Monochromatic Color Explorations

Students in fifth and sixth grade considered how one might use different shades of the same color to make something appear closer or farther away.

                                 

How might your use different shades of the same color to 

make something appear closer or farther away?

                                 

Students looked at different photographs and paintings of landscapes. They learned that atmospheric perspective describes the effect of objects being lighter as they get further away from you, and darker when they are closer.

They also noticed that details are clearer in the foreground than in the background. We discussed how landscapes can be organized into a foreground in the front, a middle ground, and a background. Students also looked different kinds of landscapes including imaginary ones. Next they sketched a landscape of their choice before painting it.

                                    

                       

                                 

Before creating their atmospheric paintings, students were challenged to mix as many different shades of the same color as they could. They learned to mix white, grey and black to their original color to make tints, shades and tones. Students also discovered that adding different amounts of the same colors can change your mixture.