Artistic Design And the Great Designer

Color

"How Do You Feel?"

Bible Verse:

"For we live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV

"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)" 2 Corinthians 5:7, KJV

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b, KJV

Teaching Concept:

People are very much affected by the colors and combinations of colors they see in a work of art. A good artist uses color and other elements and principles of design to create a piece that conveys his feelings and eliciates strong emotions from the viewer.

As a Christian we are to walk by faith, not by what we see because what we see is not always what we can depend on. We live in the physical world, but must also consider the spiritual, the unseen world. Things may look bleak and out of control, but we can know that God is always in control when we put our faith in him.

File Folder Preparation:

1. See "How to Make the File Folders" instructions, and prepare and file folder.

2. Print out the File Folder Cover Pattern and glue it to the front of the file folder. (Printing Problems?)

3. Print out the Artist's Information Sheets, cut them apart, and glue them to the inside bottom of the file folder. (Printing Problems?)

4. Print out the Bible Verse, Element of Design, and Bible Lesson Summary Page (KJV or NIV). Cut out the labels and glue them to the inside folder on the fold-out sides. (Printing Problems?)

5. Save room on one side for the "A Dot Can Do a Lot - All About Lines" Itty Bitty Book if you decide to make one. (Printing Problems?)

The Lesson

Artists express their own point of view through their art. Successful artists understand the elements and principles of design and how to use them to effectively express themselves. In order for a piece of art to be successful it must bring out a response from the viewer or get the viewers attention in some way.

The viewer must be able to relate to the piece in some way, good or bad. Artists use surprise, beauty, shock, fear, anger, action, and a variety of other emotions to capture their audience. The effective use of color in a piece is a great way to express emotion and get a reaction from the viewer. The artist must think about what colors, how much of each color, and what combination of colors will best convey his feelings.

Different colors and combinations of colors can affect different people in different. For example the colors red, white, and blue will evoke emotions of patriatism and pride in some American, but may illicate opposite emotions in someone from another country.

Different people will feel differently about certain colors because of their own experiences, but colors also evoke general universal feelings. For example, the warm colors: red, orange, ang yellow can make people feel warm and comfortable, or even angry or excited depending on how they are used. The color colors, blue, purple, and green can make people feel calm or sad.

Here is a list of colors and how they might be used to convey the artist's feelings:

Black - Artists use black or very dark colors to symbolize evil, death, fear, unhappiness, sophistication as in a black suit. It is also used to emphasize and make other colors stand out.

White can be used to represent purity or innocence, create a sense of space, and add highlights. It can also be cold, bland, or sterile as in hospital rooms. But is also associated with light, goodness, innocence, and purity.

Red is used to evoke strong emotions. It is associated with love, warmth, and comfort, but can also evoke emtions of anger, excitement, and intensitiy. Red is associated with fire and blood which can both cause strong emotions. Red is a popular color for flags because it's intensity.

Blue can be calming and peaceful. It is the color of the sky and sea. It can also be used to evoke sadness and aloofness, coolness. It is one of the most popular colors. It can symbolize trust, loyalty, wisdom, intelligence, truth, and heaven.

Green is associated with the natural world. It represents tranquility, good luck, health, and jealousy.

Yellow is the color of sunshine; It is cheery and warm, but because it is so intense it can also be tiring and create feelings of frustration and anger. Yellow is the most attention-getting color and can be used to draw the attention to a specific area in a painting.

Orange is the combination of red's energy and yellow's happiness. Like red and yellow it is very vibrant and is used to catch attention. It evokes feelings of enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, encouragement, and stimulation and is often symbolic of strength and endurance.

Green is a cool color and the color of nature. It represents growth, harmony, freshness, fertility. It is the most restfull color for the human eye.

Purple is the combination of blue and red and is associated with stability and energy. It symbolized power, nobility, luxury, and ambition, wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

The sense of sight is very important to the visual artist. As Christians we must be aware of the fact that there is much more to this world than what we see and how we feel. We live in the physical world and our senses are very important to us, but the spiritual world is just as important.

As a Christian we are to walk by faith, not by what we see because what we see is not always what we can depend on. We live in the physical world, but must also consider the spiritual, the unseen world. Things may look bleak and out of control, but we can know that God is always in control when we put our faith in him.

We should not live by what our emotions dictate or tell us, but on faith. If we live by how we feel or what happens around us

Jesus pointed out the fact that what we see isn't always what it seems. He pointed out a poor widow who gave only two very tiny coins gave more than the rich people because she gave just about all she had. To the people around her it didn't look like much, but they couldn't see what was in her heart.

Prayer

Father, Amen.

