,
gray or black) affects the value of a particular hue.
Tints and shades are functions of value. Contrasts in
value help us to read shapes and understand a twodimensional work of art by creating depth. Light values suggest joy and happiness, while dark values suggest sadness, loneliness or mystery. Titian used value
to define shape and space, create a center of interest,
and achieve visual texture.
Art Principles
Contrast—Contrast refers to the use of opposites in
close proximity, such as light and dark colors, or large
and small shapes. Contrast creates visual excitement,
adds interest, and gives emphasis. Titian was known
for contrasting values, color intensity, color temperatures (warm and cool), and textures in his paintings.
Emphasis—Emphasis is used by an artist to create
dominance and focus through color, value, shapes,
contrast, arrangement of line, and placement of
objects. Titian used color, value, contrast and composition to draw attention to the most important objects
and ideas in his paintings.
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Titian
T
itian is considered one of the most important
Italian painters of the late Renaissance. He was
born Tiziano Vecellio sometime between 1488 and
1490 (the year of his birth is uncertain) and was sent
to Venice at age 9 to become an artist’s apprentice. He
studied first with a mosaic maker, from whom he got
a strong sense of color, then the famous Bellini brothers, from whom he learned the principles of
Renaiss ance painting. Finally he studied with
Giorgione, from whom he learned the poetry of landscape and an appreciation of beauty. Following
Giorgione’s untimely death in 1510, Titian completed
his master’s unfinished works with such skill that it is
difficult to attribute paintings from this studio to
either artist with certainty.
After the death of Giovanni Bellini in 1516, Titian
became the undisputed master of Venetian painting. In
1518 he received his first important commission: an
immense altarpiece for the Franciscan church in
Venice. Inspired by both Raphael and Michelangelo,
Titian infused his altarpiece with an atmosphere of
brilliant color, and the beauty of the finished work
brought him many more religious commissions.
Beginning in 1520, Titian began to work for a number
of Italian princes and revealed his exceptional powers
as a portraitist. Representing his subjects in soft, diffuse light, he proved adept at evoking the subtleties of
human psychology. His portraits were more than mere
likenesses that were pleasing to the eye; they also
stimulated the viewer’s emotions.
About 1530, the year in which his wife died, a change
in Titian’s manner became apparent. The vivacity of
his former style gave way to a more restrained and
meditative art. He now began to use related rather
than contrasting colors in juxtaposition, yellows and
pale shades rather than the strong blues and reds that
shouldered each other through his previous work.
That same year Titian first met the emperor Charles V
(in Bologna, where he was crowned in that year); in
1533, Titian was asked to paint the emperor’s portrait.
Charles V was so pleased with the result that he
appointed Titian his court painter and elevated him to
the rank of Count Palatine and Knight of the Golden
Spur—an unprecedented honor for a painter.
Throughout the 1530s Titian’s fame spread throughout Europe.
Biography
central and north Italian Mannerism, and in 1545-6 he
made his first and only journey to Rome. There he
was deeply impressed with not only modern works,
such as Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement,” but also
by the classic antiquities of the Roman Empire.
During the last twenty years of his life, Titian’s personal works showed an increasing looseness in the
brushstrokes and a sensitive merging of colors. He
was known as a feverish worker, sometimes working
on several pictures at once. His works started with a
rough under-painting to which he would add layer
after layer of color and glaze. Through this method he
was able to render the various textures in his paintings, from velvet, fur, flesh, and hair to gold, silver
and pearls. He also was one of the first artists to paint
on canvas instead of wood panel.
Titian’s influence on later artists has been profound:
he was supreme in every branch of painting and revolutionized the oil technique with his free and expressive brushwork. Titian died in Venice on August 27,
1576, in his late 80s. His work, which permanently
affected the course of European painting, provided an
alternative to the linear and sculptural Florentine tradition championed by Michelangelo and Raphael.
This alternative, eagerly taken up by Peter Paul
Rubens, Diego Velázquez, Rembrandt, Eugène
Delacroix, and the Impressionists, is still vital today.
