Line, Shape & Color
Elements & Principles of Design
Artist Images:
Piet Mondrian-
Piet Mondrian. Composition with Red, Yellow, Blue and Black. 1921. Oil Painting.
Portrait of Piet Mondrian
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Piet Mondrian is a Dutch artist who was born in the Netherlands in Holland in 1872.
He’d be 139 years old if he were here today.
His father was a drawing teacher.
When he was younger, he painted pictures of parks and nature.
Mondrian’s art simplified his previous style of painting landscapes (pictures of outside) by
transforming his images into line, shape and color of horizontal and vertical lines, and
primary colors on a white ground with black outlines.
 Mondrian sought a higher ideal of subject matter through glorifying line together with color
which to him represented harmony and order.
 Mondrian uses mainly LINE and COLOR to express harmony and order through his art.
Pablo Picasso-
Image 2. Pablo Picasso. Three Musicians. 1921.
Portrait of Pablo Picasso
 A Spanish artist, born in Spain, who also lived and painted in France. Picasso was born in
1881.
 When Picasso was a child, his first word was piz, Spanish for Lapiz, which means pencil.
 Picasso’s first painting was completed when he was 9. It was a picture of a man riding a
bull.
 He moved through several phases and movements throughout his artistic career.
 His Cubist period of painting fell between the years 1908-1912. In his Cubist phase he
looked at things around him and made them into geometric shapes to create scenes of
figures.
 Through-out his life Picasso also did ceramic and bronze sculptures, drawings, etchings
and poetry. He also did paintings of other famous artist's paintings but in his own style.
 Main take-away: Picasso uses simplified geometric shapes and flat color mixed with his
knowledge of design principles such as pattern, balance, proportion/scale to create scenes
of figures that are more abstract than naturalistic.
Wassily Kandinsky-
Wassily Kandinsky. Composition IV. 1911. Oil on canvas.
Wassily Kandinsky. Composition VII. 1913. Oil on canvas.
Portrait of Wassily Kandinsky
 Born in Moscow, Russia on December 16, 1866.
 As a child Kandinsky was said to have a special gift where he could hear color and see
sounds. Kandinsky took drawing lessons as well as piano and cello lessons.
 Kandinsky was first a college professor before deciding to study art at 30 years old.
 During World War I some of Kandinsky’s paintings were taken and destroyed by the
government.
 Kandinsky’s paintings were first very realistic, then he was greatly influenced by the French
Impressionists painters who used color and light to express forms and figures.
 Kandinsky painted in a style of pure overlapping and interweaving color masses, free of
any forms. This is truly abstract painting. Kandinsky was credited as one of the first truly
abstract painters.
 Art, color and music were so closely connected to him that they both were attune to
expressing emotion and feeling rather than just an image.
Materials:
 Images of the work of Mondrian, Picasso & Kandinsky mentioned in this lesson plan.
 Color Wheel Chart - to always remain in classroom or accessible for students.
 World Map – if possible to show where students live and where artist is from - to always
remain in classroom
 Fine Art Paper – suggested to use drawing paper
 Art Pencils – H & B
 Art Erasers
 Prismacolor Pencils or Watercolor Pencils
 Crayons or Markers
 Play appropriate time period music by composers Satie or Stravinsky for Picasso and
Kandinksy, Piano –Jazz, Boogie Woogie music for Mondrian.
Procedures:
1. Show students the samples of the abstract artist above. Define what abstract art is:
Abstract Art: (noun) art that does not attempt to represent external, recognizable reality but seeks
to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.
2. Show and demonstrate line and shape with students. Show them how lines intersect or come
together to make shapes. Draw examples on the board.
3. Introduce the 7 Elements of Design to students.
Elements: Line, Shape, Color, Size, Space, Texture, Value
Using these together in artwork will make a great Composition.
Today focus is on line, shape & color.
Line – wavy, zigzag, Diagonal, curly, wavy,
Geometric Shapes – Square, Triangle, Circle, Oval, Octagon,
Organic Shapes – occur in nature or are made up and different. Examples are: Leaf shape, cloud
puff, outline of flower, made up shape.
*If you can have students come up to a white board and draw the lines and shapes. If not, try to
have a place where you can show them while talking.
