Target Grade:

Elementary

Goal (Terminal Objective):

The students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the 19thCentury American Landscape Style characterized by the Hudson River Painters, using their talents and skills to create a painting of their own.

Objective:

Students will draw a simple landscape and use the techniques they have learned to create a painting that reflects the styles of the Hudson River Painters.

National Standards:

Visual Arts Grades K-4 Content Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Visual Arts Grades K-4 Content Standard 4: Understanding the Visual Arts in relation to history and cultures

Visual Arts Grades K-4 Content Standard 6: : Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines. (Social Studies Cross Curriculum Connection)

Purpose:

To introduce students to 19thCentury American Landscape Painting through a brief summary of the techniques used by the Hudson River Artists.

New Vocabulary:

American Landscape, Hudson River School, Luminists, tonalist, Plein air

Materials:

#56-4004 4 ct. Natural Hair Beginner Brush Set

#22-1136 36 ct. Water Color Crayon pack

#66-542112 ct. Acrylic Paint set

#22-1309 9 ct. Tempera Cakes

Time:

Approximately 2 hours

Introduction and Motivation Set:

The Art Instructor will give a brief introduction of the 19thCentury American Landscape and the Hudson River. Examples may be shown using the resources below. The use of light and shadows should be emphasized.

Instruction:

The teacher will demonstrate how to lay out the landscape so that it is framed by foliage similar to the style being studied and also the use of washes using Sargent’s quality art products to give the illusion of depth.

Activities:

(1) Guided Practice:

The students will draw a basic sketch of a landscape. If at all possible this should be done outside on a sunny day. If not outside, then magazine pictures of landscapes should beprovided.

Using Sargent Tempera Cakes, Sargent brushes, and a lot of water,the students will begin laying down a lightwash

Next the students will use Sargent Watercolor Crayons to fill in some ofthe darkercolors.

To complete their landscape, the students will then lay in the details using Sargent AcrylicPaints.

(2) Independent Practice and Check for Understanding:

1. The teacher will help and instruct the students while they are working, demonstrating each step one at atime.

(3) Closure:

1. At the completion of the project, the students and teacher will discuss what was learned in the lesson and how well the students managed to capture the techniques used by the Hudson RiverArtist.

Evaluation:
Level One — The completed landscape painting met all the original objectives. It showed the student’s understanding of the styles and techniques used by the Hudson River School. The landscape showed the student’s creativity, was visually interesting, was executed with quality, and was exceptional.

Level Two — The completed landscape painting met all the original objectives. It showed the student’s understanding of the styles and techniques used by the Hudson River School. The landscape showed the student’s creativity, was visually interesting, was executed with quality, and was exceptional.

Level Three — The completed landscape painting barely met all the original objectives and showed little understanding of the styles and techniques used by the Hudson River School. The landscape showed very little creativity, was not visually interesting, and was not executed with quality.

Level Four — The completed landscape painting did not meet the original objectives and showed no understanding of the styles and techniques used by the Hudson River School. The landscape showed a lack of creativity, was not visually interesting, and lacked quality.

Tips:

Use a larger sheet of black paper and one of Sargent’s glue sticks to mat the painting for display.

Notes:

If using magazines pictures, it would be better to provide the landscape pictures from the magazines rather than having the students search for their own. This will save time and keep the lesson flowing.

Extension:

To give the painting an antique look, a wash with one of Sargent Arts metallic paints may be used

Resources:

http://www.nypl.org/research/hudson/history/his1.html
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/hudson/intro.html