Pointy Animals

Submitted by: Walaa Hossam
Week: 7, 8, 9, 10
Grade: 10
Topic: Divisionism / Pointillism
Useful Websites/Links
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-seurat-georges.htm

Learning Objectives
To Know/Understand:
1. Biography of George Seurat
2. Vocabulary Words: Pointillism, Georges Seurat, complementary colors, primary colors, secondary colors

To Do/Produce:
1. Students will create a watercolor pointillism painting based on Georges Seurat’s artwork.
2. Students will learn about pointillism and apply this new technique to produce a piece of artwork.
3. Students will re-visit/learn color theory – primary colors, secondary colors, complementary colors, and how to mix and create colors.
4. Students will strengthen their drawing skills.

Resources Needed & Materials and Resources:

1. Internet
2. Demo
3. Samples

Materials:

• Example of Watercolor Pointillism

• Evaluation sheet

• 12x18” (30.5 x 45.7 cm) white Drawing Paper

• Watercolor Paint

• Q-Tips

• Copies of Georges Seurat’s biography

• Example of Georges Seurat’s artwork

• Water cups

• Newspaper (to protect desks)

• Drawing Pencils

• Paper towels

Prior knowledge to build upon:

Georges Seurat is chiefly remembered as the pioneer of the Neo-Impressionist technique commonly known as Divisionism, or Pointillism, an approach associated with a softly flickering surface of small dots or strokes of color. His innovations derived from new quasi-scientific theories about color and expression, yet the graceful beauty of his work is explained by the influence of very different sources. Initially, he believed that great modern art would show contemporary life in ways similar to classical art, except that it would use technologically informed techniques. Later he grew more interested in Gothic art and popular posters, and the influence of these on his work make it some of the first modern art to make use of such unconventional sources for expression. His success quickly propelled him to the forefront of the Parisian avant-garde. His triumph was short-lived, as after barely a decade of mature work he died at the age of only 31. But his innovations would be highly influential, shaping the work of artists as diverse as Vincent Van Gogh and the Italian Futurists, while pictures like Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte (1884) have since become widely popular icons.

Introduction/Warm up:

Get out: rough draft paper, 12x18” (30.5 x 45.7 cm) white paper, watercolor paints, Q-Tips, newspaper, paper towels, water cups, and examples of Georges Seurat’s artwork. Make sure to have enough copies of Georges Seurat’s biography for each student.

Procedure:

Day 1:

• Discuss and read about Georges Seurat.

• Discuss and make a class list of different rain forest and jungle animals.

• Teacher will show example of project and examples of Georges Seurat’s artwork.

• Go over evaluation sheet and expectations.

• Students will draw a rough draft of a jungle or rain forest animal plus a background environment.

Day 2:

• Students will draw their final copy of their animal and background on good white 12x18” paper.

• Teacher will demonstrate how to create a pointillism painting using Q-Tips and watercolors.

• Teacher will explain how to physically mix colors together and how you can visually mix colors, by placing colored dots next to one another.

• Students will begin painting their pictures using the pointillism technique.

Day 3: