A great book to show how art has changed and developed over time is Name That Style: All About Isms in Art, by Bob Raczka, Millbrook Press, 2009. He shows an example of Naturalism, Mannerism, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Pointillism, Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Op art, and Photorealism and then explains each movement pointing out why artists moved that way and what are some characteristics of each style.
NOTE: Each craft/project below was chosen to showcase a particular form or style of art. There are a lot of ideas here and you won’t be able to do them all in one day so pick and choose according to your children’s likes and abilities.
We devoted one form of art to one day, really focusing on the concept or lesson of the craft and of course looking at books or pictures online with art in them to match.
I found it very useful to show my boys examples of each concept before we attempted the craft. You can do this by bookmarking pages in art books from the library or by printing out images from the internet or if you have a tablet you could save images to your photos in advance and use that as an album to show the examples.
PROJECT 10 -
ANDRE MASSON
INSPIRED AUTOMATIC DRAWING:
NOTE: Andre Masson His early works display an interest in cubism. He later became associated with surrealism, and he was one of the most enthusiastic employers of automatic drawing, making a number of automatic works in pen and ink.
Materials: White paper, black pen, pencil crayons.
Step 1: Use a black pen so there is no erasing to scribble on the paper.
Step 2: Turn the Scribbles into something else. Let the individual artists in your family work on the piece by themselves.
NOTE: Younger children make need help or guidance. Help your child by asking these questions: What do the scribbles look like? What do you see in them? Can you turn any of the spaces into people? Do any scribbles remind you of animals? What colours can you use to change the picture?
Step 3: Don’t forget to title each piece and then display the art.
VARITATION: NOTE: You can make a game of this project by having everyone in the family scribble and then pass their paper to the person on the right. Then you have to make a picture out of the scribbles passed to you.
PROJECT 8:
MUNCH INSPIRED CHALK DRAWING OF FEAR:
Materials: Paper (coloured craft paper that is slightly textured works well – try not to use smooth paper like computer paper for this craft), various colours of chalk (we used sidewalk chalk instead of buying proper artists chalk), newspaper to lay on the table or workspace, a damp cloth for afterwards to clean fingers and the table.
NOTE: Some kids may be irritated by the chalk dust. If your child had allergies you may want to choose a different medium – pastels could work for this project. Munch used different mediums to create various versions of his famous Scream so you can use whatever craft supplies you have.
Still Life is a work of art that shows an arrangement of usually inanimate objects. Subject usually include natural items like fruit, flowers, plants, rocks etc., or human-made like jars, vases, jewelry, bowls, coins etc..
Check here for more information:
Pointillism is when small separate dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. It is a part of the Neo-Impressionist Movement.
It is a form of art that branched from Impressionism and was developed in 1886 by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac.
Check here for more information and for examples: Pointillism - Wikipedia
From the Sumida Hokusai Museum in Tokyo.
LESSON #13:
SCULPTURE
"The Persistence of Memory,"
by Salvador Dali, 1931, MOMA (New York)
BONUS: For a book about Matisse great for kids to learn more about him and see examples of his style try this book in the Artists in Their Time series: Henri Matisse, by Jude Welton, Franklin Watts, 2002.
LESSON #4:
IMPRESSIONISM
Step 3: Next, have your child lightly draw four lines stretching to the four corners of the paper from the vanishing point. I did this for my littlest guy and by eldest did this himself.
Step 4: Let their imaginations soar and have them draw their own road picture using the lines as the road. They can draw trees, buildings, lamp posts, etc. Have your child draw a line using the ruler across the page to represent the horizon (explain that this means the line that separates earth from sky).
Further Materials: Your child may want a handheld mirror or a photograph of himself/herself as well.
Step 1: Let your child create his own vision of himself using the medium of choice. Your child can use either a photograph of himself/herself or a mirror or just draw by memory (or what your child thinks he/she looks like).
Step 2: Don’t forget to display this work of art once completed and dry (if required).
Copyright 2010. Family Theme Days. All rights reserved.
Etching is when a picture is engraved in metal or even wood or lino and then printed onto paper.
Here are some examples of etching: Etching - Wikipedia
Printmaking is the process of creating
artwork by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces.
Check here for more information: Printmaking - Wikipedia
Surrealism began in the 1920s and features the element of surprise. It is art that sets imaginations free since the word “surrealism” comes from the French word meaning “super realism” and so it is art that is more spontaneous as opposed to being well thought out.
