Primary Colored Pipes
Learning Targets
I can...
- Create an original Primary Colored Pipes using drawing techniques learned in class
- Use primary colors (red yellow blue), space (positive negative), and value (lightness darkness highlights shadows) inspired by American Illustrator (1894-1964) James E. Allen
- Use drawing techniques (stippling, hatching, scribbling, shading) and design principles (proportion, composition, gradation) based on American Realism
- Define Cylinder (a three-dimensional form consisting of two ovals connected with a set of parallel lines)
Lesson One
Day One, Art Start
1. Four Line Pipes (1937-1938) James E. Allen
2. Read Color Blocked by Ashley Sorenson
3. Discussion Questions "How did James E. Allen's distinct periods as an illustrator and printmaker, support the recurring themes of industrial heroism? What early experience growing up in Montana instilled his deep appreciation for labor and rugged outdoor life, which layer appeared in his artwork? What did you learn about gravity and fluid dynamics? Which artists and movements influenced Allen's work during his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students league? What drew him to printmaking and what distinguishes his technique in each medium? How does his artwork depict the daily heroism of American Industrial workers? What steps did he take to capture that realism such as making exhaustive life size charcoal drawings? What drove his series of industrial prints, including those commissioned by companies like the United States Pipe and Foundry Company?"
Lesson Activities
1. Choose 12" X 15" Drawing Paper
2. Add three dimensional shapes (cylinder, sphere, pyramid) to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, pipes) of the Primary Colored Pipes
3. Use charcoal to add line types (horizontal vertical diagonal) to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, pipes) of the Primary Colored Pipes
Day Two, Art Start
1. Retrieve Primary Colored Pipes for Assigned Tables
2. Standing Pipe (1937-1938) James E. Allen
3. Discussion Questions "How does James E. Allen's prints depict daily heroism of America's industrial workers? How did the economic and social conditions of the Great Depression influence the subject matter and tone of his industrial prints? What prompted his major shift from studying printmaking to abstract painting as an artistic focus? What led him to eventually focus more on fine art, including prints and paintings, rather than commercial illustration? What was the critical reception of his work, particularly his acclaimed industrial prints of the 1930s? How has the Stanford University online exhibit contributed to the preservation and study of Allen's body of work? What do you think the workers are doing in this artwork? How is the artist using light and shadow to tell a story in this artwork? If you were a worker in this picture, what job would you have? If you could add a sound effect to the picture, what would it be?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use primary colors (red yellow blue) to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, pipes) of the Primary Colored Pipes
2. Use neutral colors (black grey white) to fill in the negative space (background) of the Primary Colored Pipes
3. Use drawing techniques (overlapping, cropping, arrangement) to fill in the negative space (background) of the Primary Colored Pipes
Day Three, Art Start
1. Retrieve Primary Colored Pipes for Assigned Tables
2. Set Up Studio Area (sharpie markers, colored chalk, black charcoal, erasers)
Lesson Activities
1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, pipes) of the Primary Colored Pipes
2. Add shadows (cast shadows, reflective shadows, shadows) to the negative space (background) of the Primary Colored Pipes
3. Outline details (patterns, arrangement, paint splatter) to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, pipes) of the Primary Colored Pipes
Artist Examples
Student Examples
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