Cloud Study

I wanted to teach the students about John Constable, he was landscape painter from in England in the 1800’s. New York states New Common Core wanted students so discus his cloud paintings. I thought that it would be a great opportunity to teach them how to paint clouds that looked more sophisticated and like the clouds had movement.

First I showed a PowerPoint about Constables cloud study and Alfred Stiegliz cloud study. I talked about why artist would have concentration or a study of the same topic many times. The students learned about the types of clouds in the sky adding a little science to the lesson.

 We started painting the blue backgrounds adding white mixing on the canvas to show atmosphere. While that was drying the students played a matching game on the smart projector. Matching the clouds from famous paintings with photos of clouds.

I showed them how to tap in the white pushing all the white paint out of the brush before getting more. I explained how to make the paint have layers of white built up for high lights on the clouds.

When the paintings had dried and hung in the hall as you may have guessed none of the clouds looked alike. As students would look up at them in the hall everyone would say that clouds looks like … just like if they laying the grass starring up at the sky.