Art Lesson: Line

I just started teaching art to Sadie and Ella's school classes again this year. Because the girls are older I decided to focus on some methods and techniques. Since I have a few friends who are teachers and more than a couple who home school, I thought I would share the lesson plans. There is a great book I found at the library, unfortunately I found it after I had planned the year, but it is a great resource.

I taught the first lesson on Monday and I think it went fine. We started out with line. Artists use lines in intentional ways. The thickness, direction, length, and frequency of a line can convey a feeling.

We started the lesson off with a book, because I feel like it always gets their attention and sets a mood. Then we discussed fine art paintings with a strong use of line, artists like Mondrian, Kandinsky, and Picasso.

Then we compared three works and their use of line. First is horizontal line, artists often use horizontal line to convey calmness, relaxation, or solitude. In Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, Hopper used horizontal line to show the calm aloofness of four people winding down in the wee hours.

In American Gothic by Grant Wood, the artist used vertical line to show strength, weight, and responsibility. Vertical line can also show spirituality as it implies reaching heavenward.

In Edward Hopper's painting Gas, the diagonal road disappears into the forest. The gas station appears as just a stop in the road, but the movement of the road through the painting keeps the eye continuing through, suggesting another destination. Diagonal line can be used to show movement, depth, speed, and instability.

Once we finished our lesson, we did a project using straight lines. The wind and time prevented us from finishing, but I think the kids had fun and it gave me an idea of the kids ability and understanding, since it can vary in a class. I love working with kids, their enthusiasm is contagious.