Watercolor is a wonderful medium for capturing and depicting the nuances of each season. Dusky winter darkness to summertime sunshine and everything in between. Masters like Sargent, Rodin, and Pissarro were geniuses of the seasonal watercolor landscape and art lovers everywhere are still marvel at their techniques. Your students can explore these techniques with our Watercolor Landscape art lesson plan.
From dry brush, graded washes, flat washes, sgraffito, and masking techniques, to the addition of salt, alcohol, and additives, students will experiment prior to beginning their landscape. Once they’ve mastered these basic techniques, the young artists will review photographs they’ve collected of landscapes in various seasons.
They’ll select one based on artistic values. These include subject, center of interest, shapes, lines, movement, values, color harmony and contrast, and other elements that work together to create a successful composition. Putting the techniques they’ve learned to work, they’ll create a watercolor representation of their selected photograph. When complete, students will discuss their final works, including how they used line, color, form, and shape in their compositions.
Follow the link above for the Watercolor Landscapes art lesson plan, including images, step-by-step directions, and a materials list. Suitable for grades 6-12.
How do you use watercolors in your art room or classroom? Tell us in the comments!
