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Color Theory Lesson
Plan
1. Title
Mixing Complimentary Colors, Tints and Shades. This lesson plan is for a middle school Art Foundations course and will take 2 80 minutes class periods in a block system.
2. Main Points
a) All colors in the color spectrum may be be created by the use of the three Primary colors, black and white. The Primary colors, red, blue and yellow are colors that are not created from any other combination of colors.
b) The Primary colors, red, blue, and yellow may be mixed in specific combinations to create the Secondary colors, green, orange, and purple.
c) Primary and Secondary Colors are also called Complimentary colors and are located on opposite sides from each other on the color wheel. They are called complimentary because when two compliments are placed next to each other they enrich each other.
d) Tints are created by adding white to a color. Shades are created by adding black to a color.
e) When mixiing colors always add the darker color to the lighter color.
3. Objectives for Learning
By the end of this lesson students will :
- know the color terms: color wheel, primary colors, secondary colors, complimentary colors, tint, and shade, grid
- understand color theory well enough to create any color they want
- be able to mix tempera paints to create secondary colors, tints and shades
- design and paint a color grid using their understanding of color theory
4. Materials
Main points chart, blackboard, markers, tempera paints, painting brushes, plastic palettes, water and water containers, paper towels, medium weight drawing paper, pencil, eraser, rulers, construction paper, labels
5. Review
Find out what the students know about color theory by asking for volunteers to share what they know about color and color terms. Fill in the gaps of missing information for what they need to know to carry out this project. Inquire about their experience with using color. Ask about their experience with painting and mixing paints.
6. Introductory focus
Show slides and art book images of the Impressionists and Andy Warhol and the use of color in their work. Encourage students to look for the use of color theory in the images. Use color patches to show how the eye mixes colors to create illusions.
7. Wholeness
There are an infinite number of colors. Color theory offers a systematic way of accessing and creating every color one can imagine. The knowledge and practical application of color is a field of all possibilities.
8. Purpose
The intention of this lesson is to give the student knowledge and experience with color so that they may feel confident to use color in any art medium they choose.
9. Procedures
Part 1
a) 20 minutes - Introduce the lesson and give overview of what will be done during the lesson. Read Main points chart that apply to Part 1, question and answer period on students previous experience with color, introduce Impressionists, Andy Warhol and examples of their work.
b) 15 minutes - Blackboard demonstration showing how to make and layout the different colos on the sample color strip. Draw out an example of the grid design measurements and guidelines for making a personal grid design on paper.
c) 5 minutes - Water and restroom break
d) 20 minutes - Demonstration and guidelines for setting up and creating a painting work area, color mixing demonstration
e) 15 minutes - Handout typing paper for students to sketch out ideas for their color grid design, paperstrips for their color spectrum sample piece, good drawing paper for their color grid painting. Students put names on their art papers. Students draw out at least three different design ideas and have one approved for their painting.
f) 5 minutes - Students clean up work space and put materials away in their baskets and art shelve. Read main points aloud. Dismissal
Part 2
g)10 minutes - Read Main points chart, brief review of information from yesterday's lesson with reference to the blackboard visual aids, answer any questions, refer to required components for the finished project as listed on blackboard, have a few students share their homework assignment
h) 55 minutes - Students set up work spaces with their paper and painting materials, make sure every student has an approved painting design. Students work on their color spectrum strip and color grid painting, a five minutes break 30 minutes into this time period for water and restroom, walk around and have the rest of the students show me their homework assignment.
i) 10 minutes - Students put wet paintings on drying racks, clean up work areas and work tools
j) 5 minutes - Have students read Main points aloud. Dismissal
Part 3
k) 40 minutes - Brief overview, students finish their paintings, finished and dry paintings are matted, labled and put up in gallery area,
l) 20 minutes - water and restroom break, group viewing of displayed work and comments
10. Fulfillment
After the color grids are completed, each student will mat his work on colored construction paper and sign it. We will display them in a "gallery " area of the school for everyone to enjoy. This project generates many compliments because the students are very creative with their designs and the grouped colored paintings are rich and appealing.
11. Closure
Immediately after putting the work up in the gallery area, we will look at the paintings as a class and go over the main points so that the students may relate theory to application.
12. Homework
Have students bring in a visual example from a magazine of the use of complimentary colors, tints, or shades and to explain how color is being used in the image.
13. Assessment strategies
The work turned in will be graded on how completely it fulfills all the requirements of the project:
- creating a sample strip with all the complimentary colors, two examples of tints, and two examples of shades
- following the guidelines for creating a repetitive desgin on the drawing paper
- painting in the design with the required colors and color combinations
- matting and labeling the work ready for display
The work will also be graded on the overall look of the the finished piece: painterly qualtiy, design choices, as well as the focus and effort applied during the process, and contributions to group critique.