Contour Line Landscapes

Art Lesson Plan
Contour Landscapes

Grade 4th

# of sessions: 4

Art Resources: teacher product, landscape paintings by Paul Cezanne, Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Paul Cezanne by Mike Venezia, and visual aide.

Art Materials: 11”x14” white paper, pencils, erasers, watercolor paint, water containers, paint brushes, and crayons.

Objectives- Students will:

*learn about Impressionist art history and techniques.
*create a landscape that uses contour line.
*learn and use crayon resist techniques in their artwork.
*use pencil, paper, watercolor paint, and crayon to create a landscape
*learn about the art and life of artist Paul Cezanne.

*share their artwork in a class critique.

Relation to life/Why this lesson is important: Student will learn about Impressionist artwork. Student will create their own landscape painting using contour line: a technique visited in later art classes in both middle school and high school.

Interdisciplinary Connections: History and Geology

Vocabulary: Paul Cezanne, landscape, Impressionism, contour line, and crayon resist.

Procedure: Day 1: Students will participate in a discussion about landscape paintings by Paul Cezanne (“What is similar about these paintings?” “What are these paintings of?” “How did the artist or artists use color and brushstrokes in these paintings?” “Do you think these paintings were made by the same artist?’”). Teacher will explain what Impressionism is and how Cezanne is well known for his landscape paint. Student will listen to teacher read Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Paul Cezanne by Mike Venezia part 1. Student will review vocabulary. Student will view teacher product and discuss project. Student will watch teacher demonstrate how to draw a simple landscape using only the outer contour line. The mountains will be curvy lines that start in the middle of the paper. The grass goes underneath the mountains with one strip across the paper of three vertical lines in a set. Then water is drawn below. The sky is started with 3-4 large swirls surrounded by smaller swirls, and then connected with contour lines. Student will draw landscape using pencil and white paper along with the teacher.

Day 2: Student will review vocabulary and art history. Student will listen to teacher read Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Paul Cezanne by Mike Venezia part 2. Student will review the teacher product. Student will watch a demonstration on how to fill in their landscape with contour line. Student will fill in their landscape using pencil and white paper.

Day 3: Student will review vocabulary and art history. Student will listen to teacher finish reading Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Paul Cezanne by Mike Venezia part 3. Student will review the teacher product. Student will watch a demonstration on how to trace their landscape with crayon. Student will trace his contour line landscape in crayon. Day 4: Student will review vocabulary and art history. Student will watch a demonstration on crayon resist painting. Student will paint his landscape using watercolor paint.