Light is the original optical illusion that affects the way we see everything. Understanding how light affects color is crucial to creating quality artwork. Before we get into our light cube art lesson plan, let’s take a quick refresher course!
The colors we see are actually reflections of the portions of the light spectrum that are not absorbed by the colored object. For example, we see an apple as red. In reality, the apple has absorbed all wavelengths of colors on the spectrum EXCEPT red and is reflecting the red light back to our eyes.
Once you’ve wrapped your head around that, consider also that different lights can make objects appear to be different colors. For example, that apple will appear to be darker and lighter shades of red in the morning, midday, and evening.
A light cube is a great introduction to the concepts of light and color. Using a light cube and translucent and opaque paper, students can explore the use of light as negative space as well as the effects of light filtering through various colors and shades. Using a cube with various modes like strobe, flash, and fade transforms student art into an optical illusion. Our Light Cube Art lesson plan provides clear instructions for this color-cool project.
Follow the link above for the Light Cube Art lesson plan, including images, step-by-step directions, and a materials list. Suitable for grades 3-12.
What are some ways you teach about the spectrum of light in your classroom? Let us know in the comments below!
