Lauren Grover and Logan Kennedy

EDUC 3601: Art Education: Methods for Majors

Janice Rahn
Wednesday, January 14, 2014

Painting Unit: Basics of Abstraction

ART Value and Drawing: Stage 1 Desired Results
Established Goals

Students will:

TRANSFER GOAL
Students will be able to create abstract art through the
exploration of techniques, composition and perception.

-Learn about abstract art

-Create an abstract
painting based on previous
discovery and exploration
of this style of art
-Make a superimposed
abstract painting
-Practice the principles of
abstract art through
introductory activities
-Learn about the
importance and benefits of
group critiques

MEANING
Enduring Understandings:
Students will understand that
U1 Artists use preparatory work and
observation for their final works.
U2 Artists produce abstract images
through discovery, superimposition
and process.
U3 Artists such as Picasso and
David Hockney make images through
different perspectives of the same
subject matter.
U4 - Negative space is important to
the composition and meaning to the
work as a whole.

Essential Questions:
Students will keep
considering
Q 1 What is the
relationship between
positive and negative
space and the
composition of an
image?
Q2 How does
perception influence
abstraction?
Q3 How do you
decide what to include
and omit in when
abstracting an image?

U5- Critiques benefit artists in many

ways
ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
Students will know
That perception will influence the
overall abstraction and composition of

Students will be
skilled at
-Washes

a work
The process of creating an abstract
painting:
-Preparatory discovery
-overlapping of images
-perceptual complexity
-simplification of objects and space

-Using positive and

negative space
-Making rough work
for a final project

STAGE 2 Evidence
Evaluative Criteria
Performance is judged in terms of

- Critique

Participation
Class discussions, contribution to large group
activities
Completion
Proper use of abstract techniques
Creativity
Using two completely separate images to create a
creative and comprehensive finished project,
engaging in the style of abstraction with an open
mind

Assessment Evidence
Students will need to show
their learning by:
Showcasing their paintings
in a final critique and
explain the elements
involved.
Transfer Task:
Students will show their learning
by engaging in group discussions,
activities, and practice while
learning the principles of
abstraction
Students will complete a final
abstract painting with the previous
information they have learned
from previous lessons and then
participate in a class critique.

Critique
Using a critique for self reflection and giving ideas
and suggestions to classmates to also further their
learning

Unit Summary
This unit in a disciplinary unit based off of the Grade 10 art curriculum. It focuses on ideas
mainly of abstraction, composition and exploring art techniques. In Lesson 1 we will be using art history
examples of artwork by Caravaggio and Tang Yau Hoong for examples of negative space, sketches by
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Davinci and a painting by an unknown artist that shows underpainting planning. Following the art history
portion of the lesson will be an introductory activity of color blocking from a projected image. In Lesson
2 a cubist Picasso painting and David Hockney photo collage to exemplify abstract art from numerous
perspectives. Following will be an activity in which students will paint a still life set up from different
perspectives around the room. In Lesson 3, we used an example from the teacher that was created in a
university art class that is a superimposition of Claude Monet and Odilon Redon. Following will be an
activity where students will use two images from art history combined to make final abstract image.
These examples from art history will address the conceptual component of their corresponding lessons.
The studio and tactile portion of the lesson teaches skills of preparatory sketches and color blocking,
looking at and creating art from different perspectives and making an abstract work of art using
techniques learned. The finished work made in Lesson 3 will follow with a group critique that allows
students to reflect on their work as well as others. Depending on how long your art classes are, the
entirety of Lesson 3 could be used as a work period for the final project, extending into a fourth, fifth,
sixth etc. work period if needed. The critique would be scheduled for the last lesson of the unit based on
the prior knowledge gained from previous lessons. Students are expected to include an artists statement
about why they decided to compose their images in that particular way, and 2 ideas about abstraction
(things they learned, where they want to go next with this style of art, what would they like to work on,
artists they are interested in)

Rationale
This unit works well with Grade. 10 students as it builds a skill set that transfers into a more
complicated style of art conceptually and formally. In the first year of high school art students are slowly
beginning to develop their own personal style and interests. Practicing and experimenting with abstract art
is a way of allowing students to explore a style that may be less well known to them in earlier grades.
Moving on to grades 11 and 12, these students will be able to store abstract art in their toolbox of skills to
develop a style and art practice that is uniquely their own in higher grades. All lessons address visual,
auditory and tactile learning needs through short lectures, visual examples, and working with actually
hands on materials. Students will be told at the beginning of the unit that Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 are
practice for a good copy in Lesson 3. We feel like this will make the earlier lessons more meaningful to
the students to motivate them to participate to the best of their ability in each activity. Lesson 1 and
Lesson 2 are largely a group activity where all students are performing the same task, but will get their
own individual outcome based on their perception of abstract art. Students will gain knowledge through
hands-on activities that allow them to be fully emerged in the information that we as teachers are trying to
get across to them.
In a class that includes students with exceptionalities, we would implement strategies that would
teach the outcomes in a different way for them to grasp the concepts, ie. a smaller still life set-up,
different materials, extend amount of time, etc. The parameters by which we would differentiate would be
specific to the student and their special needs in the class.

