Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling really good.

My name's Ms. Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling very excited about that because today we are looking at landscapes.

Have you looked at landscapes before for yourself in actual real life, or have you seen paintings or artwork based on landscapes? I wonder.

Well, that's what we're getting into.

The title of our lesson is Landscapes in Fine Art, and it comes from the unit of work Foundation Workshops.

So yes, landscapes are something pretty foundational in fine art and we are gonna be exploring them together today if you're ready for that, let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is "I can review the range of ways artists have been inspired by landscapes in art." We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Landscape, vista, perspective.

What do these words mean? Well, landscape is all the visible features of an area of land, often considered in terms of their visual appeal.

Vista is a broad view, often used to create dramatic scenes in landscape art.

And perspective is about creating depth and distance in a composition.

These are our keywords: landscape, vista, and perspective.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called Landscapes in Fine Art, and it consists of three learning cycles.

First of all, Artist spotlight: landscapes; next, Visual deconstruction: landscapes; and then Personal connection in art: landscapes.

Let's begin with Artist spotlight: landscapes.

Here's an opening question for you.

Why do you think landscapes have always been such a powerful subject in art? Why and how have they endured for so long? Pause the video and share with someone.

Artists across history and cultures have been inspired to create artworks featuring landscapes.

Artists take different approaches to techniques and themes in their work.

Some themes and techniques artists might use when creating a landscape artwork are: achieving accurate perspective; exploring scale, viewpoints and perspectives; celebrating nature's beauty, oh, I love that one; Using landscapes symbolically to explore other topics; and commenting on important issues.

Some artists focus on the accuracy of their work, aiming to depict precise perspective and likeness of the location using realistic details and colours.

This kind of representation is common in western approaches to landscapes.

In some cultures, precise proportions are less important than elements like multiple or aerial viewpoints, which can carry symbolic, spiritual, or narrative meaning.

In his famous painting, "Early Spring" 1072, Guo Xi used a technique called "the angle of totality," where he showed the landscape from different viewpoints all at once.

Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri used aerial views in works like "Ngarlu Red Hill" 1990, continuing the traditions of Dreamtime art.

In this tradition, landscapes are not just maps of land, they hold spiritual and cultural meaning, showing stories and connections to ancestors.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Artists are always interested in recording precise perspective in their landscape artworks.

Pause here and decide if this statement is true or false.

Well done if you selected false, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this: While some artists use precise perspective to show realistic depths, others choose different approaches.

Not all landscapes aim to look realistic.

Some focus on meaning, feeling, or tradition instead.

Landscapes let artists explore scale, perspective, and composition from vast vistas to intimate details.

How can these differences create alternative meanings? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your responses.

Maybe you said something like this.

Here's Andeep.

"A broad vista can make me think about how big or magnificent the world is." And Laura: "An artwork showing intimate details might focus attention on one place or issue." And Lucas: "Artists might choose to use unrealistic scale or perspective to challenge reality." A range of responses.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following best explains the benefits of making landscape art for artists? A: by only depicting realistic colours and textures, B: by focusing on people in nature, C: by letting artists explore different scales and views, or D: only by showing wide open spaces? Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Indeed, the benefits of making landscape art for artists is that it allows artists to explore different scales and views.

Some artists experimenting with perspective, scale and composition in their landscapes include: The illustrations in "Our Wonderful Earth" by Stepan Zavrel alter scale and perspective, featuring both aerial and linear viewpoints.

Harriet Mena Hill uses composition to focus our attention on fragments of architectural landscapes in high rise buildings in her series, "Ailsbury Fragments" 2021.

In "Arcadia" 1992, Rudi Patterson places visual importance on florals using colour and scale to do so.

Artists can use landscapes to celebrate nature's beauty and foster appreciation for ecological diversity.

Can you think of any local artists who do this in response to your area? Pause here and share.

Artists with an interest in capturing beauty in nature include: Rosey Prince explores impact of humans on nature through her mark-making.

