Lesson 1: Cave Drawing

Objective: To have children create a narrative artwork using figures and story elements with warm and neutral colors.

Vocabulary:

contour lines - Lines that show an objects shape or form.

figure - A person or animal in an artwork.

geometric shape - Shapes used in math that have straight lines with angled corners or circular shapes with regular curves. There are two categories of geometric shapes: ovoid and polygon.
Ovoid Shapes: circle, semi-circle, sector, oval and egg.
Polygon Shapes: triangle, square, rectangle, kite (diamond), rhombus, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, etc...

gesture drawing - A sketch created with loose arm movements showing the movement of a figure.

narrative art - Art that tells a story, using events and characters from history, fiction, or everyday life.

neutral colors - The neutral colors are black, white, brown, and gray. These colors are used to create tints, shades, tones, and intensity.

organic shape - A natural shape that is made up of curved or irregular lines. Organic shapes appear in nature.

story elements - Objects in an artwork used to tell a story or narrative.

subject or subject matter - What an artwork is about.

warm colors - The colors red, orange, and yellow. These colors appear on one half of the color wheel. These colors create a feeling of warmth and energy.

Line and Shape

From ancient times to modern times, artists have used lines and shapes to record their experiences.

Men on Horseback with Mountain Sheep by Unknown Artist
Native American Ute culture, about 1680-1880, pigment on rock face
about 3' x 3'
Arches National Park near Moab, UT, USA

Look at the ancient cave drawing in Men on Horseback with Mountain Sheep by Unknown Artist, and describe what you see. What shapes did the artist use to show horses and sheep?

Don Quixote by Pablo Picasso
1955, pen and ink
Musee d' Art et d'Histoire, St. Denis, France

Now look at the modern drawing in Don Quixote by Pablo Picasso. The artist used loose arm movements, or gestures, to create this rough gesture drawing. Compare the lines and shapes in Men on Horseback with Mountain Sheep with those in Don Quixote. How are they alike and different?

Characteristics of Lines

When you describe the characteristics of a line, you describe the way it looks. Lines may be straight or curved, wavy or zigzag, thick or thin.

Four Faces Panel (detail) by Unknown Artist
about 400-1300, pigment on rock
Canyonlands, UT, USA

What are the characteristics of the lines in Four Faces Panel (detail) by Unknown Artist? The artist used contour lines to draw the chief's face. Describe the characteristics of those contour lines. The lines below the face suggest a royal costume. What are the characteristics of those lines?

The Black Prince by Paul Klee1927, oil13" x 11.4"
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfahlen, Dusseldorf, Germany

Kinds Of Shapes

Compare Four Faces Panel (detail) with the modern painting in The Black Prince by Paul Klee. How are the two artworks alike and different? Look for geometric shapes, such as circles, triangles, and squares, in both paintings. Natural shapes, like those of leaves and petals, are called organic shapes. Point out the organic shapes in Four Faces Panel (detail) and The Black Prince.

The Red Horse and the Bull by Unknown Artist
13,000 B.C., pigment on rock face
Lascaux Caves II, Lascaux, France

Cave Paintings

What is the subject of The Red Horse and the Bull by Unknown Artist? What are the characteristics of the lines the artist used? Describe the kinds of shapes you see in The Red Horse and the Bull.
Ancient cave paintings have been found all over the world. Many appear to be gesture drawings sketched with charcoal and then finished with red or brown paint. Artists today use charcoal made of charred branches, just as artists did thousands of years ago.

Think Critically - Tell what you have learned.

Studio Time: Cave Drawing

Materials:

sketchbooks, pencils, construction paper (brown, beige, tan, and black), crayons (warm and neutral colors)

Plan

Pretend you are a cave painter from long ago. Your painting should tell a story that helps your tribe survive.

Think about:
- How people find food
- How they make fire
- How they build or find shelter
- How they get water
- How they make clothes
What plants or animals would you draw that were important for survival?

Check list:
- My artwork tells a story.
- I included at least one human and one animal.
- I used only warm and neutral colors only.

Create

Copy your best parts of your sketches onto neutral colored construction paper to create a story. Use crayon to outline objects. Make some lines thick and some lines thin.
Use warm colors (reds, oranges, and yellows) and neutral colors (black, white, browns, and grays) crayons to finish your drawing.

3. Make your paper look ancient. Crumple the paper and straighten it out. Be careful not to tear your paper as you crumple it. Smooth it out gently before you crumple it again. Do this several times.

Reflect - Tell about your artwork.

Photograph and Submit your work on Google Classroom.

Photograph sketches as well as completed artwork.
"Add" (attach) to Google Classroom assignment.
"Mark as done" to submit your work for a grade.

Challenge: Prehistoric Costume Design

Create a celebration costume that a prehistoric person might have worn with a brown paper bag, oil pastels, and craft supplies using lines, shapes, and color.

Page updated

Report abuse