LESSON 1

PAINTING WITH PRIMARIES

Groups: Green (12-17 years)

Objective: Learning to mix the primary colors; red, yellow, and blue.

You Will Need:

clean water in several small heavy bowls
some type of mixing palette or pans (old ice cube trays or pie pans will do)
paper towels
water colors
plain soft lead pencil
paint brushes or Q-tips to paint with
several sheets of white watercolor or a heavy bond layout paper
print out of color wheel (click here)

Exercise: First paint the primary colors on the color wheel print out. Experiment with mixing the primary colors 2 at a time, using watercolor paints. Try to mix secondary colors and paint them on the colorwheel. Find the color opposite each primary color on the color wheel (complimentary or contrasting colors). Mix them together (each set). Watch closely, what happens to them? Did any of your mixtures end up as mud? What is mud?

When doing these experiments be sure to keep brushes clean at all times (remember that mud!).

See how closely you can match the colors of the color wheel on the blank one you printed out.

IN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS: Choose 3 different types of trees. Look at them and study them closely. Then do the following;

1. Sketch, starting with basic shapes; ovals, cylinders, circles, lines, etc.

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS AND EXAMPLES

2. Paint sketches with primary palette, then with secondary pallet.

3. Grab a piece of paper and go to the ARTAges page and find 3 artists who painted trees. Notice the colors used and the differences in styles (the way they painted what they saw). Explain why you like or dislike your 3 choices, and everything you can discover about the way they used color.

RED GROUP: Explore these terms (click)

Mud
Primary Colors
Secondary Colors
Pallet
shapes
Complimentary or Contrasting Colors