Serving Art Educators
and Students Since 1994
Submitted by: Rebecca A. Shampine, Indian River High School, Philadelphia, New York
Unit: High School Advanced Drawing and Painting
Grade Level: High School
Students will understand and be able to use gradients to define their animal and background.
Students will learn the seven major color schemes: Monochromatic, Complementary, Split-Complementary, Analogous, Triad, Warm, and Cool.
Students will understand a fragmented grid.
Students will be able to draw a realistic animal in a line drawing format.
Gradient Complementary Analogous
Cool Split - Complementary Triad
Warm Monochromatic Fragmented Grid
1) Students will be introduced to the seven main color schemes and be shown examples to illustrate each color scheme. The project will be explained and the teacher will illustrate how you can select a color scheme based on the type of animal they want to draw.
2) Students will be shown an example of a drawing of an animal, done by the teacher or a student in a previous class, to show students what their line drawing of the animal will look like. It should define the form and show details without any shading. They will select their animal from magazines and books and begin drawing.
3) Students will observe a demo on creating a fragmented grid. The teacher will show the students how to measure every two inches all the way around the edge of the canvas. Then they must connect each point with a point across the canvas, but it cannot be the one directly across from it because it would then form a regular grid. The lines will all cross and create a fragmented appearance.
4) Students will select a color scheme that they want to work with.
5) Students will See a teacher demo on how to paint each shape or section in with a gradient of their color scheme. In order to define the outer edge of the animal and define the details, the contrast between the edges of the gradients must be strong. For example, if the animal is being painted with a dark to light gradient on the fur, then the spots must contrast that in order for them to show up.
6) Students will be shown how to use water or medium to help them blend well.
7) Students will continue to paint the gradients until the project is completed.
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