Color Theory Art Supplies

Lesson Objective: Study Josef Albers and Color Theory 

Apply knowledge to a still life of art supplies done in 9 different color schemes

Key Vocabulary: 

Hue is the term given to the various colors we perceive e.g., red, blue, green, red-purple, Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue

Value is higher (lighter) when there is more lightness. (Tint)

Value is lower (darker) when the hue appears darker. (Shade)

Saturation, purity of color, refers to the comparison of a color to a neutral gray 

Neutral gray is achromatic 

Full color is fully saturated/pure and brilliant: Chroma

Saturation levels vary with different hues:

The most intense yellow appears brighter than the most intense blue-green. For any hue, saturation ranges from 0 percent (neutral gray) to 100% (maximum saturation). 

At maximum level, 100%, color appears pure and contains no gray

Contrast: refers to one object's difference in color and luminance compared to its surroundings or background. Black and white Highest possible Contrast 

Scale refers to relating size to a constant, such as a human body.

Color Theory: is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combinations

Complementary colors: Opposite on color wheel (High Contrast) 

A Hue will appear darker on lighter background and lighter on darker background

Proportion is the size relationship of parts to a whole and to one another. 

Materials: 

12x12 card stock

Colored pencils

Sharpies

Still life of art supplies

Focus Artist: Josef Albers 

Project requirements: 

Create a Slotted color sculpture exploring color relationships 

Sketchbook: Students will draw color plans for each square of their project and

submit plans for approval. Required: 

9 Different color schemes

Student/teacher should be able to easily identify theme

Project: Create 12x12 study on paper exploring Josef Albers studies on color

Precision: Focused effort on end result 

Assessment: 

Informal: Written Peer Critique

Formal: Artist Statement

Formal: Grading final sculpture

CA STANDARDS: 

1.1 Identify and use the principles of design to discuss, analyze, and write about visual aspects in the environment and in works of art, including their own. 

1.3 Research and analyze the work of an artist and write about the artist's distinctive style and its contribution to the meaning of the work.

1.5 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work.

2.2 Plan and create works of art that reflect complex ideas, such as distortion, color theory, arbitrary color, scale, expressive content, and real versus virtual. 

4.5 Employ the conventions of art criticism in writing and speaking about works of art.

5.2 Compare and contrast works of art, beyond the obvious and identifying psychological content found in the images

Modifications: 

English Language Learner: Handout for project, project samples, Power point with visuals, Critique for additional understanding, Demonstration of techniques

Special Needs: Handout for project, project samples, Power point with visuals, Critique for additional understanding, Demonstration of techniques

Accelerated Learner: Expand on skills learned to create a unique project. 

Color has a huge effect on our daily lives.

Everyday our emotions, moods,  physical sensation (appetite) are influenced by the colors that surround us.

There are three (3) properties to color:  

Hue: the name we give to a color (red, blue, etc.).

Intensity: refers to the strength/vividness of the color. For example, we may describe the color blue as "royal" (bright, rich, vibrant) or "dull" (grayed).

Value: meaning its lightness or darkness. Shade and Tint are in reference to value changes in colors.

Scaffolding adaptations: 

Students will revisit color and line from the earlier learning. We will use similar visuals to refresh earlier learning.  Notes on color, scale and artists will be taken throughout discussions for added understanding. Creating sketchbook plans and Constructing final sculpture will be demo started in class using guided instruction.

DIRECT INSTRUCTION:

Day 1 and 2: Power Point Presentation Color and Albers

Pre-assessment: Science and Art

Opening: Art Link: Quote from Albers on Science and Art

Review: Elements of art 

Discussion: Color

Key Vocabulary featured on PPT with visuals: 

Hue

Value

Intensity

Chroma

Saturation

Contrast 

Complementary Colors

Simultaneous Contrast 

Successive Contrast 

Color Schemes (relationships)

ART HISTORY: Josef Albers

Josef Albers (1888 – 1976)

German-born American artist and educator 

He worked, both in Europe and in the United States

Taught at Yale University

He formed the basis for the most influential and far-reaching art education programs of the 20th century.

Alber’s had an endless fascination with color discrepancy: 

How colors look when seen one at a time 

How they appear in different combinations

Color Theory: The study of Color 

Albers noted experiencing color varies based on individual personalities and factors like hue, dimension, and placement.

1949-1976, Josef Albers created a series of paintings titled Homage to the Square. 

Experience is the best teacher of color. 

There is no shortcut to your 10,000 hours towards mastery of this subject. 

Unless you experiment with colors the way Albers prescribes, you will not fully comprehend how the exact same color:

 Looks different in small quantity vs. large quantity 

 Looks different surrounded by another color. 

Color is constantly related to its neighbors and to changing light conditions.

Albers chose the square for its neutrality

He felt that such a common shape would not distract viewers from their experience of color. 

To create a "pure" experience, he applied his pigments directly from the tubes.

Spread pigments in thin layers onto the surface of the canvas (No Texture)

Studied color with paint on paper

Avoids mixing paint

Saves time and materials

Gain active interest, no prep

Precision of tone, light and surface quality

No texture (i.e. brush strokes)

Intensity is a synonym for magnitude or strength.