Activity

1. Read "No One Saw , Ordinary Things Through the Eyes of an Artist" by Bob Raczka

Everyone has their own view point. Different things effect people differently. Artist express their feelings through their art. We can know how an artist feels about something by looking at what they painta, the colors they use, and how they paint it. The first artist mentioned in this book is Georgia O'Keeffe. By studying her work it is obvious that she loved flowers, nature and especially the desert. She was amazed by the form and color of flowers. No one saw flowers like Georgia O'Keeffe. She studied them making hundred or sketches of them in different lighting effects during different times of the day. She was a very successful artist because she was able to convey her feelings through her expert use of water colors.

Have your children look at pictures painted by Georgia O'Keefe online. There is a video about her houses, artwork, and life on this web site:. - http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/her-houses.html

Ask your children what colors Georgia used? Did she use dark colors, bright, or muted colors? How do the colors she used in her painting make you feel?

Monet is another artist mentioned in this book. It is obvious by his painting that he also loved nature. He even planted his own garden so he could paint what he saw. Open a new screen and type in Monet in the image search in Google, and you will see hundreds of pictures pop up or use this link to view a slide show of his work.

Have your children look at pictures painted by Monet and ask them to compare the two artists. Did they use the same colors? Georgia painted many of her pictures in the Southwest desert in the US while Monet painted in Paris. It is obvious that they both loved flowers very much, but they both used very different techniques.

Ask your children: How are their flower pictures different? Georgia made very detailed, almost realistic paintings of flowers while Monet's were very impressionistic. His painting look more realistic at a distance, but close up they look like blobs of paint. When Monet first started painting in this style many people thought his paintings looked sloppy and unfinished. The colors he used were very bright and vibrant, compared to the typical painting of his day. Linnea in Monet's Garden is an excellent book about Monet for children.

 

2. Using Colors to Express Your Feelings

Ask your children, "What makes you sad, angry, or frustrated?" Then ask them what colors do you think of when you feel this way? Tell them to draw or color a picture using these colors to express their emotions. When they are done with their painting ask them if their pictures would have been as effective if they used different colors.

Then ask them what makes them happy or excited? Ask them what colors do they think of when they describe how they feel. Then have them draw, paint, or color a picture using these colors. When they are done with their painting ask them if their pictures would have been as effective if they used different colors.

3. Color Wheel and Terms Relating to Color

Print out the Color Wheel Sheet and review the following terms and have your children point them out on the color wheel.

1. Primary Colors - red, yellow and blue.
2. Secondary Colors - purple, orange, and green.
3. Tertiary Colors - The six colors created by mixing the primary and secondary colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.
4. Complementary Colors - Two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.
5. Monochromatic Colors - Are variations in lightness and saturation of a single color.
6. Analogous Colors - Colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. For example, yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange.
7. Warm Colors - are vivid and energetic, and then to advance in space. Colors wiht red, orange, and yellow are warm colors.
8. Cool Colors - are calm and soothing. Colors that include glue, green and purple are cool colors.
9. Tints - are colors that are made lighter by adding white.
10. Shades - are colors made by adding black.
11. Tones - are colors made by adding grey.

"Mouse Paint" by Ellen Stoll Walsh

4. Learn About Complimentary Colors

Complimentary Colors are colors that go together.

Watch "What Makes a Friend?" Notebook babies on Youtube - A friend is someone who will compliment you.

marceLOCOsas Pintura - Poured Paint picture - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBDRXXwAewI&feature=related

VERNICE, ARTE, COLORE.mp4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p0GzN_4NE4&feature=related

Painting on Water - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCamx8vzyCw&feature=related

Beautiful Water Painting - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNFdqCVi_Gc&feature=related

Ebru art - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llLlFcq3K3U&feature=related

painting a flower on water - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kf1B_XJI4Q

Norval Morrisseau - Christ My Savior Youtube presentation on how Morrisseau painted his pictures.

"Nature" by Norval Morrisseau

Morrisseau used both thick blue lines and black lines in his paintings

1. Read "The Little White Owl" (This book is also used in the perspective lesson.)

The Little White Owl by Jane Chapman Little White Owl lives all alone in the snow, but he doesn't mind so much because his head is filled of happy stories. One day he decides that it is time to go see the world, and he discovers a place that is occupied by beautiful colorful owls, owls just like him, or so he thinks. When he tries to be friendly with them they are standoffish and tell him he doesn't belong with them because he doesn't have any colors. Little Owl disagrees and says, "But I do have colors . . . here in my heart! . . . I'll share them with you if you want?" Though the

colorful owls were reluctant to listen to them at first, they find that they enjoy Little White Owl's stories and ask for more. When it is time to go home the pretty owls ask to come with him, and the Little White Owl leads them to his home. They become good friends and promise to visit each other often.

1. Color Discussion

Have your children look at the pictures of the Little White Owl in his white world at the begining of the story. Ask them what colors they see and how the colors make them feel. Then have them look at the picture of his magical stories. Ask them what colors they see and how the picture makes them feel.

