Use of Proportion in Art Teacher Resources

Students explore the Steen and Mount paintings and their presentation of moral issues. They discuss ethical debates in society today and write a short position paper on an issue raised by the paintings or in the discussion. They make a...

Students explore art history by researching famous paintings on-line. In this Andy Warhol lesson, students discuss who Warhol was, his impact on popular art and methods of painting. Students examine his use of silk screen printing and...

Students discuss facial proportions and mix colors similar to flesh tones. In this art lesson, students draw and paint a portrait and then translate this image into a 3D form using clay.

Fifth graders observe artworks of cardboard weaving for their art elements and principles of organization.  In this cardboard weaving lesson, student create their own and compare artworks of the past and present. Students self...

Students change the scale of a work of art using ratios, percentages, and proportions. While this is technically an art activity, there is quite a bit of mathematics involved in converting to the correct scale.

Students make an African mask.  In this culture and heritage lesson, students view samples of African masks and learn about the importance of these masks.  Students visit the African Art Museum website to view the styles of...

Fourth graders are shown a slideshow of paintings showing landscapes. They create their own landscape painting using proportional figures.

Sixth graders view human head paintings by Picasso. Using the paintings, they identify the facial proportions by a frontal and profile view. With a partner, they create a portrait of them after observing and measuring their face. They...

Explore the concept of beauty as it has been seen through the eyes of various African tribal groups. Learners create masks of beauty as they see it, taking the African concept of inner beauty into consideration. This instructional...

Students explore cultural history by participating in an arts and crafts activity. In this weaving lesson, students identify the many cultures that used weaving methods and local plant life to create baskets and other useful tools....

Students discuss still life painting and the Realism style of art. They plan a personal narrative still life drawing, complete the project and present it to the class.

Students, in groups, create three-dimensional sculptures from found objects. They paint their sculptures and write essays that reflect on the collaborative creative project.

Middle schoolers review Gerald Ferstman's work and discuss abstract art. They design and create monoprints on Mylar. They reflect on their work and write about the experience of creating the piece.

Keen observation skills are an essential trait for good artists. Discuss the elements of a portrait with your class using terminology such as, full-face, profile, quarter-length, full-length. After that, they can use the included...

Students paint portraits in the style of Rouault.

Students research visual arts by creating a presentation in their classroom. In this art history lesson, students identify the work of Keith Haring by researching the web and library. Students analyze images of Haring and create hallway...

Students research visual art by examining art on-line. In this art expression lesson, students discuss the history of art after researching information on the Internet. Students view images on the web which feature physical movement...

Students create traditional African art pieces. In this visual arts lesson, students use modeling materials to craft Gabon clay masks that represent beauty.

Students explore Chinese culture and Chinese calligraphy. In this Chinese calligraphy instructional activity, students create paintings using Chinese techniques. Students describe the differences in Chinese art and other culture's art....

Students investigate art elements such as color schemes and proportion by creating their own personal Mandala Circle on paper or canvas. This also allows students to investigate mathematical concepts such as tesselations or social...

Students begin the instructional activity by drawing figures doing different activities. As a class, they view artwork on Greek vases and discover how the political situations affect the drawings on the vases. They draw their own scene...

High schoolers explore and analyze how the human face is proportioned and explore ways artists use mathematics to make art. They demonstrate the basic face proportions by creating a reference sketch and illustrating visual clues to...

Students sculpt a bust out of clay using naturalistic features.  In this sculpture lesson, students use themselves or classmates as models to ensure correct form and proportion of a hollow bust.  This lesson includes pictures...

Students sketch a still life picture. In this sketching instructional activity, students create a still life image using a cup and straws. Students create an original piece of art.