Lesson Summaries
Lesson 1: In this lesson students will learn about the importance of negative and positive space in
a composition. They will also learn about the process of painting, from blocking out the broad idea of a
composition, to adding in details at the end. Students will observe an image from a projector that will be

unfocused, showing just the basic positive and negative shapes of the image. As the image becomes
clearer in focus, students will add details to the their recreation of the image. Students will be introduced
to artists that use negative space to their advantage in their work. Students will also be introduced to the
ideas of pre work such as sketches and blocking.
Lesson 2: Students will start to learn basic concepts of abstraction through observation. By using
a still life set up by the teacher that varies from different points of view, students will create an abstract
image by layering 3 different perspectives of said still life. By layering perspectives with a simple wash,
students can then decide which areas to develop and which areas to omit from their final work. Students
will also be encouraged to use different painting techniques that we have discussed in a previous, such as;
blending, dry brush, wet on wet, flat paint, and texture.
Lesson 3: Students will create their own larger work by superimposing two images onto their
canvas. They will then develop, simplify, add, and omit certain areas, creating an abstract image with
elements of each work. The original works should not be immediately distinguishable from the final
product, but instead be morphed into a new image with a new meaning. Students will need to have done
preparatory work in their sketchbook before beginning, lay ground work by blocking out sections of their
painting with a wash, and pay attention to the idea of negative space in their work. Students must use
different painting techniques that were discussed earlier in the unit.
Students will then create an artists statement/reflection about their work. A critique will be done after the
works are finished, following a discussion on how to perform a proper critique, discussing influences,
thought process of abstraction, and meaning conveyed from the images.

Method of Evaluation Summary

Students will complete Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 in an explorative manner as it is important for
them to gain the fundamental basics of how to create an abstract painting. As teachers, we feel that it is
important to the students focus less on a numerical grade during these lessons. This will make sure that
the students are focusing on being creative and innovative without any hindrance while performing the
activities. The most important form of assessment used is an ongoing formative assessment throughout
the first two lessons. This will consist of walking around and surveying the class as they are completing
the explorative activities. Keeping students on track, redirecting students who may have lost sight of the
ideas of abstraction and ensuring that they gain the highest level of learning possible are all important
stems of this type of formative assessment. We feel that participation and acquiring the skills needed to
create a successful work of art will transfer directly into Lesson 3, which will then be graded numerically.
The third and final lesson in this unit will be graded summatively against the outcomes that we are
teaching through the three-lesson sequence. Our on going formative assessment will aid the summative
assessment in the third lesson.

Link to presentation for Micro Teach can be found here:

http://prezi.com/3b2pghu1xpth/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Lesson Plan Sequence

4

Lesson 1 of 3
Abstraction- Perspectives of still life
objects

Date

Jan. 10th, 2015

Subject/Grade
Level

Grade 10

Time
Duration

1/2 hour

Unit

Painting

Teacher

Lauren Grover/ Logan

Kennedy

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning
Outcomes:

GLO: Components 1

Specific Learning
Outcomes:

Compositions 1:

Extend their knowledge of and familiarity with the elements and

principles of design through practice in composing two and three
dimensional images

B: Positive and negative space are essential to the description of two and
three dimensional forms

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of positive and negative space when recreating an image
2.

Design a preparatory painting based off of color blocking and negative space from a projected image

ASSESSMENTS
Key Questions:

By the end of this lesson students should be knowledgeable

about these key questions
1.) What is the relationship between positive and

negative space?
2.) How does perception influence abstraction?
3.) How do artists use negative space in their artists to
convey meaning?
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED
Lesson Plan Template (Hewson)

MATERIALS AND
EQUIPMENT
Materials

 Alberta Program of Studies- Fine Arts

-paint
-brushes
-projected image(s)
-mayfair paper
-photographs of art
used in lesson

Caravaggio Boy with Fruit

Tang Yau Hoon Coexistence
Artist: http://tangyauhoong.com/
Picassos Les Demoiselles dAvignon

PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson

Set up tables and chair around still life in the centre

Gather all materials, paper and paint
prepare example of Picassos painting
Clearly explain expectations and process of activity through powerpoint
presentation
Introduction

Assessment of Prior Knowledge

-Begin by asking Key Question 1. ) What is the

Time
3 min

relationship between positive and negative space?

