Expressing feelings through
painting and drawing – but is it Art?
Before abstract art
was invented, most
artists painted in a
realistic style.
Van Gogh – ‘Starry Starry Night’
This began to change
when artists such as
Van Gogh and Seurat
started to simplify
their pictures.
Seurat – ‘La Grande
Jatte’
Around 1900, a group of artists called the Fauvists began to simplify
their shapes, and change their colours even more.
GRADUALLY, ARTISTS THOUGHT LESS ABOUT
VISUAL REALITY, AND MORE ABOUT THE
SHAPES, COLOURS AND FEELINGS WITHIN
THEIR PAINTINGS.
Some of the earliest
abstract paintings
were called Futurism.
These paintings were
about the new
machines like
aeroplanes, cars and
trains, and were an
attempt to capture a
feeling of
movement.
Abstract art really took off in the 1920's and 1930's with the
work of Wassily Kandinsky
‘Yellow, Red, Blue’ and was painted in 1925
The English artist David Bomberg painted this painting in 1913.
What emotions can you see or feel?
Ceri riChards ‘CyCle
Ceri
Richar
ds
Cycle
of
There are times when
our feelings take us
on a journey, as we
can see here in this
painting by Peter
Lanyon. What
journey do you think
he was making in his
mind?
Lee
Kras
ner
Expressing feelings through painting and drawing – but is it Art?
YES, it is!
Some Abstract Artists had
theories on the emotions
that were caused by certain
colours and shapes.
They planned out their
seemingly ‘random’
paintings to the last detail.
Other Abstract Artists
painted with emotion and
randomness hoping to
capture their emotion and
subconscious thoughts on
the canvas.
Which method
will you choose?
Your task:
(1) Look at these images and choose one that ‘speaks’ to you. This could be because of
how it looks, its colours, its shapes or just the general feeling you get from it. Look
at your chosen painting. Go back into this power point and find the larger image,
this will help. Look at your chosen painting for 60 seconds.
(2) Using pencil first, start to loosely sketch 3 shapes that you can see within your
chosen painting. Work on A4 paper and start in the central area of your paper.
(3) Now close your eyes. Think about your mood. Your feelings. Open your eyes, and start to
express your feelings and your mood by drawing whatever shapes you feel ‘show’ your feelings.
(4) Draw. Let your page fill up with multiple shapes
that could be fluid, angular, irregular, geometric or a
combination of anything you feel ‘fits’ you, your mood
and your feelings today.
(5) When you are ready, start to add colour to 25% of
the page. Stop. Then add 25% more. Space can say as
much as shape, so aim for a maximum colour of 75%.
Well done! I hope you have
enjoyed exploring new
paintings and discovering
something about YOUR artwork
along the way.
art is woNderful. it help us ‘get
lost’ iN a differeNt way of
looking, drawing, painting and
teaches us to explore and
express ourselves with a
feeling of freedom.