Warm and Cool Blind Contour Grid Drawings with Van Gogh

PREPARATION: print or have the students draw in grid lines on heavy card stock or tag board

DISCUSSION: Line can you have a piece of art without line?

Contour line? what does contour mean? Outside line

Think of a coloring book you can’t color in a stick figure

Blind Contour drawing? what could that mean? Drawing without looking at your paper. 

it is the best way to draw because you are drawing with your eyes, not your brain.

Let’s try it:

Rules for blind contour:

the drawings are timed and we will start with one minute drawings

Pick a point at the top of the flowers let your eyes move all around the contour line 

As your eye moves you should also move your hand holding the charcoal pencil. 

Don’t look at your paper only the flowers as your time starts and your hand begins to move

Don’t pick up your pencil at any time

Don’t stop drawing until the one minute time is called 

If your drawing ends up looking more like a wrecked car than a person…don’t panic…have fun and keep practicing.

We will do this three times until you get the hang of it

Our last drawing will be done on grid tag board/card stock

Quick 2nd Discussion: Van Gogh, warm and cool colors and Prints

Show his Sunflowers

open a discussion

why is it so famous?

what do you like about the work?

how many different colors did he use for the piece?

MONOchromatic: MONO means ONE.

Warm and cool colors: 

warm colors make up half the color wheel. they are red, yellow and oragnge

they make us warmer, excited and energized

cool colors make up the other half of the wheel: blue, green, purple

they make us cooler, relaxed and somber

ARTIST: VAN GOGH

Vincent  van Gogh (30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890)

Dutch Post-Impressionist painter 

Known for his  vivid colors and emotional impact. 

Known for his paint application creating texture and movement.

died largely unknown, at the age of 37

sold only one painting while he was alive

Oil Pastels: They are like Crayons but they are made with oil not wax so they are more easily blended. Press harder for more oil like results.

PROJECT:

Using your best blind contour drawing from earlier

Step1: grab your tag board with the blind contour flowers

Step2: fill in the gridded flowers with WARM colors making sure that every time you cross a line you change to a new warm color.  (you can use all yellows but you need to have three or four different shades)

Step3: Complete the flowers using all WARM COLORS

Step4: Fill in the gridded background with all COOL colors making sure that every time you cross a line you change to a new warm color.  (you can use all blues but you need to have three or four different shades)

Step5: Complete the background using all COOL colors

Step6: look at your piece and fill in, blend and create to make a artistic finished piece.

Step7: if time allows you could also paint one of your blind contour drawings 

MATERIALS: Tag board or card stock

Oil pastels in at least 16 different colors

Pencils

Copy paper