Art Unit 1.1

Art

Unit 1.1 How does it look?

Open Ended

Have you ever looked at a painting or sculpture and wondered what it was about? Some artworks look real. Some show an artist's imagination. And others don't show anything real-they are all about line, shape, and color.

Open Ended

Review the lesson guides to learn about the activities in this lesson.

Materials

• Student Guide (Docs)

• student project - created in this lesson

Open Ended

Learn how artists use line, shape, and color differently. Some use them to make artworks look realistic. Some use them to make artworks from their own imagination. You may refer to your art print of Golden-winged Woodpecker as well as view it on-screen.

Materials

• Intermediate Art: American, A -Golden-winged Woodpecker

Open Ended

Artists make artworks in different styles. We call artworks that look realistic representational Opens in modal popup window. Representational artworks have lines, shapes, textures Opens in modal popup window, and colors that match real objects like trees or birds.

American artist John James Audubon Opens in modal popup windowmade this painting of woodpeckers.

Look at the shapes of the birds' bodies, heads, wings, and beaks. Do they match the shapes of real birds? [1]

Look at the lines and shapes that make the feather textures. Do the textures look like what you see on real birds? [2] Name another texture in the painting that looks real. [3]

Look at the colors. Are these the colors of real birds? [4]

Does this painting look representational? Why or why not? [5]Golden-winged Woodpecker

John James Audubon

Open Ended

Some artists look at a real bird but use lines, shapes, textures, and colors from their imaginations. We call artworks that don't look realistic abstract Opens in modal popup window.

This blanket by a Haida Opens in modal popup windowIndian shows an eagle. The shape helps you identify it. But the shape looks simpler than a real eagle. The artist used imaginary colors, too. And the artist added simple shapes instead of feather texture. What else looks imaginary? [6] Does this artwork look representational or abstract? Why? [7]

Button Blanket

Haida

Open Ended

Some artists don't look at real objects when they work. They don't show trees or birds. Instead, the lines, shapes, textures, and colors become the subject of their artworks. They arrange them in interesting ways. We call these artworks nonrepresentational Opens in modal popup window.

This Plains Indian artwork is nonrepresentational. It doesn't show a real object. The arrangement of lines, shapes, textures, and colors is the subject. What about it looks most interesting to you?

Detail of quillwork and beadwork

Plains

Open Ended

Artists have many ideas for making art. Some make representational artworks. They show real objects. Their lines, shapes, textures, and colors look realistic.

Some make abstract artworks. They show real objects, too. But they have imaginary lines, shapes, textures, or colors.

Some make nonrepresentational artworks. They don't show real objects. They show arrangements of lines, shapes, textures, and colors.

Open Ended

How are these representational and abstract artworks alike? [8] How are they different? [9]

How are these abstract and nonrepresentational artworks alike? [10] How are they different? [11]

What kind of artwork do you like looking at the most? Why? What is your favorite kind to make? Why?

Detail of Button blanket

Haida

Detail of Golden-winged Woodpecker

John James Audubon

Detail of quillwork and beadwork

Plains

This is an example of an abstract artwork of a bird.

Open Ended

Draw two pictures of an object. Make one look realistic. Make the other look abstract.

Materials (Optional)

• crayons, 64 colors or more

• paper, drawing, 9"x12" -white or manila

• pencil, 2B, soft art

Open Ended

Think about an object you would like to draw. It could be an animal, like a fish or a dog. It could be something you see in nature, like a tree or a flower. It could be a person or a house. What other ideas do you have?

Draw a line down the center of your paper. On one side, draw a representational picture of the object. For example, draw a dog with realistic lines, shapes, textures, and colors.

On the other side, draw an abstract picture of the object. For example, draw a dog with rectangle shapes, scaly texture, and imaginary colors.

Look at both pictures. Was one harder to draw? Was one more fun to draw? Which one would you rather hang in your bedroom? Why?

You have finished this lesson. Great Job!

The lesson is complete.