Contrast: refers to one object's difference in color and luminance compared to its surroundings or background.

Black and white

Complementary colors: Opposite on color wheel

Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tints, tones, and shades) of a single hue. 

Huedoku: Students play the app Huedoku to see their learning at work. The app is created from Albers studies and allows students to place colors in the right order based on hue. Students will both watch and play. Student playing will be active in color placement students watching will observe how color changes based on its neighbors. 

Review each Color scheme on last slide to check for understanding 

Teacher Models: 

Color throughout discussion 

Students take notes in their sketchbooks 

Teacher Monitors throughout discussion

The game Huedoku on how to play with three color boxes 

Check for Understanding: 

Monitor room during Pre-assessment in sketchbook

Monitor throughout discussion ensure comprehension and active note taking 

Students play the Huedoku App with 4 color boxes and higher

Project: 

Day one: Students complete study of ideas in their sketchbook. 

Ideas should include various art supplies, 9 boxes and different color schemes

Day two: Students continue with their plans and submit for approval and large paper

Day three students begin on large paper by scaling up ideas to meet the 12x12 paper

Day four: students begin to map out each color scheme considering foreground, background etc. 

Day 5,6,7: student implement ideas through precision and knowledge 

Final product should include Light, Shadow and Value

Day 8: Critique 

Day 9: submit final work for a grade. 

Movement Color Wheels with Elizabeth Murray

Discussion: 

Primary colors, RED YELLOW Blue 

What are they? Why are they so important? 

What does Primary Mean

Why are they so important/what do they do? 

Secondary colors ORANGE GREEN PURPLE

What are they

Create a color wheel

Show the colors mixing

Show Murray’s work

Discuss color

Discuss shape 

        If you could go into the artwork, where would you travel first?

Discuss Music

Discuss movement

Bring MoMA app on Ipad if you have it. 

ARTIST: Elizabeth Murray (1940-2007):

Inspired by Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock’s work, as well as Pablo Picasso’s Cubist works, American painter Elizabeth Murray’s oeuvre span styles from a Minimalist use form and color to bold, cartoonish Surrealism. 

Her works push the boundaries of a two-dimensional medium;

The irregular triangles in the “Giant Maiden” series (1972) strain against the edges of canvases painted in high relief, 

While the explosive colors on an intricate collage-like canvas in Do the Dance (2005) lend the Painting a kinetic, almost optical quality.

Project: Create Murray inspired shape drawing and mix primary and secondary colors

Step1: draw a circle on the left part of your page, the size of your fist

Step2: Draw an organic shape/circle next to the first, lower and on the right side but have it touching the first

Step3: Draw a third organic shape/circle next to the second, below and in the middle of the two but have it touching both

Step4: draw a line from each shape to an edge

Step4: Color the shapes in primary colors

Step5: in the background behind the red and blue shapes mix the two to make purple

Step6: in the background behind the red and yellow shapes mix the two to make orange

Step7: in the background behind the yellow and blue shapes mix the two to make green

Step8: add music and movement line line Murray. 

Materials: 

Oil pastels in Yellow red blue and Black

Tag board

pencils

Color Wheel hand prints with Picasso

Discussion: 
Picasso's artwork, Hands with Flowers
What do you see in this drawing
What is the hand doing? 
What colors do you see? 
How many colors? 
How do we make color? 
What is primary color? 
Red Yellow Blue
Why are they special? What do they do? 

They make secondary colors: show a color wheel
Red and blue get too close they make: Purple
Yellow and blue get too close they make green 
Red and yellow get too close they make orange

ARTIST: Pablo Picasso 
(25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973)

He was a Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. 

He is one of the most recognized figures in 20th-century art. 
He is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. Picasso demonstrated uncanny artistic talent in his early years, 
He painted in a realistic manner through his childhood and adolescence; 
During the first decade of the twentieth century his style changed as he experimented with different theories, techniques, and ideas. 
Picasso’s creativity manifested itself in numerous mediums, including painting, sculpture, drawing, and architecture. His revolutionary artistic accomplishments brought him universal renown and immense fortunes throughout his life, making him the best-known figure in twentieth century art.

Project: Create printed flowers with hand print
Step1: using a circle stamp print a red center
Step2: using another circle stamp print a blue flower center
Step3: using a third print a yellow flower center
Step4: add orange petals with oil pastels
Step5: add green lines for stems with oil pastels 
Step6: paint and print your hand in purple paint

Materials: 
3 Foam circles and wine corks hot glued together for circle stamp
Red, blue, purple, and yellow tempura paint
orange and green oil pastels 


This lesson was adapted from a wonderful lesson found here: splishsplashsplatterart.blogspot.com.

Organic shape and geometric shape movement figures with Keith Haring

Discussion: 

Organic Shape VS Geometric shape

Geometric shapes: 

Name some....Square, circle, rectangle, 

Can they be solved with MATH: Yes!

Organic Shapes: 

Name Some....Bird, Tree, you and me!!!

Can they be solved with Math??? NO!

Movement: 

How does Haring show movement? 

