Fauves In Our Streets
WEEK 1
DAY 1
Prepare (10 minutes)
Artists like to surprise and delight people. Throughout history artists have found new ways to make art exciting for themselves and the people that view their work. Fauvism was an art movement in the early 1900s. Fauves means “wild beasts” in French. Artists chose the name because of their wild use of color
Watch the following video on Fauvism,
Answer the following question in your sketchbook:
What made colors of the Fauves so different from the color artists were using at the time?
What subjects did the Fauves like to paint?
Practice (20 minutes)
Although the Fauves abstracted their subjects somewhat you can still recognize people, places and things. How far can you simplify or transform an object and still make it recognizable?
Try drawing three everyday objects at home but simplify them or exaggerate them (but not so much that someone cannot recognize them). Show your drawings to a family member or friend and ask them if they can recognize what you drew, Use pencil in your sketchbook.
Apply (10 minutes)
Choose one of your drawings. Add colors like the Fauves used with oil pastels, colored pencils or markers. The wilder the color the better.
Did you use the colors of the original object?
Did you use colors different than the colors of the original object?
If you could consider the colors “wild” what makes them “wild”?
DAY 2
Prepare (10 minutes)
The term “arbitrary” refers to randomness. Although artists like the Fauves experimented with color they were aware of how colors worked.
Watch the following two videos about arbitrary color,
A famous example of arbitrary color is “The Green Stripe,” a painting by Henri Matisse.
Below is the same painting in black and white. Notice how the painting looks like an ordinary portrait. This is because the green stripe is the same value (lightness or darkness) as the other colors in the woman’s face.
Practice (20 minutes)
Find an ordinary object at home. Draw it with pencil three times in your sketchbook on the same page. Choose colors (oil pastels, colored pencils or markers) that have the same lightness or darkness. You can test the colors by drawing a small area of color to compare beside other colors. Use different colors on your three drawings of the objects.
Do the drawings show the correct value (lightness or darkness) of the object?
Which of the colors is the most interesting? Why?
Apply (20 minutes)
You will begin a drawing that you will then color later. You may use your phone or a camera to take a picture for reference but you should draw in your sketchbook. A landscape is best for this project but a still life (collection of a few objects) will also work. Spend 20 minutes drawing with pencil. Do not shade using pencils because you will be adding color later. Composition is always something you should consider when making a work of art. Composition refers to the way you use the whole drawing space by adding details and background elements. Think about how to use details (like textures or plants) and add something to the background (like trees and clouds).
WEEK 2
DAY 1
Prepare (10 minutes)
Color theory is the study of color. Artists use color theory to create different emotional states (blue often makes a painting feel sad), symbolize something (think of how we use yellow on caution signs) or to create contrast (strong differences).
Watch the following video on color contrast,
Watch the video on Fauvism again. Answer the following question in your sketchbook,
Which color combinations did the Fauves use to create strong color contrast?
Practice (20 minutes)
Using a blank page in your sketchbook, practice creating strong color contrasts by making small areas of colors side by side. Complementary colors (opposites on the color wheel, like red and green) create strong color contrast. See the image below.
Apply (20 minutes)
Use your knowledge of complementary color contrast by finding colored pieces of paper. Use magazines, junk mail, or from other colored pieces of paper. Ask a parent or guardian for permission before cutting materials. Collect two small piles of your contrasting colors.
Using the colored pieces of paper arrange them to create a design like those below. You only need to create one design. Glue the pieces together in your sketchbook.
DAY 2
Prepare (10 minutes)
Artists sometimes chose color combinations before applying paint to a surface. This collection of colors is called a color palette. A palette is the oval shaped tool artists use to mix paint.
Google Arts and Culture has a feature that allows you to explore different color palettes used in different paintings throughout art history. Explore the different color palettes artists have used.
Google Arts & Culture Art Palette
Practice (10 minutes)
Use your knowledge of color contrast and color palettes to create a palette that you will apply to your drawing from day 2. Experiment with strong color contrasts like the Fauves. There is no limit to the number of colors you may use. A palette may be organized in any way you like. Its purpose is to show you what colors look like when they are used together in a design. Use oil pastels, colored pencils and/or markers in your sketchbook.
Apply (20 minutes)
Add color to your drawing from day 2. Follow the color palette created in the practice step but feel free to make adjustments.
Reflect (5 minutes)
Write a brief answer to the following question in your sketchbook:
How does using color like the Fauves differ from using ordinary colors?
Evaluate (5 minutes)
Share your drawing with a family member or friend. Ask them what they see. Ask them what interests them about your drawing.
Using the following questions, grade yourself using a score of 4 (4 being highest) and provide evidence for your score on the back of your drawing.
1) How well did I use color contrast to make my artwork more engaging like the Fauves?
2) How did I use color theory to decide what color combinations to use?
3) How well did I make a creative effort to create something unique and different?