In its own right, moreover, Titian’s work often attains
the very highest reach of human achievement in the
visual arts.
Bibliography
The Beginner’s Guide to Art, Brigitte Govignon, General
Editor, ©1998 Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York
Microsoft® Encarta ‘97
Early in the 1540s, Titian came under the influence of
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Scanning Questions
Scanning Slide
Madonna with a Rabbit
c. 1530, oil on canvas, 33-1/2” x 28”, Louvre, Paris
Art Elements: What you see.
Color
•
•
Are warm or cool colors used in this painting? (Both: warm in the foreground and cool in the background.)
Which colors are next to each other? Why? (Red and blue are placed next to each other to create emphasis
through temperature contrast.)
Value
•
•
Which colors are light in value? Which colors are dark? (The dresses, rabbit, baby and skin colors all are
light in value. Mary’s cloak, the landscape and the distant scenery are painted in darker values.)
What is the effect of using light and dark values together? (Emphasis is placed on the lighter values by the
contrast.)
Art Principles: How the elements are arranged.
Contrast
•
•
Where did the artist use light and dark colors next to each other? (The rabbit on the cloak, the shepherd’s
skin against the dark foliage, the light sky against the darker landscape, etc.)
Why do you think Mary’s clothes are both bright red and bright blue? (Temperature contrasts of warm and
cool colors create emphasis.)
Emphasis
•
•
What do you notice first in this painting? (The areas of bright white: the rabbit, the women and the child.)
Where in the composition does the artist place these figures? (In the foreground.)
Technical Properties: How it was made.
•
•
What medium did the artist use to paint this picture? (Oil paint.)
Do the people in this painting look real or imaginary? (They look realistic.)
Expressive Properties: How it makes you feel.
•
•
How does this painting make you feel?
What is your favorite part of the painting? Why?
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Slide Images
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1.
Slide List
Self-Portrait
c.1562, oil on canvas, 30” x 38”, Staatliches Museum, Berlin
Titian was famous for his portraits, but did few of himself during his long life. This work,
showing the artist in his late 60s or early 70s, is a fine example of what satisfied his
patrons. He has shown us a truthful yet flattering likeness of the “sitter,” with particular
emphasis on making the eyes individual and expressive. He has also conveyed the power
and importance of the sitter through the pose (the commanding hand on the knee and
raised fingers on the table) and by the accessories he wears (rich furs and silk as well as
the chain of knighthood from Charles V). These areas are emphasized through his use of
highlights and value changes in order to draw the viewer to them. He has contrasted the
white silk shirt with the black fur vest to create a vertical band leading the viewer’s eye
to the face. The black cap contrasting with the light, warm forehead emphasizes his facial
expression. The triangular composition leads the viewer to the dignified face. Set against
a warm palette of colors, and medium to dark shades, his portrait creates a mature mood
reflecting his station in life.
2.
What is the first
thing your eye is
drawn to?
How the Venetians Painted, based on “The Madonna
with a Rabbit”
This slide shows a recreation of how Renaissance Venetian artists worked. Up until this
time, tempera paint on wood panels and fresco were the two most widely used mediums.
During the 1400s, the Flemish brought oil painting to new levels. This new technique was
embraced by the Venetians, who used canvas (instead of wood) because of its size, lightness, texture, and resistance to moisture. The four general steps used by Venetian painters
began with a defining of forms for the composition in monochrome, followed by applications of color.
1. The Toned Background: The artist first stained the white of the canvas a brownishred to provide a warm undertone for the finished painting. The main outlines were
then sketched in with a darker, thinned-out paint.
2. Underpainting: Dimension was achieved by modeling the forms in black and white.
In some dark areas the background was allowed to show through; in other
areas, black was mixed with white to deepen the gray.
What is the first
color the artist
applied to the
white canvas?
3. Glazing: After the underpainting had thoroughly dried, the basic colors of the
composition were applied in transparent glazes of color mixed with oil. The color
was boldly used at this stage, with great concern for overall harmonies.
