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Nature's Colors

Nature provides a brilliant display of color and will inspire students to create a striking work of their own.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Nature has inspired artists throughout history to capture its beauty in various forms and styles. Many paintings depict nature's wonders in a representational way. Others present the scene in a more abstract way. Have students view images of some famous works such as "Early Spring" (1072) by Guo Xi, "Impression, Sunrise" (1872) by Claude Monet, "Autumn Leaves, Lake George" (1924) by Georgia O'Keeffe, or "Mountains and Sea" (1952) by Helen Frankenthaler. Have them note whether the depictions are literal or if the artist used improvised forms and colors to convey a mood.

  • Step 2

    Ask students to think of a nature scene they'd like to depict and then sketch it in pencil. When they're satisfied with the design ask them to mix some black watercolor paint into white glue that will dry transparent and hard. They will then use this to draw the image outlines in their sketch. (They can draw with the tip of the watercolor brush or a cotton swab.) When the glue is dry have them begin to fill in the shapes and background with watercolors. Encourage them to use contrasting colors to make the images stand out.

  • Step 3

    Have students display their work and compare styles. Did scenes of autumn contain a lot of warm colors such as red, orange, gold, and brown? Did winter scenes contain cool color shades of blue and gray?

Standards

ARTS: Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

ARTS: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Adaptations

"En plein air," French for "outdoors" is the act of painting outdoors. It is said that it helps the artist better capture the changing details of weather and light. Have students bring paper and colored pencils outside when weather permits and draw what they see around them.

Andrew Wyeth is one of the best-known realist painters of the 20th century. His landscapes often featured scenes of everyday life in rural Pennsylvania and Maine. Encourage students to explore some of his works such as "November First" (1950), "Winter Fields" (1942), and the iconic "Christina's World" (1948).