Surrealism is a combination of the real and unreal and describes an image in which the unusual is show as a part of everyday life. Often surrealist works seem like weird dreams.
Check here for examples:
Materials: Store-bough modelling clay, Plasticine or play dough, paper clips for carving tools.
Step 1: After showing your child what a bust is have him/her pick a colour of clay and then roll it into a ball.
Step 2: Now have your child carve (using paper clips) and pinch and mold the clay into the shape of a person’s head to create mini busts.
Step 3: Display the finished art.
My Eldest son chose pencils for, chosing a medium instead of a style for his Self-Portrait.
Photos by: C. Wright
LESSON #14:
MOBILES
PROJECT 12 -
SELF PORTRAIT IN CHOSEN STYLE:
I used this as a final project after we tried the above mediums so that my sons could pick their favourite style as inspiration for their self-portrait.
Materials: Let your child choose the medium (Paint, Chalk, Pastel, Pencil, Crayons, Markers...) and gather your materials based on that choice. If you’ve done all the above art projects this will give your child an opportunity to explore the same medium once more. It will be interesting to see what style your child likes. If you have more than one child doing this try to get them to choose their medium by whispering in your ear so each child can be unique. My youngest loves to copy his big brother so I had him whisper his choice in my ear first and then had my Eldest choose.
Step 6: Gently blow chalk dust onto the newspaper laid out on the table which will make for a quick clean up (just fold up the newspaper to capture the chalk inside) and then your wipe your artist fingers with a cloth.
Step 5: Name the picture and then display it.
NOTE: This Craft duplicates the notion of looking at something from different viewpoints but instead of asking a child to paint in such an abstract way I just had my kids literally view an object from different viewpoints. I originally wanted my kids to cut up the drawings and paste them in an interesting way but they liked their drawings and instead wanted to just add colourful backgrounds to each quarter.
Sculpture takes many forms but they are basically three dimensional art.
Often sculptures are carved, modeled or cast out of wood, marble, bronze, or clay etc., but modern sculptures can be made out of anything including recycled materials.
Check here for some examples: Sculpture - Wikipedia
PROJECT 2:
Still Life Painting:
Materials: White paper, paints and paint brushes, wax paper or a paper plate or a proper art pallet, art smock or old clothes to wear, newspaper or plastic to cover and protect the table, a jar of water, some paper towels, plus whatever objects your child chooses to pose for his/her Still Life painting.
Step 1: Have your children gather items for their Still Life and then arrange them on the working table or on a chair or another table near the working/painting area. My boys used Easter items.
Step 2: Put blobs of coloured paint on the wax paper or paper plate (or pallet if you have one) and let your child paint the arrangement of objects before him/her.
Step 2: Have your child pick a spot on the horizon line to be the vanishing point and lightly draw in a dot to show where that point is.
Abstract Expressionism is a great art form to show kids who think they “are not artistic” as the spontaneity and simplicity are easily replicated.
Art
"Still Life With Three Puppies" is an example of the Still Life style made by French Artist Paul Gauguin in 1888. It can be seen in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.
Perspective in art is basically trying to represent what the eye sees on a flat surface. It is making things appear further away by using size and a vanishing point to create depth.
Check here for some examples of vanishing point: Vanishing point - Wikipedia
These two photographs from family Vacations illustrate perspective and vanishing point.
LESSON #9:
ABSTRACT
EXPRESSIONISM
LESSON #7: CUBISM
"Bathers at Asnieres"
by Georges Seurat
Abstract Expressionism was a movement that started prior to World War II and gained more acceptance after World War II which was a time of artistic censorship. If the subject matter was totally abstract it would be seen as apolitical, and therefore safe. For more of the history check here: Abstract expressionism - Wikipedia
Abstract Expressionism gives the impression of spontaneity (for example, just let the paint go wherever, or covering the canvas in one colour) however, most of these paintings involved careful planning, especially because of their large sizes.
Check here for some examples:
PROJECT 7:
TEDDY BEAR CUBISM PICTURE:
Materials: Pencil, markers and crayons, white paper, a teddy bear or other object to draw, Optional: a ruler, child safe scissors, glue stick).
Step 1: Split a piece of paper into 4 quarters by folding it.
"Vitrail bleu pale"
PROJECT 1:
Pencil Drawing Cityscape or Road:
Materials: Drawing paper (white paper), sharpened pencil, eraser, and a ruler, (Optional) coloured pencils.