4. Finishing: Finally, the forms and details were fully developed by delicate highlighting with white, and with additional color glazes brushed on or perhaps
rubbed in with a finger.
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3.
Slide List
Madonna with a Rabbit
c. 1530, oil on canvas, 33-1/2” x 28”, Louvre, Paris
This painting is innovative in several ways. Prior to the Venetian School, landscape was
just a background. Titian has taken religious subjects (Mary, Jesus and St. Catherine) and
immersed them in a landscape setting. Although Mary is still posed at the center in a traditional Renaissance triangle, St.Catherine and the baby Jesus are both on the left in an
asymmetrical composition. This adds more realism and movement to the painting. Titian’s
treatment of Mary also foreshadows his portraits. She is not represented as a distant, aloof
object of devotion, but as a mother, full of warmth and tenderness. Her position in the
foreground and at the center of the composition emphasizes her importance. This is further reinforced by Titian’s choice of colors. He has contrasted the warm, intense red dress
versus the pure, cool blue cloak, creating emphasis through “temperature contrast” of
color. The white of her veil, the white rabbit and the white napkin make a giant triangle
to emphasize the group as well. Titian’s use of the cooler, darker colors in the landscape
serve to contrast and emphasize the flesh tones and clothes of the figures. Value changes
within those areas create visual texture as well as depth. Another innovation Titian added
was to incorporate an image of his patron into the painting. In this landscape, he appears
as the shepherd on the right.
How did the artist
emphasize Mary?
Fun Fact: Some scholars believe the shepherd on the right is actually a self-portrait of
Titian.
4.
Votive Portrait of the Vendramin Family
1547, oil on canvas, 81” x 118-1/2 “, National Gallery, London
Portraits of wealthy patrons had been included in religious painting before Titian’s time,
but he emphasizes his subjects by creating a new asymmetrical composition. The main
focus, a relic of the True Cross, is off-center to the right, enabling Titian to create a more
effective portrait of his patron surrounded by his family. The old man in the center is the
patriarch Gabriel Vendramin, a rich merchant and collector of art. He is emphasized by his
placement at the center of the composition. His brother, Andrea, is seen to the left in a red
velvet robe. By painting Andrea dressed in a primary color (red), he is emphasized to
almost equal importance as Gabriel. By contrasting value (the lighter colored flesh tones
in the faces and hands, versus the darker colors of the clothing), Titian further emphasizes
his subjects. Andrea’s cloak is a wonderful example of visual texture achieved through
value changes, as are the cloaks of the two figures beside him.
How did the
artist achieve
visual texture?
Fun Fact: So large a family group was not common in Renaissance portraiture. This composition also includes the figures of Andrea’s seven sons and their pet dog (his six daughters aren’t included).
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5.
Slide List
The Pesaro Madonna
1519-26, oil on canvas, 15’8” x 8’ 9”, Church of the Frari, Venice
This painting was commissioned by Jacopo Pesaro for his family altar in a Venice church.
It was common for a family to commission an artist to paint the members of the family in
a religious scene. They believed this would give them favor with the Church and with
God. All the members of the Pesaro family look towards Jacopo, who is shown kneeling
on the opposite side. The only exception is the young boy who glances at the viewer,
drawing us into the picture.
The composition, with the gestures and the directions of the glances, is revolutionary.
Mary and Jesus aren’t at the center of the picture, yet they remain the focus of attention.
Titian keeps them as the focal point through his use of primary colors and lighter values
to achieve emphasis. St. Peter is also dressed in a primary color, while Francesco (in red)
and the family banner are also painted in primary colors. Value contrast of bright colors
versus dark colors helps draw attention to Mary despite her placement off-center. The portraiture is very realistic and is made more so by the diagonal composition, which naturally creates more movement than previously seen in the Renaissance.
6.
Where do you
see the three
primary colors?
The Assumption of the Virgin
c. 1518, oil on wood panel, 11’9” x 22’7”, Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari Church,
Venice
Titian received an important public commission to paint an altarpiece for a Franciscan
monastery church. The frame, a huge carved marble arch that was 22’ high and 11’ wide,
had already been ordered. This was the largest altarpiece ever to be painted in Venice and
presented some problems for Titian. He had to devise a composition that would be effective from a distance—even from the opposite end of the church, which was about 100
yards away. Titian’s solution was to create an emotional experience as related to a supernatural event. His goal was to make a dramatic impact.
Titian designed the composition to draw the viewer’s eye from the passionate figures of
the apostles in the foreground to Mary, and upwards to heaven. It was his color scheme,
restricted to a few dominant primary hues, that made it work. A tall triangle is formed by
patches of crimson in the robes of God, Mary and two apostles. This creates the desired
upward emphasis. The powerful composition is emphasized again through the converging lines of arms, draperies, legs and glances. No one had ever used the degree of
dynamism and realism which Titian gave to his large-scaled apostles. That, coupled with
the splendor of his colors, was without precedent. Mary is placed directly in the center and
draws our eye though the brilliant color temperature contrast of the striking primary blue
and red of her garment. The darker values at the bottom half of the painting symbolize
earthliness; the lighter values in the background pull our eye towards heaven.
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Point to the figures
that make up the
tall implied triangle.
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Slide List
Mythological Paintings
The Renaissance saw the renewal of interest in art and literature from classical Greece and
Rome, and so mythological subject matter became popular for civic and private works.
Titian executed many paintings with mythological themes.
7.
The Three Ages of Man
1513-14, oil on canvas, 42” x 72”, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
The span of human life may be divided into several ages and these “ages of man” were
popular themes in Renaissance art. The young lovers—representing the prime of life—are
given the most space in the composition. Infancy, on the right, has less space, and less still
is allotted to old age. The old man broods in the background, contemplating life, with a
human skull in his hand. The infants are juxtaposed with the dead tree, reflecting the cycle
of life from birth to death. The composition, which combines figures and a landscape, is
common in mythological paintings.
The dreamy mood of the figures is echoed in the landscape. The two larger figures in the
foreground command our attention and are given emphasis through their size and placement. The contrast of the light-toned flesh on the man versus the darker trees is further
contrasted by the brighter values of the woman’s flesh and the white and red garment. The
triangle of young infants on the right balances the painting while directing our gaze to the
third “age of man” through the diagonals of their poses.
8.
To which age of
man did Titian give
the most emphasis?
Sacred and Profane Love
1515, oil on canvas, 46” x 111”, Galleria Borghese, Rome
This painting follows Titian’s technique of immersing figures in a landscape setting. The
two main figures represent the different images of love. The clothed woman is a symbol
of earthly love and vanity, represented by her rich dress, jewels at her waist and the flower
in her lap. The nude signifies the highest level of love that can be reached—sacred love.
She is holding the lamp of Divine Love. The bright white and warm red clothing, plus
warm flesh tones, emphasize the main characters, which stand out contrasted against the
cooler green and blue background. Yet the formal, balanced composition invites the viewer to continually contrast both women. Their treatment is similar and implies equality. In
one the light white satin is made rich by darker gray values, suggesting luscious folds in
the fabric. In contrast, bright red silk is highlighted with light white values, which add
visual texture and make it “feel” soft and luxurious. Titian further contrasts value when
he places the dark lamp of Divine Love against the white clouds of heaven, and places the
black bowl on the white fountain.
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Name two things
that are contrasted
in this painting.
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9.
Slide List
Bacchus & Ariadne
c.1522-3, oil on canvas, 69” x 75”, National Gallery, London
This painting depicts the meeting of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete, and
Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and love, as they fall in love at first sight. Bacchus is in
the center of the composition for emphasis. Titian has divided the painting on a diagonal
from the lower left to the upper right to separate the drunken revelers from the two lovers.
