An art lesson for kids with mixed media!

Background Info:

Growing up outside the port of Le Havre, France, Monet was familiar with boats. His father earned his living servicing larger ships at his small shop. Monet never owned his own boat until the age of thirty-three, but as  a youth he had painted them in all shapes and sizes. 

Monet took great care in painting various types of boats, especially sail boats. His fascination with the sails and how they reflected on the water can be seen in a variety of his works. The town of Argenteuil was a popular destination for spectators to watch boats race down the Seine River. Monet painted over 170 pieces while living in Argenteuil including many of the Seine River. 

Vocabulary: Horizon Line, Texture

National Visual Arts Standards:

Creating: #1, #2, #3

Presenting/Producing: #5, #6

Responding: #8

Connecting: #10

Painting the Sky & Water

Supplies:

• Faber-Castell Watercolor Paper Pad
• Faber-Castell Construction Paper Pad
• Faber-Castell Connector Paints
• Faber-Castell Oil Pastels
• Faber-Castel Water Cup
• Pencil
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Glue

Step 1:

Paint the sky on the top half of a piece of watercolor paper. Start in the middle of the paper and work upwards. Use a lighter shade of blue paint and make your brushstrokes go from side to side. 

Step 2:

Paint the water on the bottom half of the paper. Start at the horizon line where the sky meets the water and work downwards, painting side to side. Use greens and darker blues to create a contrast. Let dry. 

Creating the Boats

 Supplies:

• Faber-Castell Oil Pastels
• Faber-Castell Construction Paper in dark colors
• Scissors
• Glue

Step 3:

Create boats out of construction paper. Draw triangular shapes for the sails, a skinny piece for the mast, and a banana shape for the hull. I like to curve the edges of the sails to look like their billowing in the wind. You can suggest more basic shapes for younger artists. Cut out the pieces. 

Step 4:

Shade in the sails using various colors of oil pastels. 

Step 5:

Glue down the boat pieces on the water portion of the paper. 

Step 6:

Use oil pastels to make additional lines on the water representing ripples. This creates texture. 

Art lesson created by Painted Paper Art

Download the entire lesson plan, here!