Slide show used for art literacy lesson at Ninety-One School.

1. Art Literacy
Ninety-One School • 2011-2012
“Everything starts
from a dot”
Kandinsky

2. Wassily Kandinsky
(VAS-AH-LEE KAN-DIN-SKEE)
• 1866-1944
• Born in Russia, studied law
• Moved to Germany,
studied art
• Persecuted by Nazis
• Moved to France
• First purely abstract work
• Famous for his bold use of
color, line and texture

3. Realistic
Abstract
Impressionist

4. Blue Rider
Der Blaue Reiter
1903

5. Blue Rider
Der Blaue Reiter
1903
What do
you see?

6. Blue Rider
Der Blaue Reiter
1903
What do
you see?
What do
you feel?

7. Blue Rider
Der Blaue Reiter
1903
What do
you see?
What do
you feel?
What do
you
wonder?

8. Houses in Munich - 1908

9. Improvisation 31
(Sea Battle)
1913

10. Improvisation 31
(Sea Battle)
1913
There are two
boats at battle
in this
painting.
Can you see
them?

11. Squares with concentric rings - 1913

12. Color Studies

13. Composition VIII. 1923

14. Kandinsky’s Art
• “Everything starts from a dot”
• Lines and shapes can be used to create
texture and pattern in a piece of art
• Used color to show emotion

15. Student Art Project
Concentric Circles (K)
• Put your name on back of your paper.
• Draw a dot in the middle of the square with
black crayon.
• Draw a larger circle around the dot. Go over the
circle several times to make a thick black line.
• Continue drawing concentric circles until you
reach the edge of the page.
• Paint the white spaces with water colors.
• Fill your paper completely with color.

16. Student Art Project
Concentric Circles (K)
• Put your name on back of your paper.
• Draw a dot in the middle of the square with
black crayon.
• Draw a larger circle around the dot. Go over the
circle several times to make a thick black line.
• Continue drawing concentric circles until you
reach the edge of the page.
• Paint the white spaces with water colors.
• Fill your paper completely with color.

17. Student Art Project
Color Studies (1)
• Put name on back of paper
• Fold paper in half both direction and trace folds with pencil
• Start in the center and draw an angle to make a triangle
• Continue drawing angles making bands around the
triangles until the paper is filled
• First paint a section with just water. Then paint the section
with a bright color.
• Go to the next section and paint with just water first, and
then a different color.
• Continue painting each section with water and color.
• Fill your paper completely with color.

18. Student Art Project
Houses (2-3)
• Put your name on the back of your paper.
• Use black crayon to draw a thick horizontal ground
line.
• Draw a series of rectangle buildings that sit side by
side using thick black lines.
• Add windows, roofs, and doors to each building.
• Fill in the windows with black crayon.
• Next paint each building with a different solid color.
• Finally paint the sky and ground. You can experiment
with mixing colors for the sky and ground.

19. Student Art Project
Abstract Shapes (4-5)
• Put name on back of paper with pencil.
• Use black sharpie to trace circles, rectangles, and
triangles of various sizes on your paper,
overlapping the shapes.
• Draw several straight lines and curved lines on your
page that cut through or surround the shapes.
• Paint the spaces created with watercolor.
• Paint adjoining spaces in different colors.

20. Student Art Project
Purely Abstract (6)
• Put your name on the back of your paper. Use a ruler as needed to draw
the following shapes and lines with black sharpie:
✓ Draw a STRAIGHT LINE all the way across your paper the LONG way.
✓ Draw a STRAIGHT LINE across your paper the SHORT way,
✓ Draw a DIAGONAL LINE from one corner of the paper to the other.
✓ Draw a ZIGZAG LINE from one edge towards the center.
✓ Draw a WAVY LINE from one edge towards the center.
✓ Draw a LARGE CIRCLE that touches at least one of the lines.
✓ Draw a few SMALLER CIRCLES anywhere on your paper, make some
of the concentric.
✓ Draw several MEDIUM TRIANGLES anywhere on the page.
✓ Draw some SMALL or MEDIUM RECTANGLES in other areas.
✓ Color in some small sections with your black sharpie.
✓ PAINT your shapes with watercolors. PAINT adjoining shapes in
different colors.

21. Student Art Project
Purely Abstract (7-8)
• Put your name on the back of your paper. Use a ruler as needed to draw
AT LEAST one (or more) of the following geometric terms with black
sharpie on your paper: See geometric term page for definition and examples.
✓ Draw PARALLEL LINES.
✓ Draw PERPENDICULAR LINES.
✓ Draw an OBTUSE ANGLE and an OBTUSE TRIANGLE
✓ Draw an ACUTE ANGLE and an ACUTE TRIANGLE.
✓ Draw a RIGHT ANGLE and a RIGHT TRIANGLE.
✓ Draw several ARCS along one of your lines
✓ Draw CONCENTRIC CIRCLES.
✓ Draw SIMILAR RECTANGLES.
✓ Draw CONGRUENT POLYGONS.
✓ Draw a WAVY LINE.
✓ Color in several small areas completely with the black sharpie.
✓ PAINT defined areas with watercolor. PAINT adjoining areas in different
colors.

22. Geometric Terms Defined
Term Definition Example
Parallel Lines that are the same distance apart
Perpendicular Lines that intersect at right angles to each other
Obtuse Angle Any angle between 90° and 180°
Obtuse Triangle Triangle with one obtuse angles
Acute Angle An angle measuring less than 90°
Acute Triangle Triangle with three acute angles
Right Angle An angle measuring 90°
Right Triangle Triangle with one right angle
Concentric Circles of different sizes that have the same center point
Arc Section of a curve or part of a circle
Similar Having the same shape, but not the same size
Congruent Having the same shape AND the same size

23. Painting to Music
"Color is the keyboard,
the eyes are the hammers,
the soul is the piano with many strings.
The artist is the hand that plays,
touching one key or another purposely,
to cause vibrations in the soul"
~KANDINSKY