Fernand Leger Minimal Portraits

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Fernand Leger Minimal Portrait using painting techniques learned in class
• Use geometric shapes (circle, triangle, square), line variation (horizontal vertical diagonal) and complementary colors (red green; blue orange; yellow purple) inspired by French Painter (1881--1955) Fernand Leger
• Use portraiture techniques (effective lighting, backdrops, poses) and design principles (composition balance repetition) based on Modern Art
• Define Portrait (a painting of a person depicting the face, head, and shoulders)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Woman With A Book (1923) Fernand Leger

2. Read Fernand Leger: Exhibition, The Museum of Modern Art, New York by Carolyn Lancher

3. Discussion Questions "Where was Fernand Leger born? What art movement was Fernand Leger associated with? Why did Fernand Leger leave Argentina for Paris? Which other artists were staying in Paris when Fernand Leger arrived? How do you think moving to Paris influenced Fernand Leger's Paintings? What kind of things did he bring to focus on;? How did Fernand Leger give the impression of standing on a busy, noisy street corner through the paintings of the city? Where did Fernand Leger move to in 1931? Which art style influenced the early work of Fernand Leger?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use a pencil to draw shape variation (geometric organic)of face parts (head hair shoulders ears) of abstract portrait

2. Use line types (wavy, straight, narrow) to add facial features (eyes eyelashes eyebrows hair) to the abstract portrait

3. Use line types (horizontal vertical diagonal) to add details (buttons ribbons stripes) to the positive space (face) of the Fernand Leger Portrait

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Fernand Leger Minimal Portraits for Assigned Table

2. The Woman and the Flower (1954) Fernand Leger

3. Discussion Questions "How was this artwork made? What type of style is this artwork? What can you seen this work? Why do you think the artist made it? What has the artist made of the image out of? What can you see in the picture? If there were sounds for this picture, what would the sounds be? What are the pictures designed for? Wha is the name of the artist? What year was the picture produced? Why does the artist use simple shapes and lines? Where in the portraits is the most mark making lines and tones used? How does this help show the identity of the members?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use pencil to draw shape variation (geometric organic) of the face parts (head, hair, shoulders eras) of the abstract portrait

2. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to add facial features (eyes, eyelashes, eyebrows, hair) to abstract portraits

3. Use line types (horizontal  vertical diagonal) to add details (buttons, ribbons, stripe) to positive space (face) of the Fernand Leger Portrait

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Fernand Leger Minimal Portraits for Assigned Table

2. Set Up Studio Area (oil pastel, tempera paint, paint brushes)

Lesson Activities

1. Add highlights (light source, reflective light) to positive space (face) of the abstract portraits

2. Add shadow (cast shadow, shadow) to the negative space (background) of the abstract portraits

3. Add value (lightness, darkness) to the positive space (face) and negative space (background) of the Fernand Leger Minimal Portraits

Artist Examples

Student Examples