There is another opposing diagonal from the lower right to the upper left which separates
Ariadne’s calmness from the chaos of Bacchus and his revelers. The gaze of the lovers is
also a diagonal. Note the temperature contrast of the cool, calm sea at the left and the
hyperactive bodies on the right. Cool blues and greens in the background landscape
emphasize the calmness in the distance, while warm-colored bodies of humans, animals,
and the cart in the foreground emphasize high activity. Bright jewel-like colors with white
highlights on drapery emphasize the main characters, as does the temperature contrast
between the warm red and the cool blue of the draperies.
In which half of the
painting do you see
mostly cool colors?
Mostly warm colors?
Portraits
Unlike artists before him, Titian brought characters to life on canvas with such striking
force that their physical portraits seemed accurate representations of their souls. He also
made the 3/4 length and full length portraits popular.
10.
Portrait of Ranuccio Farnese
1542, oil on canvas, 35” x 29”, National Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Ranuccio Farnese was twelve years old when Titian painted his portrait. The boy had been
sent to Venice by his grandfather, Pope Paul III, and went on to become Archbishop of
Naples at the age of fourteen. Adult responsibility came to him when still a child, as Titian
so brilliantly conveys through the cloak Farnese wears. It is depicted as too large and
heavy, and sliding off his small shoulders. Limiting his color palette to black, white and
rose, Titian enlivened the surface with light. The value changes are evident in the flickering red, orange and yellows across the chest, and in the changing reflections on the satin
Maltese Cross. These value changes all create emphasis and visual texture. The contrast
of light areas versus darker background also serves to emphasize the subject’s face and
clothing.
How are the boy’s
face and clothing
emphasized
in this painting?
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11.
Slide List
Portrait of Francisco Maria Della Rovere
c. 1538, oil on canvas, Uffizi Gallery, Florence
This portrait is similar to Titian’s self-portrait in the sense that it has captured the sitter’s
personality in the eyes, and has used a pose and accessories to reinforce the subject’s
power and importance. Francisco Maria Della Rovere was a successful military leader.
Titian’s treatment of his armor is truly stunning; although he has used a limited color
palette of black versus white and warm red versus a gray neutral background, it adds
emphasis to his subject. Note the various values of gray used, along with white highlights
against the black, to give the armor its curved shape and fine detail. He has used value to
define shape and give depth as well as to add visual texture. The black with white highlights lets the viewer know that the armor is expensive, well cared for, and highly polished. Jet black hair, beard, eyebrows and eyes dramatically contrast with warm flesh
tones, letting the viewer know that Rovere is an intensely focused leader. This is a fine
example of high contrast, coupled with subtle value changes, which make this armor a
magnet for the eye and give it emphasis in the painting.
12.
How does the
artist give the
armor its detail?
Portrait of Pope Paul III
c.1545, oil on canvas, 42” x 32”, Capodimonte Gallery, Naples
The simple, direct pose, seated diagonally to the viewer, was adopted during the
Renaissance as a model for papal portraits. Again, Titian used a giant triangle composition to draw us in. White highlights along the shoulder of the cloak lead us to the pope’s
face. The white fur edging along the front of the red cape also points right at the old pope’s
beard and face. Note the fine brushstrokes of white against the red that create the beard.
There is constant contrast between the darker red and the brighter white. Titian has graded his red with so much gray (value) that there is a feeling of sadness in this painting, perhaps a reflection of the Pope’s burden of responsibility and old age.
Fun Fact: Vasari, an important critic at the time, said that when this picture was placed at
an open window to dry, people in the neighborhood bowed, mistaking it for the real pope.
13.
Which two main
colors are contrasted
in this painting?
Portrait of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese
c. 1543, oil on canvas, Capodimonte Gallery, Naples
The Cardinal was Pope Paul III’s nephew and a patron of the arts in Rome; he was also
ambitious, ingratiating and power-hungry. In the late 1540s he was caught plotting against
his uncle, the Pope, which may have hastened Pope Paul’s death a few years later.
Compare the bright, intense value of red to that in “Portrait of Pope Paul III.” The cardinal’s cape is graded with white and gold—not black like the Pope’s. This intense red,
white and black palette demonstrates the cardinal’s status. The red vibrates off the black
and shimmers against the white (contrast in color intensity). This contrast of the white
arm versus the red cape and the light face against the black hair, crowned by the red cap,
all create drama in this triangular composition.
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If you could touch
the red cape,
what texture
would you feel?
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14.
Slide List
Man with a Blue Sleeve
c. 1510, oil on canvas, 32” x 26”, National Gallery, London
Nonchalantly resting his arm on a window ledge, this young man—who may be Titian
himself—gazes obliquely at the viewer. The use of a ledge and a plain background was
standard Venetian procedure at the time, and adds both depth and intimacy. However, few
painters had previously shown so much of the sitter’s body. This 3/4 pose is Titian’s trademark. He used the darkness of the hair and beard, contrasted against lighter colors, to create a triangle composition. This emphasizes the sitter’s handsome face and expensive
shirt.
The silky blue sleeve is probably the most conspicuous feature of the painting, due to its
color, intense value and the contrast against the dark background. Its exquisite texture is
achieved by gradations in the value of the blue color. It captures the eye and emphasizes
the fact that the sitter can afford fine things. The intensity of this blue against the muted
blue-gray background causes the sleeve to glow (contrast in color intensity). Other contrasts Titian uses include: the white collar against the darker blue; the warm face against
the dark hair; and the soft, smooth sleeve on the rugged ledge. They all serve to emphasize the subject and his station in life.
15.
What element
in the painting
provides contrast
to the blue shirt?
Portrait of Charles V on Horseback
c. 1548, oil on canvas, 10’11” x 9’2”, The Prado, Madrid
Titian’s largest portrait may also be considered to be one of his supreme achievements.
Traditionally, an equestrian pose was associated with emperors as far back as classical
Roman art. Titian’s painting of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, was the first modern portrait of its type and initiated an entire genre of European painting. Strong diagonal
lines keep the attention on the large triangle of the horse and rider. Color, value, and contrast are all used expertly to emphasize Charles V, the most powerful leader in Europe.
The warm red colors, representing the lighting effects of the sunset, are used on the king
and his horse to emphasize their importance. The armor and the sunset demonstrate a vast
range in color value. Note how the sunset also highlights the king’s face. Titian contrasts
the black horse against the light sky and emphasizes the elaborate battle dress by reflecting the setting sun off the armor in glinting highlights. The addition of the red sash also
draws the eye to Charles and his powerful suit of armor, further emphasizing his
status.
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What effects are
used to show the
importance of
Charles V?
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Hands-on Project 1
Self-Portraits
Goal
Create two self-portraits, each with a different emotion or mood, using light and dark values to recreate what you see
in a mirror.
Criteria
•
•
•
•
Capture the emotions in your face.
Use areas of light and dark value.
Draw only what you see.
The viewer should be able to name the feeling/emotion you have drawn.
Materials
•
•
•
White construction paper
Pencils with erasers
Mirrors
Procedure
1. Fold your paper in half.
2. Look into the mirror and try making different faces. How do you look when you are mad, happy, scared,
worried, sad, surprised, tired, shy, frustrated, disgusted, confused, etc.?
3. Decide on two feelings you would like to draw.
4. Make the face of your first choice in the mirror. Really look at your eyes, brows, mouth, etc. and draw
WHAT YOU SEE.
5. Shade a little if it helps with a darker mood. Remember to look in the mirror for the light and darker areas.
6. Now make the face of your second mood choice in the mirror, and draw what you see.
7. You might want to label the two different feelings/moods.
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Hands-on Project 2
Still-Life Painting
(Grade K-2)
Goal
This project will help students to understand the art element of color and its major concepts. They will be able to
identify primary and secondary colors, complementary colors, value, shades and tints.
Before You Begin
Show the children the color wheel and explain that there are three primary colors. When mixed together, the primary
colors create secondary colors. Show them the complementary colors on the color wheel (i.e. blue and orange are
opposite on the color wheel). When all three primary colors are mixed together, a neutral is created. When a neutral
is added to a color, the VALUE is changed. By adding gray to a color, they have created a SHADE. If white is added
to a color, they have created a TINT.
