Artists can use perspective and color techniques to create the illusion of three-dimensional space in two-dimensional works. Students will create three-dimensional landscapes by combining form shading, value shifts and changes in hue with basic perspective techniques.

Note: Nervous about drawing in front of a critical audience? Remember, it is important students see techniques, thinking processes and critiquing modeled. Allow them to suggest alternate approaches, critique your work and encourage brainstorming. Even if you aren't the most confident artist you can teach them a lot by your attitude about trying something new. Your mistakes and how you deal with them can be very educational!

Online Activities
If you have a computer with Internet access in our classroom, students can learn more about color theory and/or do some of the hands-on activities found in Sanford's ArtEdventure: Color Theory vs. Dr. Gray and His Dechromatizer on the A Lifetime of Color web site: www.alifetimeofcolor.com.

Background
Students should already understand the concepts of landscape, foreground/middleground background, overlap, color families (warm/cool/neutral), light source, how to draw and shade forms (suggested online activity: Try This! Making Forms: 3-D Shapes!), how to create shades and tints with colored pencils, how to create value shifts (light to dark) with colored pencils (Online Technique Tip: The Values of Color: Drawing Shades and Tints). Sanford's A Lifetime of Color Website also addresses these topics.

Objectives
Students will:
a) explore and analyze how artists create the illusion of space and distance on two-dimensional surfaces;
b) demonstrate understanding of basic perspective techniques (overlap, position, size, detail);
c) demonstrate understanding of basic uses of color to create depth (saturation of color, atmospheric perspective, depth of color families);
d) create an abstract landscape showing the illusion of depth.

Concepts
Artists create space and distance using perspective and color techniques such as :

Size: objects appear smaller as they get farther away.
Position: objects appear higher on the page as they get farther away.
Overlap: Overlapping objects show which is farther.
Detail: Objects have less detail as they get farther away.
Saturation of color: Close objects are brightest and sharpest. Objects in the distance appear pale and washed out.
Atmospheric perspective: Objects in the distance may appear bluish.
Warm colors advance/cool colors recede: Warm colors may appear closer. Cool colors may appear farther away.

Vocabulary
perspective
horizon line
value
saturation
atmospheric perspective
advance/recede

Preparation

Teaching Materials/Resources

• Background information
• Examples of fine art three-dimensional landscapes
• Depth visuals for downloading and display
• Teacher's Key to "Exploring the Deep" worksheet
• Example of completed project
• Tips for Successful Critiques
• The National Visual Arts Standards applied to this lesson
• Suggested supporting resources

Student Materials/Resources

• Example of landscapes that show distance and space (magazine photos, postcards of artworks)
• "Exploring the Deep" worksheet
• Foohy® or Col-erase® erasable colored pencils for students up through sixth grade; Scholar® or Prismacolor® colored pencils for more advanced students and for seventh graders and up.
• 9 x12" (23 x30 cm) drawing paper
• Pink Pearl® erasers

Schedule
Two or more class periods.

Set-up

• Familiarize yourself with background information for this lesson.
• Gather examples of landscapes which show distance and space for use as students visuals. These can be photos from magazines, postcards of artworks... You may want to laminate them.
• Print out and copy the "Exploring the Deep" worksheet for group work.
• Create or print out depth visuals for use in class discussion.
• Display examples of three-dimensional landscapes for discussion.
• Gather studio materials.
• Arrange classroom furniture to create a discussion area to ensure maximum participation and ability to see visuals.

Background Information

Depth in Western Art: A Brief Overview
The desire to create depth through perspective techniques has played an important role in Western art since the 15th century. However, it is important not to regard earlier art or art from other cultures as primitive because they do not embrace realistic depth as a central aesthetic. Art's ability to communicate, tell stories, record information, honor the sacred or present scripture does not, of course, require the depiction of optical space. The Ancient Egyptians, for example, had an incredibly rich artistic tradition yet their art reflects little interest in realistic depictions of space.

The desire for art to appear real and mirror the world as we see it began with the Ancient Greeks and taken up by the Romans. But when the Roman empire collapsed, their naturalistic aesthetics were rejected by the Byzantines who favored art based on divine symbols and order. Western art of this time often looks flat and stiff compared to later art.

