Background:

Landscape painting became very popular in France in the late 1800s when artists began to paint outdoors and attempt to capture natural lighting in their paintings.
This visual effect became known as “impressionism” and it was at first highly rejected by traditional art standards. Today impressionistic paintings by artists Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Renoir and many others are considered masterpieces and they are found in art museums around the world.

National Art Content Standards:

Create VA: Cr2.1.7a Demonstrate persistence in developing skills with various materials, methods and approaches in creating works of art or design.

Create VA: Cr3.1.7a Reflect on and explain important information about personal art work in an artist statement or another format.

Respond VA: Re7.2.7a Analyze multiple ways that images influence specific audiences.

Learning Objectives/Goals/Essential Understandings:

Students will learn the history of impressionism and the language of landscape painting. They will be introduced to landscape paintings by made by artists Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Renoir. Students will create layered paper landscapes (torn and cut paper collage) that result from making their own painted papers using liquid watercolor.
Students’ landscapes will show understanding of foreground, middle ground, back ground and horizon. They will use colors creatively and complete a landscape that reflects a particular time of day and/or time of year. Students will understand the effects of natural outdoor light during various weather conditions. They will apply previously learned design skills and be able to use the elements of art and principles of design in their layered paper landscapes. Essential understandings will be knowing the properties of liquid water color and being able to apply it in various processes to achieve many effects. Upon completion, students will embellish their landscape collages with liquid metal markers and other drawing media. Students will constructively critique their landscapes in small groups. They will complete a written statement reflecting on the processes they chose to use in their artworks and what they would do differently if they made another layered paper landscape.

Vocabulary (Language Demands):

Landscape Art: Depiction of natural scenery (mountains, valleys, rivers, forests, skies, etc.) that shows weather conditions and time of year.

Impressionism: Art that captures a moment in time and the effect of light on objects in the painting.

Foreground: The part of the painting closest to the viewer.

Middle Ground: The part of the painting that is middle distance to the viewer.

Background: The part of the painting farthest away from the viewer.

Horizon: The line at which the earth and sky appear tomeet.

Collage: Art made by gluing various materials to abacking.

Mixed-Media: Using a variety of media to create a work of art.

Principles Of Design: Harmony, Balance, Scale, Proportion, Emphasis, Contrast.

Elements Of Art: Color, Shape, Texture, Space, Form.

Materials:

#22-1403 8 g Washable Glue Sticks

#22-6010 8 oz. Washable Watercolor Magic 10 pcs.

#98-8916 Paint Storage Tray 6 jar empty with screw top caps

#22-7276 72 ct. Jumbo Yellow #2 Pencils

#22-1002 4 oz. Plastic Spray Bottle

#22-1001 12 ct. Plastic Eyedropper Pipette Assortment

#22-3001 40 ct. Flat Brush Best-Buy Set

#22-3003 40 ct. Round Brush Best-Buy Set

#56-4000 20 ct. Jumbo Brush Canister, plastic handle

#22-0914 12 ct. Pointed Tip Student Scissors Best-Pack

#22-1506 6 ct. Metallic Medium Point Peggable Carton Markers

#22-1495 100 ct. Assorted Gel Pen Set in Case

#22-1591 50 ct. Classic Fine Tip Case w/Handle markers

#23-5027 60 Sheet Sketch Pad

#23-4098 500 ct. Assorted Construction Paper

Recycled backing paper, construction paper, masking tape, sea salt, vegetable oil, tag board, water cups, paper towels

Time:

5 Lessons, 50 minutes each

Lesson Introduction and Motivation:

Teacher introduces students to impressionism by showing several paintings by Monet, Cezanne, Renoir and Van Gogh. Teacher gives a brief history of impressionism followed by a class discussion of daily weather conditions, seasonal changes in daylight and painting outdoors verses painting in a studio. Students respond to the following questions: What do impressionist paintings have in common? How does natural outdoor lighting affect the impressionist artists’ paintings? What are the challenges of outdoor painting? Why were these paintings rejected by traditional art standards? How would you describe your communitylandscape?

Procedure:

Lesson 1:

Teacher introduces new vocabulary and reviews definitions with students. Students are encouraged to use these art terms as they progress with the lesson. Teacher presents several landscape paintings to students, including teacher samples made with torn and cut layered papers. Teacher reviews foreground, middle ground, background and horizon. Students are asked to identify these components in the landscape examples. Students are given time to make at least two thumbnail sketches of landscapes for a final landscape collage. Assessment for Lesson 1 is an exit slip asking students to match new vocabulary with definitions.