-negative space draws attention to area of interest
- complement each other
- creates an interesting composition
-Show examples of color blocking, negative space,
and sketches on presentation
-Show art history example and ask students Key
Question 2.) How do artists use negative space in
their artists to convey meaning?
Expectations for Learning and
Behaviour

-Students are expected to participate in class discussion

-Engaged in activity
-Respecting materials and peers

Transition to Body

-Show an image that is unfocused using the projector

-Ask the students to describe what they see
-Slowly focus the image, again asking the students what
they see
-How could this way of viewing an image be beneficial to
the painting process?

Teacher Notes
/Assessment/Differentiation

-Circulating formative analysis of student learning and

engagement
-Making sure students are on task and completing the
activity correctly
Body

1-2 min

Time

Learning Activity #1

Similar to the transition, students will be shown an image

using the projector that is unfocused
-Students will paint on mayfair paper 3 separate times
-The first image will be a quick 2 minute activity, image
would be black and white
-The second image will be longer in length, about 5-7
minutes, to give students more time to add in detail, Image
would be black and white
- The last image is more complex and could take anywhere
from 10-12 minutes to complete. A wider range of color
would be included in creating the image
-The progression of the three images should show
students how more time can create more detailed work,
but all painting start off the same - going from general
to specific details

20 min

Closure

Time

Consolidation of Learning:

-Discuss again the essential question for the lesson

-Discuss the importance of planning a painting
-Discuss the importance of going from a general
shapes to specific details

3 min

Transition To Next Lesson/Feedback from

students

-Students will be asked to put away materials and

clean up areas. A 2 minute gallery walk will take place
for students to gain perspective on other works created

5 min

Lesson 2 of 3
Abstraction- Perspectives of still life
objects

Date

Jan. 10th, 2015

Subject/Grad
e Level

Grade 10

Time
Duration

1/2 hour

Unit

Painting

Teacher

Lauren Grover/ Logan

Kennedy

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning
Outcomes:

GLO: Sources of Images

Investigate the process of abstracting form from a source in order to
create objects and images

Specific Learning
Outcomes:

SLO: Encounters
Concept A: Artists simplify, exaggerate and rearrange parts of objects in their
depictions of images

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Observe and render a still life from different perspectives
2. Abstract an image based on personal choices
3. Use different painting techniques to create an image (washes, texture, quality of line, wet into wet etc.)

ASSESSMENTS
Key Questions:

By the end of this lesson students should be knowledgeable

about these key questions
1.) What is the relationship between positive and

negative space and the composition of an image?

2.) How does perception influence abstraction?
2.) How do you decide what to include and omit in when
abstracting an image?

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Lesson Plan Template (Hewson)
Alberta Program of Studies- Fine Arts
Pablo Picasso Early Cubism: Still life with a bottle of Rum
David Hockney Celias Children Albert + George Clark

MATERIALS AND
EQUIPMENT
Still life compilation
mayfair paper
acrylic paint
paintbrushes
containers
water

PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson

Set up tables and chair around still life in the centre

Gather all materials, paper and paint
Prepare example of Picassos and Hockneys image
Clearly explain expectations and process of activity through powerpoint
presentation
Introduction

Assessment of Prior Knowledge

-Relate back to lesson 1 using planning, negative space and

Time
2 min

color blocking to abstraction

Expectations for Learning and

Behaviour

-Students will participate in activity and all directions

given by teacher
-Students will participate and give ideas for group
discussion and answer key questions asked by teacher

Transition to Body

-Teacher will explain activity specifics and how students

will rotate around the still life set up
Body

Learning Activity #1

Still Life Abstraction:

-Students will quickly render a still life image set up by the
teacher using the technique of color blocking
-Students will then move to a different perspective of the
still life and render it again over the first image *note:
students may turn their paper upside down, side ways etc.
-Students will then move to a different perspective for a
third time, again rendering the image over the first and
second images
-Once three perspectives have been rendered, students will
begin to abstract their image by adding, omitting,
conjoining, enhancing etc. their image
-A new image will be created. Students will then have a
gallery walk of peers work

Teacher Notes: Assessments/

Differentiation

-Circulating formative assessment through observation

-Encouraging students to develop certain areas of their
work

1 min
Time
22 min

Closure

Time

Consolidation of Learning:

-Slides of the connection to cubism using this activity,

connection to Picasso and Hockney
-Ask revised essential questions:
How did your perceptions influence your abstract
image?
How did you decide what to include and omit in
when abstracting your image?