It wasn't until the 13th and 14th centuries when a renewed interest in Roman art sparked an interest in visual techniques which create depth in two-dimensional works. These ideas were taken to their peaks during the Renaissance with the invention of linear perspective. Some artists studied nature, color and light to solve depth problems. Other artists developed precise mathematical procedures to measure and depict space. The results are stunningly accurate and realistic representations of space and distance.

Teaching Depth Techniques
As realism is only one approach to art, you should expose your students to a variety of art from different cultures and times. However, it is equally important to give your students the skills to produce realistic art if they so choose. Western children have Western art aesthetics and judge their own work accordingly. Many children become frustrated at an early age because of their desire and lack of ability to create realistic art.

Many teachers worry that teaching depth techniques is too formulaic and will stifle creativity. But just as color mixing opens the door to creativity, so too can learning to see and create depth. Once they have mastered these basic skills they will be more receptive to other approaches to art. Most kids, after all, don't really appreciate Picasso until they see "he really could draw" and chose to create abstract art.

Once your students understand the basic depth techniques presented in this lesson they will be ready for linear perspective. One and two point perspective can generally be taught to students at least nine or ten years of age but it depends, of course, on their level of experience. Keep in mind that young students may have neither the interest nor the perception to engage in the creation of depth. Students generally begin to show an interest in learning how to create realistic depth when they are eight or older.

Teaching Tips

• Study art reproductions to discover and discuss how artists create space and distance.
• Take students outside and examine what they see in the real world.
• Have plenty of visuals displayed that students can refer to as they work. Don't worry about copying. All artists borrow ideas and make them their own.
• Demonstrate drawing techniques. Modeling is essential for visual learners!
• Don't do it for them! It is tempting to take over and draw for students when they are frustrated. Have scratch paper handy to demonstrate but let them do their own work.
• Practice makes perfect. Have lots of scratch paper on hand! Create both drawing exercises and final artworks. Not everything they draw has to be displayed. Artists sketch, practice and work out problems before creating a final work. And they may make many "final" versions before creating one they are satisfied with!
• Let students help each other. Have them show their work to a friend. Encourage them to demonstrate techniques to each other. You may want to set up a rule that they have to ask two other students before asking you.

Procedure

Introduction:
Present the ideas of depth and simple perspective in Western art (you don't need to explain one or two point perspective, at this point). Discuss how Renaissance artists became interested in showing distance and space in their works.* Show your students examples of Renaissance or other deep landscapes (but don't tell them HOW the artists made it look deep—they will explore this in small and large group discussions).

*Remember to explain these concepts within their cultural context and remind students that different cultures have different aesthetics regarding depth. You might consider a follow-up lesson on non-Western composition.

Small group discussion:
In groups of three or four, have students study the examples of landscapes which show distance and space. Recording their findings on the "Exploring the Deep" worksheet, have them investigate the visual clues that make something appear distant or 3D.

Large group discussion:
Discuss the ways artists create depth. Have small groups present their findings. As each group contributes a new idea about depth have all the groups share their examples of this concept (you could group and display them on the board). Elaborate and display the corresponding depth visual. Concepts you should cover are:

Size: objects appear smaller as the get farther away.
Position: objects appear higher on the page as they get farther away.
Overlap: Overlapping objects show which is farther.
Detail: Objects have less detail as they get farther away.
Saturation of color: Close objects are brightest and sharpest. Objects in the distance appear pale and washed out.
Atmospheric perspective: Objects in the distance may appear bluish.
Warm colors advance/cool colors recede: Warm colors may appear closer. Cool colors may appear farther away.
Light and shadow create 3D forms: Shading and light source can make objects appear round.

Studio Demonstration and Experience

Step one: Introduction
Tell students they will now create a 3D landscape using as many of the depth techniques as they can. They will create their landscape in two phases. First they will plan and sketch a landscape to show distance and space. Then they will use colored pencils to create additional depth.

Step two: The sketches and drawing
First they will sketch their composition on scratch paper. They can draw an abstract landscape of simple forms (see example) or they can create a realistic landscape using recognizable objects such as trees, cacti or buildings (or a style in between). Demonstrate sketches of the following:

Size: objects appear smaller as they get farther away.
Position: objects appear higher on the page as they get farther away.
Overlap: Overlapping objects show which is farther.
Detail: Objects have less detail as they get farther away.

Note: You may want to break up the demonstration in to smaller chunks (you demo, they try it, you demo etc...). If your students are younger or more inexperienced, you choose to spend more time on the basic concepts or limit them to the simpler ones.

Encourage them to do several quick sketches on scratch paper before starting on their final drawing. You may want to approve a sketch before giving them drawing paper. You may also want them to label the depth concepts on their sketches so you can easily check for understanding. Once they have their drawing paper, remind them how to sketch lightly in case they want to erase.

Distribute sketch paper, drawing paper, pencils and erasers. Have students begin working. Circulate around the room and check in with each student. Ask them to identify the techniques they are applying to create depth. Encourage them to share their drawings with other students to check that they are creating depth effectively.

Step Three: Adding color
Using your demonstration drawing, show how to apply each of the color concepts. You may have your students choose to use a few or all of the concepts depending on the experience of the group and how much class time you have. Refer to the other displayed visuals as you work. Encourage them to take a closer look as they begin to work.

Saturation of color: Close objects are brightest and sharpest. Objects in the distance appear pale and washed out.
Atmospheric perspective: Objects in the distance may appear bluish.
Warm colors advance/cool colors recede: Warm colors may appear closer. Cool colors may appear farther away.
Light and shadow create 3D forms: Shading and light source can make objects appear round.

Demonstrate how to experiment with colors, mixing tints and shades and coloring light to dark on separate pieces of scratch paper. You may need to remind students how to hold their pencils, to blend effectively and how to achieve different textures.

Distribute colored pencils. Students add color to their landscapes.

Extra Activities:
Students who finish early could try another style landscape. They could look through art books about color theory and perspective.

Assessment
You can choose to do any combination of assessment activities. Remember to assess only the objectives. You may want to give a quiz, oral or written, using the visuals to test their knowledge of depth techniques. You may choose to grade each work individually by giving an oral or written critique. You may also ask for a self-assessment, oral or written. You could have each student grade themselves. You could also ask them to write a paragraph about their artwork and their success in achieving depth. Depending on the size and comfort level of your group, you may also choose to do a group critique.

Exploring the Deep Worksheet

Your Names: ______________________________________

Exploring the Deep: How Artists Create Space and Distance
Everyone knows paintings and drawings are flat. But some artists create landscapes that look like you could walk for miles inside them. How do they do it?

Study these pictures. Find visual clues that tell our brains "this is deep!"

1. What happens to the size of objects when they get farther away? Find an example...

2. How can you tell one object is in front of another object? Find an example...

3. How does the position of objects change as they get further away? Find an example...

4. Which colors look closer and which colors look farther away? Find an example...

5. How do colors change as they get farther away? Find an example...

6. How do you know something is round? Find an example...

Teacher's Key to "Exploring the Deep" Worksheet

Exploring the Deep
How Artists Create Space and Distance

Everyone knows paintings and drawings are flat. But some artists create landscapes that look like you could walk for miles inside them. How do they do it?

Study these pictures. Find visual clues that tell our brains "this is deep!"

1. What happens to the size of objects when they get farther away? Find an example...

Objects appear smaller as they get further away.

2. How can you tell one object is in front of another object? Find an example...

Overlapping tells us which object is in front and therefore closer.

3. How does the position of objects change as they get further away? Find an example...

Objects get higher on the page and closer to the horizon line. Exceptions which may confuse students are airborne and underwater objects.

4. Which colors look closer and which colors look farther away? Find an example...

Warm colors advance and cool colors recede. Saturated or brighter colors appear closer than tints and shades.

5. How do colors change as they get farther away? Find an example...

Colors become less saturated and appear hazy or blurry as they get further away. Because of the way blue light waves travel through the atmosphere, objects in the distance may also appear bluish--this is known as atmospheric perspective.

6. How do you know something is round? Find an example...

Roundness can be perceived through light and shadow. Artists imitate the way light and shadow create forms with color and shading techniques.