4. Hand each student a piece of art paper ( 8 x 11 or larger) and an art pencil. Remind students
that this is special art paper and this will be their final piece. All artist use tools, just like other
professions. It is important to treat artist supplies and tools correctly. It would be sad if you didn’t
and then another student wouldn’t have any. Explain that everyone will assist with clean up.
5. Explain to the students that they are about to begin their own project. Give students rules of
this project:
Teacher says (can be altered): We are about to start our own art project. There are some simple
rules we must follow in order to be successful:
 You are not allowed to look at anyone else's paper.
 There is no right or wrong in art.
 You are not allowed to ask questions, but you can raise your hand and the instructor will
repeat the instructions.
 Simply follow the instructions the teacher is giving you, and follow them how you think is
right. The teacher will not answer questions if a student asks a question about your
instructions (ie: where do I draw the line? Where should I put this shape) Please ask
students not to call out and say they are done, this disrupts thinking process of students.
You will simply look for them to set their pencil down when they are ready for the next step,
Remind students they should do their best to follow the instructions how they think is the
best.
*If you can have some type of incentive for kids not to look at other’s pieces. This project turns
out way better if students do not look and copy each other’s work. A sticker, small candy, or point
towards something in the class would work well.
6. Once set up, read the instructions, one at a time below.
K & 1 Instruction: (Show Mondrian and Picasso samples)
1. Draw a line that touches 2 sides of your paper.
2. Draw another line that touches the other 2 sides of your paper.
3. Draw your favorite Shape Large.
4. Draw the same shape somewhere else on your paper.
5. Draw your favorite type of line (curly, zig zag, Wavy etc) and have it touch at least 2 other
lines.
6. Add one shape or line anywhere you think it is needed (free choice).
2 & 3 Instructions: Picasso & Kandinsky
1. Draw a line that touches 3 sides of your paper.
2. Draw your favorite Geometric Shape Large.
3. Draw the first letters of your last name.
4. Draw a line that touches 2 sides of your paper and a shape.
5. Add one shape or line that you feel is missing (free choice).
4 & 5 Instructions: Mondrian & Kandinsky
1. Draw a straight line that touches 2 sides of your paper.
2. Draw a straight line that intersects your first line.
3. Draw a line that is parallel to another line.
4. Draw a large Square or Rectangle Shape.
5. Draw a second large Square or Rectangle Shape.
6. Add one shape or line that you feel is missing (free choice).
Additional Questions if needed: Teacher Choice
1. Draw a line that touches 2 sides of your paper.
2. Draw another line that touches the other 2 sides of your paper.
3. Draw your favorite Geometric Shape Large.
4. Write/Draw a vowel largely.
5. Draw your favorite kind of line and have it go through one of your shapes.
6. Draw an organic shape largely.
7. Draw a line that touches 3 sides of your paper.
8. Draw a shape inside of a shape.
9. Draw 3 shapes largely that overlap and intersect.
10. Draw a line that is parallel to another line.
11. Draw a line that is intersecting with another line.
12. Write/Draw a consonant largely
13. Write/Draw an even, odd, prime, decimal (choose depending on grade) number largely.
14. Add one shape or line that you feel is missing (free choice).
*As you read each of these steps, the instructor should be pausing between each instruction and
pacing room to see what the students are drawing. When you see that all students have
completed each step, move to the next instruction, until complete. If you notice a certain student
is peaking at other’s, stand behind or close to them so they know you have a presence and are
watching them.
7. Once drawing is complete have all students hold up their drawings. Explain that we all listen
and learn differently, and creativity is unique and has many solutions. They have each interpreted
the instructions on their own and created something on their own! Students will look at each
others drawings and be excited that they are different.
* You could stop here and break until next class. If time permits move to 8.
8. Talk to students about colors and shading. Depending on grade level, introduce concepts such
as monochrome (various values of one color), complementary (orange and blue, red and green,
yellow and purple, opposite of color wheel), primary (red, blue, yellow), secondary (orange,
green, purple), tertiary colors (red orange, yellow orange, yellow green, green blue etc.). We
recommend:
Grade K & 1 - Primary Colors
Grade 2- Secondary Colors
Grade 3 - Complementary colors
Grade 4 - Monochromatic colors
Grade 5 - Tertiary Colors
* Discuss how to properly hold a pencil, how to control shading, direction of shading (all one
direction better than scattered coloring, stay in the lines), etc. based on grade level. Encourage
students to stay in the lines.
