Lesson 25: Class Mural

Objective: To have children create a class mural with unity and variety.

Vocabulary:

compositional movement - The way a viewer's eyes travel from one element to another in an artwork.

mural - A large painting that is created on a wall or ceiling. A mural can be painted on an indoor or outdoor surface.

trompe l'oeil - A style of painting that seems to show a three-dimensional scene on a two-dimensional surface; from the French for "trick the eye."

unity - A design principle that creates the sense that an artwork is complete and that its parts work together as a whole.

variety - A design principle used to add interest to an artwork by using many different objects and art elements (line, shape, color, form, etc...).

Sunflower Mural on Fence by Unknown ArtistsCape Town, South Africa, AF

Outdoor Murals

A mural is a painting created on a wall or ceiling. Murals can be painted on surfaces that are indoors or outdoors. Many murals are painted on the outside of buildings. Outdoor mural may give a message or tell something about the community.
Look at Sunflower Mural on Fence by Unknown Artists. It is made up of several smaller paintings by different artists. Each artist created their own version of a sunflower. How does this mural have unity?

Common Threads by Meg Fish Saligman1998, mural paint over sealant and primer8 stories tallPhiladelphia, PA, USA

Compositional Movement
Describe what you see in Common Threads by Meg Fish Saligman. What do you think this mural represents? The artist arranged parts of this mural to create compositional movement. Your eyes are guided along the triangular shape formed by the figures. Then your eyes are guided around the circle at the bottom of the mural.

Seven Point One (Siete Punto Uno) by John Pugh1990, acrylic on panel mounted on wall16' x 24'
Los Gatos, CA, USA

Trompe L'oeil
Look at the mural Seven Point One (Siete Punto Uno) by John Pugh. It makes you think you could walk right into the building. This mural is an example of trompe l'oeil, which means "trick the eye" in French. Trompe l'oeil is a style of painting that creates the illusion, or false idea, of a realistic three-dimensional (3D) object or scene.
Notice that the artist of Seven Point One (Siete Punto Uno) used value to create compositional movement. The darkest values draw your eye to the left side of the scene and create the illusion of depth.

Think Critically - Tell what you learned.

Studio Time: Class Mural

Materials:

Pencils, Sketchbooks, Butcher Paper, Tempera Paint, Paintbrushes (large and small), water bowls

Plan

With your classmates, brainstorm ideas for a mural. Try to express ideas or feelings about your school or community. As a group, decide which part of the mural each or you will create.
Check list:
- Create a mural with your classmates about school or community.
- Complete your section of the mural.

Create

Sketch you section of the mural on a large sheet of paper.
Work with your classmates to decide on the colors to paint your mural. Use large brushes to paint the background and large areas. Use small brushes to paint the details and small areas.

Reflect - Tell about your work.

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: Printed Mural

Create a printed mural with three prints, a small print for the background, medium for the middle-ground, and large for the foreground then assemble on a single paper.

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