Step 1: Have your child draw a line using the ruler across the page to represent the horizon (explain that this means the line that separates earth from sky).
Step 2: Have your child pick a spot on the horizon line to be the vanishing point and lightly draw in a dot to show where that point is.
LESSON #6: POINTILLISM
LESSON #12:
SELF PORTRAIT
PROJECT 5:
Marker Pointellism:
Materials: Coloured markers (preferable washable), white paper, (Optional) a photo or picture for your child to look at while drawing if they cannot come up with their own subject idea.
Step 1: Either encourage your kids to look at a photo from a family vacation or from a magazine or have them create a scene on his/her own (whatever your child prefers). Some kids will want to create their own vision while others will need a subject to look at.
Step 2: Show your child pictures of pointillism and explain that the pictures are made from little dots of colour. Encourage you kids to use different colours and shades. Talk about what colours your see in trees and grass and water etc...most things are not just one colour but a mix. You could even pick up a leaf and examine it to see the different shades of green and possibly shades of yellow and brown.
Step 3: Let your child create a picture using only dots!
PROJECT 3:
Styrofoam Print Making:
Materials: Styrofoam (you can use grocery store trays—cleaned after use), toothpicks, paint, sponge, white paper, wax paper, newspaper or plastic to over your work space, art smock or old clothes to wear, paper towels for clean up.
Step 1: Each artist is given a piece of Styrofoam to draw a picture by carving it into the Styrofoam using a toothpick or plastic fork.
Step 2: Put some paint on a piece of wax paper and lightly press the sponge in the paint. Pat the sponge onto another sheet of paper to release excess paint. If you have a small paint roller you could use this as well.
LESSON #8: EXPRESSIONISM
PROJECT 9:
JACKSON POLLOCK INSPIRED DRIZZLED PAINT:
NOTE: Jackson Pollock was widely noticed for his "drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a horizontal surface, enabling him to view and paint his canvases from all angles. It was called all-over painting and action painting, since he covered the entire canvas and used the force of his whole body to paint, often in a frenetic dancing style.
Materials: acrylic paint, large sheet of construction paper, various bottles of washable paint (preferable squeeze bottles), plastic disposable table cloth (it is well worth buying one of these from a dollar store for this project as it could get messy. Even better set this table cloth up outside and do the craft outside!), old clothes or art smock, (Optional: paintbrushes, a straw).
Pop Art emerged in the mid 1950’s as a challenge to fine art by using images from popular culture.
For more information and some examples check here: Pop art - Wikipedia
PROJECT 4:
Monet Inspired Bridge:
Materials: Oil Pastels (you can find a kids set at your local craft store. Oil pastels have such a nice bright colour and are great for blending but if you don't want to spend the money just use waxed crayons), white drawing paper (harder paper works best), paper towels, examples of Monet’s Bridge Paintings (Optional)
Step 1: Look at some pictures of The Japanese Footbridge by Claude Monet among other impressionist paintings by him.
PROJECT 12 -
CALDER INSPIRED MOBILES:
Materials: Yarn or string, straws (recycled chop sticks would work too), paper, hold punch, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, foam stickers...or anything else….use your imagination.
Step 1: Tie a piece of yarn or string to the middle of the straw to eventually pin the mobile to the roof. I tied a little loop at the end to fit the pins
Step 2: Tie two other pieces of yarn to either end of the straw to start the craft. More may be needed.
"Christina's World" is a Realist Painting by American Artist Andrew Wyeth made in 1948 that shows perspective. It can be seen in MOMA in New York.
LESSON #10:
SURREALSIM
"Ballet Dancers" by Edgar Degas
NOTE: For a good book about Surrealism for kids try this one in the Eye on Art series: Surrealism, by Hal Marcovitz, Lucent Books, 2008.
"Agapanthus" from Claude Monet's Water Lilies Series
Step 1: Set up your work area with a large plastic disposable table cloth and set the large sheet of construction paper on the table cloth. NOTE: You could do this on smaller paper but to get a better idea of what Pollock did use larger paper...his canvases were HUGE!
Step 2: Let your child choose the colours that most inspire him/her and then tell your child to stand over the paper and to squeeze paint onto the paper. You could also pour it in slow drizzles, or dip a straw into small bottles and then let that drizzle and drip onto the paper. Your child could even dip a paint brush in and then flick the tip of the brush close to the paper to have it splash the paper.
Step 3: Do this with lots of different colours.
Step 4: Let the paint dry and then display!
Step 3: The basic structure o this craft is to have the two sides of the straw balanced by different shapes hanging from either end. My kids had fun attaching different things to create theirs. They used construction paper cut into shapes, foam stickers, pipe cleaners and craft sticks to do so. Basically they kept adding pieces and then lifting it do see if it balanced.
NOTE: For more about Calder try to find this picture book: Sandy’s Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder, by Tanya Lee Stone and Boris Kulikov, Viking, 2008.
"Dance (1)"
"Woman Reading"
by Lucie Cousturier
NOTE: For a great book about Andy Warhol for kids try this one: Andy Warhol, Written and illustrated by Mike Venezia, Children's Press, 1996.
"The Great Wave off Kanagawa" (1830-1833) and "Vengeful Ghost That Manifests in Physical Form" (1831-32) are wood block prints made by Japanese Artist Katsushika Hokusai.
There are so many different art projects you and your children can undertake. Many craft books and websites offer additional ideas to explore famous works of art. I have only picked some that highlight certain mediums or styles. Hopefully this Theme Day will have inspired your kids to try new mediums or explore art.
LESSON #3:
ETCHING or PRINT MAKING
"Piano & Stool"
by Kate Millett, 1965 (MOMA, New York)
Step 3: Rub the paint dipped sponge over the etching (try not to get paint in the dents of the etchings). A small roller works well with this craft offering more efficiency but we didn’t have one.
Step 4: Press the etching onto a piece of white paper and continue to press for a count of at least five. Then gently lift up to reveal the design or picture.
NOTE: Initially, we made our own molding clay (some that hardened on its own) for this project. We had to redo this project later as I couldn’t find the photographs of the busts nor could I find where I put the actual sculptures. I ended up liking the store-bought clay better though as the kids could choose their own colours, it was easier to “carve” and mold into shape, and was easier to photograph. Our initial ones were bright white and it was hard to see the details. For those reasons I changed the project instructions to match our second attempt.
Fauvism is a movement of art that uses strong colour in place of the more realistic colours used in Impressionism. The leaders of the movement were André Derain and Henri Matisse. I have a few photos of some pieces by Matisse.
Check here for examples of Fauvism:
My boys at Centre Pompidou in Paris
My Youngest son chose pastels for an Impressionism Self-portrait.
BONUS: For kids who are interested in learning more about the artist of The Scream try to find this book in the Art Profiles For Kids series: Edvard Munch, by Jim Whiting, Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2009.
NOTE: For a great look at famous Self-Portraits try to find this book: Here’s Looking at Me: How Artists See Themselves, by Bob Raczka, Millbrook Press, 2006. This book has 14 different Self-Portraits by famous artist like Van Gogh, Norman Rockwell , and M.C. Escher. Each one is unique and Raczka offers explanations on each one and points out interesting facts.
Step 3: Paint the face using two different colours for the skin and then using four different colours of the background (I know Matisse used 3 colours for the background but I thought four would work as well).
Step 4: Let the painting dry and then either display it or giving it as a gift to the person the portrait is of (if the subject is a member of the family or a friend).
LESSON #1: Perspective
PROJECT 12 -
CLAY OR PLAY DOUGH BUSTS:
NOTE: A bust is a sculpted representation of a person’s head and shoulders. For some examples check here: Bust (sculpture) - Wikipedia
NOTE: The carving will be minimal in this art project but you can remind your kids that some artists used marble or wood to carve. Talk about the difference between using materials like that compared to clay.
NOTE: A mobile is a kinetic sculpture, which means it is meant to move and change, that hangs. For examples check here: Mobile (sculpture) - Wikipedia
BONUS: My youngest son made a pointillism painting on a piece of prepared canvas from the dollar store in school one year.
PROJECT 6:
MATISSE INSPIRED PORTRAIT:
Materials: Bright paints, paper or canvas (from a craft store), paints, jar of water, wax paper or paper plate or palette, art smock or old clothes, paper towels, newspaper or plastic to cover the workspace, a picture of the person your child wants to do a portrait of.
Step 1: Lightly draw a line down the centre of the page he/she will paint on and then draw one across the page horizontally splitting the picture into 4 sections. Perhaps a family photo will be of help.
Step 2: Lightly draw the portrait of the chosen person in the middle of the paper using the middle line to mark the middle of the face.
CRAFTS
Cubism is when artists depict objects from many different viewpoints instead of just one this is done basically by reassembling an object in abstract form. Cubism was pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in the early 1900’s.