What color does he use when the figures move

ARTIST: Keith Haring

Born 1958

Age 19 first show

1978 went to school in NY

Created subway drawings on blank ad space

Worked with children

Wanted everyone to be able to have his work

Worked with causes

Died young in 1988

Wanted everyone to make art especially kids

Show Keith Haring’s work

Project: Create a haring like art work with primary colors and shapes

Step1: in pencil: using Geometric shape: Draw  a circle head

Step2: using a square, draw a body

Step 3 using a rectangle draw two arms (show movement)

Step4: using rectangles, draw two legs (show movement) 

Step5: using ovals, draw hands and feet

Step6: Using organic shape, draw around your figure two times

Step7: paint your figure in red

Step8: paint your first organic shape in yellow

Step9: paint your next organic shape in blue

Step10: outline your figure in BLACK

Step11: create at least one set of movement lines 

Materials: 

Brushes

Water

Card stock

Red blue and yellow paint

Black paint

Primary colors with Mondrain

Discussion

Primary colors

What does primary mean?

What do primary colors do?

Where do colors come from?

Art and Artist

what was the artist trying to say by using only line and primary colors?

ARTIST: Piet  Mondrian

1872 – 1944),

He was a Dutch painter.

He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group

He evolved a form that consisted of white ground, upon which was painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colors.[1]

he termed his artwork Neo-Plasticism

In his most famous works: The black lines are the flattest elements, with the least amount of depth. 

The colored forms have the most obvious brush strokes, all running in one direction. Most interesting, however, are the white forms, which clearly have been painted in layers, using brush strokes running in different directions. 

This generates a greater sense of depth in the white forms, as though they are overwhelming the lines and the colors, which indeed they were.

PREPARATION: cut strips of black lines in short and long lengths. 

Project: Collage/painting inspired by Mondrian

Step1: using pre-cut black lines glue in grid like Mondrians

Step2: add as many or as few as you like

TO PREVENT COLOR MIXING: hand out plates of red paint, yellow paint and blue paint with brushes. do not put all three colors on one plate. 

Step3: in one small square add in the color red

Step4: in one small square add in color blue

step5: in one small square add in color yellow

Step6: make artist decisions about adding more square of colors and/or more black lines

MATERIALS: 

Pre-cut black lines

Tempura paint in red blue and yellow

glue sticks 

Scissors

PREPARATION: create grid paper with six blocks 

DISCUSSION: 

Colors: what is color?

Where does it come from

What colors come first?

Primary colors

Name the primary colors

What colors make all other colors

What colors come second

Look at : Gerhard Richter’s 4900 Colours: Version II via Serpentine Gallery

artist

Artist

Gerhard Richter(born February 9, 1932) 

German visual artist.

Known for his blurred painting of photographs

Known for abstract paintings of pulled paint

Project: 

Create a Gerhard Richter style square artwork by painting primary and secondary colors in a grid

Step1: paint in primary colors

Step2: paint in secondary colors

Step3: do your best job to stay in the lines

MATERIALS:

paint

Brushes

Grid paper

Geometric Shapes and Color Mixing with Van Gogh

DISCUSSION: Geometric Shape: from mathematics

Geometric shapes can be solved by a mathematical equation 

Let’s think of some: square, rectangle, circle, oval, triangle, etc...

Look at Van Gogh’s Bedroom: let's reduce all the shapes in the room into geometric shapes. Can you find a square: the two pillows

 Can you find a circle: The seats of the chairs

Color Wheel: Draw out the color wheel. 

Primary Colors: Red, blue Yellow

what does primary mean?

what makes these colors special?

Secondary colors: orange, green, violet

Look at Van Gogh’s Bedroom: Find each of the primary and secondary colors

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

Dutch Post-Impressionist painter 

His work had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art

Known for his  vivid colors and emotional impact. 

Van Gogh did not begin painting until his late twenties

most of his best-known works were produced during his final two years. 

He produced more than 2,000 artworks, consisting of around 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings and sketches. 

His work was a strong influence on the Modernist art that followed. 

Today many of his pieces—including his numerous self portraits, landscapes, portraits and sunflowers—are among the world's most recognizable and expensive works of art.

Known for his paint application creating texture and movement.

He suffered from anxiety and increasingly frequent bouts of mental illness throughout his life,

died largely unknown, at the age of 37

sold only one painting while he was alive

for more information, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh

PROJECT: Recreate Van Gogh’s Bedroom

Step1: in pencil: Draw the objects in the room by reducing them to geometric shapes

for example: the bed is a large square at the bottom

                                         a rectangle in the middle 

                                         the headboard is another rectangle with two square pillows.

Step 2: Paint in all the primary colors first

yellow bed, red blanket,  blue doors and vase, etc.

Step 3: create your first secondary color: Green and paint in all green objects, Window, chair seat, etc...

Step 4: create your second secondary color: orange: paint in all orange objects

Table, frames coat hanger

Step5: mix your final color purple and paint the walls with it 

Step6: add anything additionally that you might need to make the scene yours

MATERIALS: 

Tempura paint in red, yellow and blue

pencils

thick white paper

Paper plates for paint

Paint brushes

additional pictures of student work: