Free Lesson Plan: Impressionist Landscapes with Acrylic Paints

Impressionist Landscapes – Acrylic Paints

Level: Middle School 

Duration: Three 45-minute class periods

Historical Overview: French Impressionism and Claude Monet (1840-1926)

Goals and Objectives: To introduce paint with the use of media, color, and light. Students will be able to identify all the colors on the color wheel and learn the techniques of color mixing

Vocabulary: Landscape, Impressionism, acrylics, warm and cool colors

Materials: Acrylic paints, brushes, plastic containers, canvas

Procedures:

Day 1

1. Anticipatory Set: Show posters and books of images of different colored Monet landscapes using the same view of a landscape at different times of day.
2. Slide lecture on history of Impressionism.
3. Class discussion on artist Monet.
4. Review color wheel.
5. Review vocabulary. 
6. Demonstrate drawing a sketch and basic painting techniques
7. Students create preliminary landscape drawing with charcoals.

Day 2

1. Teacher demonstrates how to set up palette and color mixing.
2. Students set up palettes.
3. Students transfer sketch onto canvas.
4. Students paint.

Day 3

1. Students develop criteria.
2. Students pick best painting.
3. Students critique paintings.