2. Make Colorful Owl Puppets

Have your children color the owl puppets and then write things of on the back side of their puppets that make them special. Use the puppets to act out the story. (Owl Puppet Pattern and Backside of Puppet)

3. Owl Color Sheets

Using the Color Wheel Printout to review primary, secondary, tertiary, and analogous colors.

(Primary Colors Owl, Secondary Colors Owl, Tertiary Colors Owl, and Analogous Colors Owl)

2. "Matthew's Dream" by Leo Lionni (This book is also used in the perspective lesson.)

Matthew's Dream Matthew, a little grey mouse visits a museum for the first times and is amazed by what he sees. That night he has a dream that he is walking hand in hand with a little mouse he met at the museum in an immense fantastic painting. "As they walked, playful patches of color shited under their feet, and all around them suns and moons moved gently to the sound of distant music." When Matthew awoke up and saw his dreary attic corner he felt very sad. "But, then, as if by magic, what Matthew saw began to change. The hugged each other and the pale colors of the messy junk heap brightened.

Even the crumpled newspapers now looked soft and smooth. And from afar Matthew thought he heard the notes of familiar music." Now he knew what he wanted to be when he got older, a painter. He became a painter and painted large canvases filled with the shapes and colors of joy. He marries the little mouse in his dream and becomes a famous painting. When asked what the name of his largest painting is Matthew smiles and says, "My Dream".

1. Before you read the book to your children show them the pictures ask them how the pictures and colors make them feel, and how they think the mice in the book might be feeling. Write their answers on a piece of paper.

2. Remind your children that colors and texture can evoke emotions. Have your children make a list of all the emotions and feelings described and implied in the book.

Sadness - When describing Matthew's home - sad broken doll, cobwebs, old junk
Hopeful - for Matthew's future and their future
Confused - about what he wants to be
Amazement and excitement - at seeing the art work
Entranced (spellbound, delighted, wonder) - at the paintings
Playful - colors
Happy - content - Matthew dreams about Nicoletta walking hand in hand.
Misery - tears - when he saw his room.
Happy - hopeful - The messy junk heap brightened - heard notes of a familiar music.
Happy - filled paintings with shapes and colors of joy
Content - when he names his painting "My Dream"

Little Blue and Little Yellow" by Leo Lionni Leo Lionni

Little Blue and Little Yellow   Watch video about "Little Blue and LIttle Yellow" on Youtube.

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle Eric Carle

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse There isn't any wrong colors. You don't have to stay within the lines.In art you are supposed to be free. Help them open their eyes.

Franz Marc - The Blue Horse - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Marc http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/animals_in_art/franz_marc/franz_marc.htm

"One" by Kathryn Otoshi

One by Kathryn Otoshi "Blue is a quiet color. Red is a hot head. Red likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Green, and Purple, and Orange don't like what they see, but what can they do?" When no one takes a stand, things get out of hand. Until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up and count! This is a great book about color and its effect on our emotions. But it also has a message about bullying and standing up for what is right: Everyone counts, no matter what their "color".

1. Talk about how the author in this story uses colors to depict emotions.

"A Color of His Own" by Leo Lionni - Cam Watch on Youtube.com.

"A Color of His Own" by Leo Lionni Cameleon wanted to be like all the other animals who have colors of their own. He decides that he will stay in one place on a green leaf so that he will always be green, but when the fall came and the leaf turned yelow, then red, and then fell off. When Cameleon meets another cameleon just like him his attitude changes. He realizes that is more important to have friends that to worry about what he looked like.

1. Ask your children how the author uses colors in this story to depict emotions. Lionni uses the color black to describe the cameleon's feelings during the long winter nights, and spring and the color green to describe his change in emotions when he meets another cameleon.

Copyright © 2012, Digital by Design, Inc.
Danielle's Place of Crafts and Activities
http://www.daniellesplace.com

All rights reserved.   No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information or storage retrieval system, except for local church or school use only.  This copyright notice must be included on all copies. Requests for permission to copy this material for any other uses should be addressed to Carolyn Warvel, 588 Duran Street, Henderson, NV  89015 or e-mail me at care@daniellesplace.com

Scriptures to Look Up

The Widow's Mite - Luke 20 and 21:1-4

1 Samuel 16 - Samuel picks a new king. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b, KJV

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Heb 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Rom 4:18-21 (Phi) Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith, believing that he would become "the father of many nations". He relied on the word of God which definitely referred to "thy seed". With undaunted faith he looked at the facts--his own impotence (he was practically a hundred years old at the time) and his wife Sarah's apparent barrenness. Yet he refused to allow any distrust of a definite pronouncement of God to make him waver. He drew strength from his faith, and, while giving the glory to God, remained absolutely convinced that God was able to implement his own promise.

Comments

We would love to hear your comments about this lesson. If you taught this lesson, we would love to hear how it went, if you changed anything, added anything, what age you taught and was it appropriate.  Any comments that would help others teach this lesson are welcome.