Lesson 1 Thumbnail sketches for layered paper landscape collages

Lesson 2:

Teacher demonstrates transferring a selected landscape drawing to 8 x 10 tag board. Teacher demonstrates tearing and cutting liquid watercolor samples from Lesson 2 to begin the layered paper landscape. Teacher demonstrates gluing the paper strips to the tagboard, beginning with the background (sky). Students transfer a selected landscape sketch to tagboard and create layered paper landscapes using their liquid watercolor experiments. Assessment for Lesson 3 is a short critique activity for student partners to compare and contrast each other’s landscapes. Each student is required to write two positive comments about the partner’s landscape.

Lesson 2 Liquid watercolor application experiments.

Lesson 3:

Teacher and students prepare a summative self-assessment rubric for the lesson.
Following a teacher demonstration (taping paper to backing paper and applying liquid water color with various brush techniques, eye droppers, spray bottles, sponges, vegetable oil and sea salt), students make several water color samples to later be used in their layered paper landscapes. A review of warm colors, cool colors and neutral colors is given. Teacher encourages students to choose colors that will work well together. Watercolor experiments are allowed to dry before they are cut from the backing paper. Assessment for Lesson 2 is a short written reflection by students showing understanding of the properties of liquid watercolor. Students list the techniques they used and explain their visual results.

Lesson 3 Layred paper landscapes begin by gluing torn/cut paper to tagboard backing.

Lesson 4:

Teacher demonstrates trimming the edges of the layered paper landscape and embellishing it with a variety of drawing media. Students trim their landscapes and embellish them to complete the landscape. Assessment for Lesson 4 is a written quiz. Students identify background, middle ground, foreground, horizon and time of day/year represented in their landscapes. They answer the question, “What would I do differently the next time I make a layered paper landscape?”

Lesson 4 Layered paper landscapes are embellished with a variety of drawing media.

Lesson 5:

Teacher displays the completed landscapes and students view them in an art gallery experience. Small group critique follows and each group collaboratively answers the following questions: What are the characteristics of landscape art? When did landscape painting become popular? Why was impressionism disregarded as art when it began? Who are artists well known for their impressionistic landscapes? Students complete the summative assessment independently. Teacher compares his/her assessments with students’ self-assessments.

Summative Assessment:

Level Three (Target) — Layered paper landscape was completed and embellished. The landscape conveys excellent understanding of the collage process and impressionism. Ten or more liquid watercolor samples were made. Layering/gluing of torn/cut papers was done carefully and the final landscape was planned to include a variety of watercolor techniques. The completed landscape gives an impression of a time of day/year. The landscape is embellished with a variety of drawing media, enhancing the completed landscape. The landscape is original and addresses the principles ofdesign.
Craftsmanship is excellent. Student handled materials with confidence. The landscape shows a high degree of hard work to achieve desired visual effects. Cooperation and care of materials during the lessons were outstanding.

Level Two (Acceptable) — Layered paper landscape was completed and embellished. The landscape conveys satisfactory understanding of the collage process and impressionism. Five to nine liquid watercolor samples were made. Layering/gluing of torn/cut papers included a variety of watercolor techniques. The completed landscape gives an impression of a time of day/year. The landscape is embellished with only one drawing medium to enhance the completed landscape. The landscape is original and addresses the principles of design. Craftsmanship is good. Student handled materials with adequate confidence. The landscape shows satisfactory work to achieve desired visual effects. Cooperation and care of materials during the lessons were good.

Level One (Developing) — Layered paper landscape was completed, but not embellished. The landscape conveys minimal understanding of the collage process and impressionism. Fewer than five liquid watercolor samples were made. Layering/gluing of torn/cut papers was completed with very few watercolor techniques. The completed landscape does not give an impression of a time of day/year. The landscape was not embellished. The landscape is original and addresses the principles of design. Craftsmanship is fair. Student handled materials with minimum confidence. The landscape has not achieved desired visual effects of time of day/year. Cooperation and care of materials during the lessons were fair.

Level Zero (Unacceptable) — The layered paper landscape was not completed.

Extension Activity:

Students may tear the remnants of their watercolor experiments to create a large color wheel collage. Construction papers and magazine pictures may be torn and combined to enhance the color wheel. The follow-up lesson to the layered paper landscape collage is an in depth lesson on impressionistic painting with references to contemporary painters Erin Hanson, Jane Small and Marcus Krackowizer. Students will find landscape photographs and paint impressionistic interpretations of them.

Resources:

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-impressionism.htm
http://www.claudemonetgallery.org/
http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf
http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/elements_art.pdf