For examples of cubism check here: Cubism - Wikipedia
Copyright 2010. Family Theme Days. All rights reserved.
Impressionism is art that uses free visible brush strokes to depict light in a common scene. It started in Paris in the 19th Century and numerous artists from that era formed the movement like Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and Degas to name just four. Check here for more information and for examples:
Check here for more information: Impressionism - Wikipedia
LESSON #5: POINTILLISM
NOTE: a portrait is a picture the artist makes of another person. Show your child the Portrait of Madame Matisse by Matisse which is an example of Fauvism: The Green Stripe - Wikipedia
Step 3: Have your child colour the bear and the background as my kids did using marker to highlight the shapes OR draw light squares over the bear and have your child cut it up and then paste the pieces together on a separate sheet of paper.
Step 1: Find a photo on line of Edvard Munch’s The Scream and have a family discussion. Talk about what the figure in the picture (actually Munch) might be scared of. He actually said the painting was based on a real experience when he was walking with some friends and the sky was all orange. He literally stopped where he was and was suddenly terrified.
Step 2: Using a pencil draw a scared face in the middle of the piece of paper to represent.
Step 3: Next draw something that scares the artist around the drawing of the scared face. Again, this is a good time to have a Family Discussion about feelings.
Step 4: Use chalk to colour the picture. Make swirls of colour moving towards the figure in the picture. Discuss as a family what colours could represent fear best.
Step 5: Chalk is fun to work with because it blends so well. Rub the colours together using fingers.
"Self Portrait with Brushes," by Evard Munch, 1904 (Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway)
PROJECT 11 -
CELEBRITY OR CHARACTER PORTRAIT IN THE STYLE OF ANDY WARHOL:
NOTE: Andy Warhol was visual artist and a leading figure in the pop art movement. He is considered one of the most important American artists of the second half of the 20th century. The Marilyn Diptych (1962) is a silkscreen painting by American pop artist Andy Warhol depicting Marilyn Monroe. The monumental work is one of the artist's most noted of the movie star: Marilyn Diptych - Wikipedia
NOTE: This craft isn’t proper automatic drawing but a representation of what it is. Learn More about Automatic Surrealism here: Surrealist automatism - Wikipedia
Wassily Kandinsky’s
art was the first to be described by this term: Wassily Kandinsky - Wikipedia
LESSON #2:
Still Life
Step 2: Draw a bridge (a simple arch will work) and the nature around it.
Step 3: Use multiple colours blended and layered instead of solid colours (discuss what colours might be seen in the water, in the sky, in the grass, trees, bushes, flowers, leaves etc.). Colour the whole page instead of just parts of it.
LESSON #11:
POP ART
Here are some examples of many different sculptures and statues taken on our vacations. What sculptures have you seen locally or on family holidays?
"Landscapes with Poplars"
by Paul Cezanne
Munch's work, including The Scream, had a formative influence on the Expressionist
movement.
Self-portraits are portraits artists make of themselves. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, the practice of self-portraiture only gaining momentum in the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting themselves as either the main subject, or as important characters in their work.
For more information and some examples check here: Self-portrait - Wikipedia
"A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat
Materials: Four photocopied pictures (we used cut and paste clip art online) of a cartoon character (just as Andy Warhol used Marilyn Monroe), water colour paints, watercolour paper (or harder paper like construction paper), water, glue stick.
Step 1: Use a black pen so there is no erasing to scribble on the paper.
Step 2: Paint each background in each square a different colour and also paint the cartoon character a different colour. Choose colours unlike the real character.
Step 3: Let the picture dry and then display.
Mark Rothko is another Abstract Expressionist Artist: Mark Rothko - Wikipedia
Art is more than 2-Dimensional pictures though and perhaps your children will gravitate more towards something that is concrete. Try these two art projects to showcase two other mediums Sculpture and Mobile.
Step 2: Use a pencil to draw teddy bear face from 4 points of view in each quarter. I turned the bear’s back to my boys for the first quarter, then turned it to face them for the next. For the last two quarters I turned the bear to each side.
Expressionism is a modernist movement from the beginning of the 20th century, distorting the world for emotional effect or to express an emotion or feeling.
Expressionism is notoriously difficult to define, in part because it "overlapped with other major 'isms' of the modernist period: with Futurism, Vorticism, Cubism, Surrealism and Dadaism.
Check here for some examples: