Unit: Color Theory

Duration of Unit:
Primary Studio
Project:

Color Scheme Painting

Number of Weeks: 3

Art Connections:

Artists: Gauguin, Matisse, OKeefe

Movement/Genre: Mexican Folk Art

Hours per session: 1

Materials:
Slides of art work
demonstrating color
theory
Paint (primary colors
plus black and white)
Paint brushes
Mixing Palettes
Water containers

Number of sessions/class
meetings: 15
Paper for:
o Color wheels
o Brown shades
Board: Final Color Scheme
Painting
Gesso
Tape

Masonite (or similar) to tape

down paper

Unit Overview:
Students will be introduced to the concept of color. The first assignment will be to create a color wheel, which will serve as a knowledge base for
many of the ideas throughout the unit. Students will then learn to mix paint to create desired colors, including brown. Students will apply their
new knowledge of color theory to create a color scheme painting.
Throughout the unit students will examine historical and current art work which employs the use of color.

Objective (including skills attained):

Mix paint to create various and intentional hues, values, tints and shades
Understand how color and color schemes can be used in a painting to create desired eects.
Recognize and use basic color vocabulary
Create a color scheme painting

Vocabulary/Elements and Principles Studied:

Color, Hue, Saturation, Contrast, Value, Shade, Tint , Cool Colors, Warm Colors, Primary Colors, Secondary Colors, Complementary Colors, Analogous
colors

At-a-Glance: Day-by-Day Lesson Plans

Day: 1
1. Sketchbook
2. Introduce Color Theory
Basic Vocabulary
Color Theory in
the context of
historical and
modern art
Self-lead
Search
Slide Show

Day: 2
1. Sketchbook
2. Review Vocabulary
3. Create Color Wheels
Basic or
complex

Day: 3
1. Sketchbook
2. Discussion: historical
link--Mexican folk art and
the use of color
3. Finish color Wheels

Day: 4
1. Sketchbook
2. Creating Brown
Discussion
Practice
Application

Day: 5
1. Sketchbook
2. Discussion--Historical
Link: Gauguin
3. Intro: Color Scheme

Day: 6
1. Sketchbook
2. Workshop: Color Scheme

Day: 7
1. Sketchbook
2. Discussion--Historical
link: Matisse
3. workshop: Color Scheme

Day: 8
1. Sketchbook
2. Introduce Reflection
Piece
2. Workshop: Color Scheme

Day: 9
1. Sketchbooks
2. Historical Link: OKeefe
2. Peer Critiques
Praise, Suggest
Question

Day: 10
1. Sketchbook
2. Finish Critiques
3. Review: Who is the
Artist

Paintings

Paintings

Paintings

Paintings

Slide Show
Guidelines/Rubric
Question/Answer

Primary Outcomes

Value

Sketchbook

15

Notes: Color Theory

15

Notes: Self-lead Search on Color Theory

20

Color Wheels

20

Shades of Brown

15

Design: Color Scheme Painting

25

Final: Color Scheme Painting

100

Peer Critique

50

Reflection: Color Scheme Painting

25