*Challenge for advanced students: Have students add value or pattern and contrast to their
pieces through the coloring process.
*Challenge for advanced students: Have students color only with primary colors, but allow to go
outside of line. See what happens when colors cross.
8. Allow students the rest of class to work on finishing their pieces. When finished, students
should write their name, age, grade, teacher name and school name on the back of the art work
or from the label provided. Students must assist instructor with proper clean up (teacher can
decide what that is). Play music during this time.
9. Teacher or Volunteer mounts artwork and hangs in hallway for display. For fun, if work is hung
up close together it will appear as one large abstract piece. Or it can be displayed as individual
and unique pieces with space in between.
Utah State Visual Arts Core Curriculum Requirements
Standard 1: The student will explore and refine the application of media, techniques, and artistic
processes.
Objective 1: Explore a variety of art materials while learning new techniques and processes.
a. Practice using skills for beginning drawings.
b. Use simplified forms, such as cones, spheres, and cubes, to begin drawing more complex
forms.
c. Paint with complementary color schemes.
d. Make one color dominant in a painting.
Objective 2: Use a broad range of art materials in supporting the visual arts needs at school.
a. Use as many art materials as possible to help decorate the room.
Objective 3: Handle art materials in a safe and responsible manner.
a. Ventilate the room to avoid inhaling fumes from art materials.
b. Dispose and/or recycle waste art materials properly.
c. Clean and put back to order art making areas after projects.
d. Respect other students’ artworks as well as one’s own.
Standard 2: The student will analyze, reflect on, and apply the structures of art.
Objective 1: Analyze and reflect on works of art by their elements and principles
a. Determine how artists create dominance in their work; e.g., size, repetition, and contrast.
Objective 2: Create works of art using the elements and principles.
a. Identify dominant elements
Supplemental Materials
Elements
-Line
- shape/form
Principles Design
Pattern
Rhythm/movement
-color
-value
-texture
-space
Proportion/scale
Balance
Unity
Emphasis
Color
-color wheel
-primary colors
-secondary
-complementary
-monochromatic
Label Information:
Student Name (First & Last)
Grade or Age
School Name
One sentence about what they learned or liked about the project:
Project: Shape, Color and Line: Abstract Art
Organic Shapes and Lines
Color Value Scale – Green
Monochromatic Image: Purple
Supplemental Resources:
Videos:
The Dot Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5mGeR4AQdM
Books:
The Dot Book by Peter H Reynolds http://www.amazon.com/The-Dot-Peter-HReynolds/dp/0763619612
Ish by Peter H Reynolds http://www.amazon.com/Ish-Creatrilogy-Peter-HReynolds/dp/076362344X/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Interactive Ish Book for classrooms http://shop.fablevisionlearning.com/big-screen-booksish/fa/shop.detail/productID/2766/#.Uh0sO23nOYE
The Line by Paula Bossio – new release Fall 2013
Things to do:
 Draw your self made out of lines and shapes.
 Draw a creature made out of lines and shapes.
 Draw as many lines as you can on one paper… what did you make?
 We dare you to doodle!
 Draw your self in your favorite shape or line
 Draw a page full or lines or shapes that over lap and intersect.
*School/ Teacher Participation –
Create a lines with students that surrounds your school.
Make a line with students that is straight, zigzag, curvy, diagonal etc. Students use themselves to
create a line (up to 4 or as entire class) Use students to make lines then connect to make
geometric or organic shapes. Can be done in math class, too.
How long of a line would you need to go to the bathroom? School Lunch? To the principal’s
office?
Where do we see lines and or shapes? Name places you see lines and shapes.
Line to the Lunch Room or Library or on your way to ART!
Lines of traffic
Lines on the ground that create patterns in tile or carpet
Shape of the clock – Circle
Shape of your desk – square or rectangle
Apple on teacher’s desk – organic shape