Lesson 17: Landscape Drawing

Objective: To have the children create a landscape drawing with a foreground and background.

Vocabulary:

background - The part of an artwork that seems to be the farthest away from the viewer.

focus - The way we see an object, in-focus meaning clear and well-defined, or out-of-focus meaning blurry and indistinct.

foreground - The part of an artwork that seems to be closest to the viewer.

landscape - An artwork that shows an outdoor setting typically displaying the beauty of nature with things like plants, trees, fields, hills, and mountains.

middle-ground - The part of an artwork that is between the foreground and the background.

proportion - The size and placement of one thing compared with the size and placement of other things.

Fuji from Kogane-Ga-Hara, Shimosa by Ando Hiroshige

Depth in Landscapes

When you look out your window, do faraway objects seem smaller or larger than nearby objects? Artists can create the feeling of depth by changing the size of objects in their artworks.
Look at Fuji from Kogane-Ga-Hara, Shimosa by Ando Hiroshige. The area at the bottom of the artwork is the foreground. The foreground is the part of the artwork that seems closest to the viewer. What do you see in the foreground of Fuji from Kogane-Ga-Hara, Shimosa?
Now look at the area near the horizon line. This is the background. The background is the part of the artwork that seems farthest away. What objects do you see in the background? Does the horse in the foreground seem smaller or larger than the horse in the background?

Think Critically - Tell what you have learned.

Studio Time: Landscape Drawing

Materials:

Magazines, Sketchbooks, Pencils, White Paper, Colored Pencils

Plan

Look at pictures of outdoor scenes to sketch ideas for a landscape.
Check list:
- Create a landscape with a horizon line.
- Use proportion and placement to show objects in the foreground and background.

Create

Fold a sheet of paper into three equal sections. Then open it up.
Draw a line in pencil along the highest fold. This will be you horizon line.

3. The lowest section of your paper is the foreground. Draw the largest objects in the foreground.
4. The middle section of your paper is the background. Draw the smallest objects in the background.
5. Use colored pencils to add details.

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: Crayon Resist Landscape

Create a landscape with crayons to outline objects, add different textures to each object to create depth and complete with watercolors.