Criteria
The criteria are built into the steps of this exercise.
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Acrylic paints (red, blue, yellow, and white)
Paint extender
Paint brushes
6 x 8 canvas boards
Paper towels
Paper plates
Pencil
Oranges (real or artificial) for inspiration
Note to volunteers: The children will need to wipe their brushes thoroughly after each step. Please do not provide
water for rinsing the brushes. The purpose of the exercise is to let the children experiment with what might happen
when different colors are mixed together.
Procedure
1. Draw a circle in the center of your board (this will represent an orange). Then draw a horizon line about 1/3
to 1/2 from the top of the board.
2. Mix together some blue paint with some paint extender on the paper plate (the paper plate will serve as a
palette). Paint the bottom half of the background with the blue.
3. Referring to the color wheel, what is the complement of blue? (Orange). How would you make orange with the
colors you have on your paper plates? Mix yellow and red to make orange on the palette. Then mix in some
paint extenders, and paint in the orange.
4. Create a neutral by mixing the three primaries together. Mix in some paint extender, and then paint the top of
your background with the neutral.
5. Using the same neutral with paint extender mixed in, add the shadow that the orange casts on the blue back
ground. Because you have layered the neutral over the blue, you have created a SHADE of blue. You should
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see some of the blue showing through.
6. Mix some white with paint extender. Have them add a highlight to their orange. They have created a TINT by
layering some white over the orange.
7. Have them sign their masterpieces on the back in pencil.
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Titian
Hands-on Project 3
Still Life Painting
(Grades 3 - 6)
Goal
This project will help students to understand the art element of color and its major concepts. They will be able to
identify primary and secondary colors, complementary colors, value, shades and tints.
Before You Begin
Show the children the color wheel and explain that there are three primary colors. When mixed together, the primary
colors create secondary colors. Show them the complementary colors on the color wheel (i.e. blue and orange are
opposite on the color wheel). When all three primary colors are mixed together, a neutral is created. When a neutral
is added to a color, the VALUE is changed. By adding gray to a color, they have created a SHADE. If white is added
to a color, they have created a TINT.
Criteria
The criteria are built into the directions of this exercise.
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Acrylic paints (red, blue, yellow and white)
Paint extender
Paint brushes
6 x 8 canvas boards
Paper towels
Paper plates
Pencil
Plums (real or artificial) for inspiration
Note to Volunteers: The children need to wipe their brushes thoroughly with a paper towel after each step. Please
do not provide water for rinsing brushes. The purposed of this exercise is to let the children experiment with what
might happen when different colors get mixed together.
Procedure
1. Draw a circle on the board to represent a plum. The plum will look more realistic if it includes a “crease.”
Then draw a horizon line 1/3 to 1/2 from the top of the canvas.
2. Mix some blue paint with the paint extender on the paper plate (the paper plate will serve as a palette). Then
paint the plum with blue paint. Important: be sure to wipe all the blue off the brush prior to the next step.
3. While the blue paint is drying, determine what color is the complement of purple (purple will be created in the
next step). Since yellow is the complement of purple, mix some yellow with some paint extender and paint the
bottom part (under the horizon line) of the background in yellow.
4. By now the blue paint should be dry. Which color would you layer onto the blue to create purple? Mix some
red with paint extender, and paint over the blue circle. By layering the two colors (blue and red) you have
created a purple plum.
5. Create a neutral by mixing the three primaries (red, blue and yellow) together on the palette. Really LOOK at
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Hands-on Project 3
the neutral you have created. It should not lean toward any other color. Mix in some paint extender, then paint
the top (above the horizon line) background in the neutral.
6. Using the same neutral with paint extender mixed in, add the shadow that the plum would cast on the yellow
background. Because you have layered the neutral over the yellow, you have created a SHADE of yellow. You
may also wish to add dimension to the dark side of the plum with this neutral.
7. Mix white paint with extender. Add a highlight to the plum. This created a TINT by layering white over the
plum. Sign the work on the back with a pencil.
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