National Visual Art Standards applied to Exploring the Deep lesson

The following National Visual Art Standards can be applied to this lesson:

Fourth Grade
Content Standard #1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Achievement Standard:

• Students know the differences between materials, techniques, and processes
• Students describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause different responses

Content Standard #2: Using knowledge of structures and functions

Achievement Standard:

• Students describe how different expressive features and organizational principles cause different responses
• Students use visual structures and functions of art to communicate ideas

Content Standard #4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures

Achievement Standard:

• Students know that the visual arts have both a history and
• specific relationships to various cultures

Content Standard #5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others

Achievement Standard:

• Students understand there are various purposes for creating works of visual art
• Students describe how people's experiences influence the development of specific artworks

Content Standard #6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines

Achievement Standard:

• Students identify connections between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum

Fifth-Eighth Grade

Content Standard #1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Achievement Standard:

• Students select media, techniques, and processes; analyze what makes them effective or not effective in communicating ideas; and reflect upon the effectiveness of their choices
• Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas

Content Standard #2: Using knowledge of structures and functions

Achievement Standard:

• Students generalize about the effects of visual structures and functions and reflect upon these effects in their own work
• Students employ organizational structures and analyze what makes them effective or not effective in the communication of ideas
• Students select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas

Content Standard #3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas

Achievement Standard:

• Students integrate visual, spatial, and temporal concepts with content to communicate intended meaning in their artworks

Content Standard #4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures

Achievement Standard:

• Students know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures
• Students analyze, describe, and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate, resources, ideas, and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art

Content Standard #5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others

Achievement Standard:

• Students analyze contemporary and historic meanings in specific artworks through cultural and aesthetic inquiry
• Students describe and compare a variety of individual responses to their own artworks and to artworks from various eras and cultures

Tips for Successful Critiques

Learning to critique or assess art is a vital part of an artist's growth. Teach your students how to critique themselves, with a partner, in small groups and in large groups. It takes practice and modeling to ensure respectful, beneficial critiquing.

Display the artworks. Pin or tape them to a board so you can get a good look. Be sure everyone has a good view. For a large group display you may choose to critique anonymously. Be aware that some students may be uncomfortable displaying their artworks. You may want to begin by invitation. After the critique process feels safe and friendly, more students will want to participate.

Set the ground rules for the style of questions, comments and suggestions that are courteous and constructive. Encourage positive phrasing and focus on each artwork's strengths. Be inclusive and try to address each artwork. Avoid words like favorite, the best... Focus on the objectives! Emphasize the learning process rather than the final result.

When you are first starting, have students brainstorm and practice appropriate phrasing. Use one of your demos to practice with. Here are some phrases that might help students get started.

What really caught my eye was ______.
That artwork shows _____ really well.
I think ______ would improve that artwork.
I'd like to see more of __________.
That artist is really skilled at _____.
I am a little confused by _____.

At first, you may spend more time on the critiquing process than the actual critique but it is essential to build an atmosphere of trust and encouragement.

Supporting Resources

Use any artwork that shows space and distance. Choose art from other times, cultures and styles to contrast. Shorewood reproductions are owned by many schools or can be ordered from Shorewood Fine Art Reproductions, Inc., Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Another source of art images is ArtToday, a Web-based subscription image service at http://www.arttoday.com.

Suggested reproductions to show depth:
Albert Bierstadt In the Mountains (1867)
Pieter Breughel the Younger, Wedding Dance in the Open Air (1607)
Philip Evergood (1901-1973), Sunny Street
El Greco, View of Toledo (1600-1610)
Jacob Lawrence, Parade (1960)
Leonardo DaVinci, Mona Lisa (ca. 1603-1605)
Henri Rousseau (1844-1910), Surprised! Storm in the Forest
Georges Seurat, Study for "La Grande Jatte" (1884)
Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World (1948)

Contrasting examples
Henri Matisse, Interior with Egyptian Curtain (1948) or The Purple Robe Joan Miro (1893-1990), People and Dog in Sun

Optional videos:
Behind the Scenes: The Illusion of Depth. Hosted by Penn and Teller, this video gives an entertaining and educational summary of depth techniques. About 30 minutes.

Masters of Illusion is an interesting introduction to perspective techniques of the Renaissance masters and how the same principles are used today in Hollywood's special effects. Using new technology, this video approaches old masters in an appealing way. (available from Crystal Productions: 1-800-255-8629 for a catalog) 30 minutes

Behind the Scenes: Color. Hosted by Penn and Teller, this video gives an entertaining and educational summary of color properties and techniques. About 30 minutes.

Optional books:
Eyewitness Art: Color, Alison Cole (Dorling Kindersley, 1992)
Eyewitness Art: Perspective, Alison Cole (Dorling Kindersley, 1992)
These are friendly, visually appealing guides that students can flip through to learn interesting nuggets of information.