Students create collages to explore the use of warm/cool colors, value, shade/tint, mood, balance, pattern, complementary colors, and overlapping colors and shapes.
- Length: 1-2 class periods
- Grades: 4-5
Concepts/Objectives:
- Students will make collages using the elements of art and principles of design.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the terms collage, warm/cool colors, value, shade/tint, mood, balance, pattern, complementary, and overlapping.
- Students will become familiar with works by Picasso, Monet, Matisse, and Stuart Davis.
Resource Used:
Video: Warm and Cool Colors/Cut-Paper Collage Found On: Spectrum of Art
Artworks: Old Man with Guitar by Pablo Picasso, online at the Art Institute of Chicago Rouen Cathedral Series by Claude Monet, online at the Columbia University Visual Media Center
Vocabulary, Materials, and Handouts
Vocabulary:
balance, collage, complementary colors, geometric shape, line, organic shape, overlapping, purposes of art, shade, shape, tint, value, warm/cool colors, two-dimensional art
Materials:
construction paper in assorted colors, scissors, glue, 12" X 18" sheets of white sulphite paper or colored paper for backgrounds, TV/VCR or DVD player, computer with Internet access
Handouts:
- Multiple-Choice Questions
- Answer Key
Instructional Strategies and Activities
- Introduce the artist’s use of color to express mood and feeling by displaying and discussing Picasso’s Old Man with Guitar, also known as The Old Guitarist. Explain why Picasso used various shades of blue in the painting. Have students concentrate on how the painting makes them feel. Contrast this painting with one from Picasso’s Rose Period, having students note the difference in their feelings.
- Show students how artists also use color to depict how a scene changes in appearance and feelings by showing and discussing Monet’s series of paintings of the Rouen Cathedral. Discuss how the paintings make students feel and how Monet’s use of warm and cool colors changes the mood of each painting.
- Show and discuss the video excerpt “Warm and Cool Colors/Cut-Paper Collage.”
- Introduce Matisse’s work with collage by showing Snow Flowers and other examples of his work. Discuss the following points:
- how Matisse uses warm and cool colors
- how Matisse uses complementary colors
- how he creates patterns
- his use of overlapping colors and shapes
- how Matisse creates balance with color
- how Matisse leads your eye through the composition
- Move the discussion to Stuart Davis’ work and show Report from Rockport. Discuss the same questions you discussed about Matisse’s work. While Report from Rockport is a painting, it has some of the qualities of a collage. Point out that, like Matisse, Davis uses cut-out shapes, but he also combines them with cut-out letters.
- Introduce the idea of each student creating a collage using three letters (his or her initials) combined with two or three organic shapes and geometric shapes. If possible, display several finished pieces (student work, ideally).
- Stress that the letters should be of various sizes and can be flipped or reversed, laid on a side, placed diagonally, overlapped, etc. Demonstrate these variations.
- Allow students to create their collages, gluing them to the background sheets.
- Have students describe their collages, using correct art vocabulary. They should discuss their use of warm and/or cool colors, complementary colors, shades, overlapping, balance, pattern, line, and geometric and organic shapes. They should describe how they used color to guide the viewer’s eye.
Idea
As an option, have students do one composition using warm color schemes and another using only cool color schemes, then discuss the differences.
Open Response Assessment
Prompt:
You have viewed how four different artists (Picasso, Monet, Matisse, and Davis) used color to express mood and feelings.
Directions:
Select two of the artists you have studied. Compare and contrast a representative work of art by each artist. Discuss each artist’s use of the elements of art and principles of design, supporting your answer with examples and details and using correct art vocabulary.
Open Response Scoring Guide
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student compares representative works by two artists, demonstrating extensive understanding of each artist’s use of the elements of art and principles of design. Student provides insightful supporting examples or details and uses correct vocabulary. | Student compares representative works by two artists, demonstrating broad understanding of each artist’s use of the elements of art and principles of design. Student provides supporting examples or details and uses correct vocabulary. | Student compares representative works by two artists, demonstrating basic understanding of each artist’s use of the elements of art and principles of design. Student provides some supporting examples or details and uses some correct vocabulary. | Student compares representative works by two artists, demonstrating minimal understanding of each artist’s use of the elements of art and principles of design. Student’s use of examples or details and vocabulary is inappropriate or underdeveloped. | Blank, no answer, or irrelevant response. |
Performance Assessment
Performance Event:
Artists use color to make the viewer feel a certain emotion. They also use color to guide your eyes through a work of art.
Directions:
- Create a collage using your three initials and geometric and organic shapes.
- Use the following terms to describe your collage: warm/cool colors, complementary colors, shades, overlapping, balance, pattern, line, geometric shapes, and organic shapes.
- Discuss how you use color to guide the viewer’s eye in your art work.
Performance Scoring Guide
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student completes a collage using his or her initials and two or three geometric and/or organic shapes. Student thoroughly describes the collage, using art vocabulary appropriately and correctly and demonstrating extensive knowledge of art elements and principles. Student thoroughly discusses how he or she used color to guide the viewer’s eye through the collage. Student uses effective communication skills, with insightful use of supporting examples and relevant details about the elements and principles of art. | Student completes a collage using his or her initials and two or three geometric and/or organic shapes. Student describes the collage, using art vocabulary appropriately and correctly and demonstrating broad knowledge of art elements and principles. Student discusses how he or she used color to guide the viewer’s eye through the collage. Student uses effective communication skills, with supporting examples and details about the elements and principles of art. | Student completes a collage using his or her initials and two or three geometric and/or organic shapes. Student describes the collage using art vocabulary, demonstrating some basic knowledge of art elements and principles. Student discusses on a basic level how he or she used color to guide the viewer’s eye through the collage. Student uses basic-level communication skills, with some use of supporting examples and/or details about the elements and principles. | Student completes a collage using his or her initials and two or three geometric and/or organic shapes. Student describes the collage using little or no art vocabulary, demonstrating limited knowledge of art elements and principles. Student discusses minimally and/or incorrectly how he or she used color to guide the viewer’s eye through the collage. Student demonstrates ineffective communication skills, with little or no use of supporting examples and/or details about the elements and principles of art. | No response, blank, or irrelevant response. |
Support - Connections - Resources - Author
- Book: Getting To Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Matisse
- Optional: examples of “warm” and “cool” music to play during production time