5 min

Transition To Next Lesson/Feedback from

students

-The ideas of abstraction will be used in your next

assignment
-HOMEWORK: bring 2 images that are interesting to
you from art history to the next class

Lesson 3 of 3
Superimposed abstract painting

Date

Jan. 10th, 2015

Subject/Grad
e Level

Grade 10

Time
Duration

As much time as needed,

could be a few lessons for
work time

Unit

Painting

Teacher

Lauren Grover/ Logan

Kennedy

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning
Outcomes:

GLO #1: Relationships 2

Use the vocabulary of art criticism to develop and accept analyses of
their own work
GLO #2: Articulate and Evaluate
Use the vocabulary and techniques of art criticism to analyze their own
work
GLO #3: Components 1
Extend their knowledge of and familiarity with the elements and
principles of design through practice in composing two and three
dimensional images

Specific Learning
Outcomes:

SLO #1- Concepts

1A. Describing and discussing media and techniques used in ones own
works will develop vocabulary.

1B. Describing and discussing components of design are part of the

process of analyzing ones own work.
SLO #2-Concepts
2A. Discussing the components of composition is part of learning to talk
about art.
SLO #3- Compositions 1:

10

B- Positive and negative space are essential to the description of two and
three dimensional forms

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Create an abstract painting by superimposing two chosen images
2. Use prior knowledge of how to create an abstract painting from prior knowledge in earlier lessons

ASSESSMENTS
Key Questions:

By the end of this lesson students should be knowledgeable

about these key questions
1.) To what extent does negative space affect the

composition of an image ?
2.) How does perception influence abstraction?
3.) How do artists use negative space in their artists to
convey meaning?
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED
Lesson Plan Template (Hewson)
Alberta Program of Studies- Fine Arts

MATERIALS AND
EQUIPMENT
-mayfair paper
-2 images students chosen
(from art history)
-paint brushes
-acrylic paint

-Example of teachers work (Logan Kennedy)

-Claude Monets Waterlilies
-Odilon Redons Ophelia in the Flowers

PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson

-Students will have completed two prior lessons that prepare them with
the knowledge and techniques to create a more extensive, finished
product.
-Prepare slide examples and materials

Introduction
Assessment of Prior Knowledge

-What are some techniques your artists used in their

paintings that you could borrow from yours?
-How are you going to abstract your images to make
something new?
-What are some processes that we have learned in this unit

Time
3 min

11

for planning your painting?

Expectations for Learning and
Behaviour

-Students will bring two chosen images to class

-

Transition to Body

-Introduce appropriation through art history (slides of

examples)
-Students will be expected to make 4 thumbnail sketches of
compositions and be approved by the teacher
Body

Learning Activity #1

Students will create an abstract work from two chosen

images asked previously to bring to class
-The work will be a combination of the two images
superimposed and abstracted
-Consider color blocking, simplification and positive and
negative space when thinking of a composition

Teacher Notes: Assessments/

Differentiation

The final work will be summatively assessed based of the

formal analysis of how students gained knowledge of
abstraction and applied it to the finished work

Learning Activity #2

Critique of finished work

-Includes an artists statement/reflection of their piece of
work:
--why they decided to compose their images in this
particular way
--two things they learned
--where they want to go next with this style of art
--what would they like to improve on
--artists they are interested

3 min

Time
Ongoing
(as much
time as
needed
for work
time,
carried
onto next
class)

30 min
(more
time if
needed)

-Students expected to participate in the critique using art

language
Teacher Notes: Assessments/
Differentiation

Formative assessment of an adequate reflection that shows

consolidation of learning from all three lessons in the unit.

Closure
Consolidation of Learning:

Time

By the end of this unit students should be able to

answer these key questions
-ask to class in a large group
1.) To what extent does negative space affect

12

the composition of an image ?

2.) How does perception influence abstraction?
3.) How do artists use negative space in their
artists to convey meaning?
Transition To Next Lesson/Feedback from
students

This lesson will be transitioned into another work

period to ensure that student have enough time to
complete the assignment to the best of their ability.

Lauren and Logans Images Used:

Lesson 1:

Coexistence - Tan Yau Hoong

13

Leonardo Davinci Sketches

Unknown Painters under painting

14

Boy with Basket of Fruit - Caravaggio

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon - Pablo Picasso

Lesson 2:

15

Celias Children Albert + George Clark by David Hockney

Still Life with a Bottle of Rum - Pablo Picasso

16

Lesson 3:

Ophelia in the Flowers - Odilon Redon

Water lilies - Claude Monet

Untitled - Logan Kennedy (Teacher)

17