Keith Salmon creates mixed media works, rich in mark-making and colour to document the beauty of the landscapes inspired by hill walking.

And Fika Ria Santika aims to capture the fleeting beauty of nature with its cycles, transitions, and changes in her ongoing series, "Tumpuk Lapis Tampak Isi," "Stacked Layers, Visible Borders." Artists can use landscapes symbolically to express other topics.

Can you think of any topics that artists might comment on through using the subject of landscapes? Pause here and share.

Here's Izzy: "I think this artwork could be about flooding as the ink looks like water flowing over the whole landscape." And Alex: "This work might symbolise belonging, like the idea of having roots in a place." Check for understanding.

True or false? Landscapes can only tell us about the visual characteristics of a location.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this: Artists can use landscapes symbolically to express other topics.

Artists using landscapes to communicate about other topics include: Tanoa Sasraku makes landscape-inspired art using natural materials like earth and water.

Her work explores identity, history and belonging.

By soaking paper in rivers and bogs, she connects her art to the land, showing how landscapes can hold memory, emotion, and meaning.

"Broken Spectre" 2018-22 by Richard Mosse shows the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

He uses special cameras and techniques to reveal things we normally can't see; like heat, invisible gases and damage from the air.

Artists can use landscapes and the themes they symbolise to comment on important issues in society.

This can be part of a social action project.

What important issues do you think artists might discuss using landscapes? Artists can use landscapes and the themes they symbolise to address important issues in the world.

Tacita Dean's "From the Ashes" project used ash and charcoal collected from the Amazon rainforest fires to create powerful artwork, with proceeds supporting Indigenous communities and funding local firefighting efforts.

Lamia Joreige's project "Uncertain Times: Mapping a Transformation" 2022 looks at the end of the Ottoman Empire and how its history still affects the Middle East today.

Her work encourages people to think about identity, conflict and change in the region.

Artists may also use landscapes as a subject in art to:.

document natural disasters, examine the impact of wars; explore dystopia and utopia; create land art, the manipulation of physical landscapes; and reflect culture or history through locations.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to select two or three artists or specific artworks and compare them.

Consider these questions: In what ways are the artworks visually similar or different? Subject, colour, tone, shape style, composition and materials.

What themes, symbols, or ideas do the artworks explore? Are there any connections between them? So pause here while you have a go at this task.

Great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task? You may have said something like this.

"Harriet Mena Hill creates works which zoom into a small section of an urban location.

She works directly onto concrete, showing us a fragment of the materials used to make that space, connecting the audience to the place." And here's Jacob: "Rudi Patterson is connecting us to a place as well, showing us enlarged flowers and rich colours which create an emotional connection with the location.

Mena Hill uses colours in a more sombre way to connect us." You may have said something like this.

So here we can see Harriet Mena Hill, zoomed in composition, painted onto fragments of concrete cool, soft colours like greys.

And Rudi Patterson: altered scale of florals, more traditional composition and perspective, warm, rich colours.

And what they both share is that they create connection through altering colours, scale and composition.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, Visual deconstruction: landscapes.

What do you notice first about this artwork? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing what you noticed.

Artists use various techniques to communicate visually in their work.

The elements of art, line, tone, colour, pattern, shape/form, texture.

Perhaps that's what you'd noticed on the previous artwork.

Composition, space and perspective.

Materials and techniques.

Imagery and subject.

We can deconstruct these techniques to understand the work more deeply.

Let's check for understanding.

How does analysing an artist's use of elements like line, colour, materials and composition help us understand their artwork better? Is it A: It allows us to notice details that create mood, meaning, and focus, B: It helps us see the techniques the artists used to express ideas and emotions, C: It only matters if the artist explains their work, or D: it tells us exactly what the artist wanted us to think without any personal interpretation? Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected the first two statements.

Indeed, it allows us to notice details that create mood, meaning, and focus, and helps us to see the techniques the artists used to express ideas and emotions.

So let's take a look at this artwork again.

How are the elements of art used in this work? Pause here and share with someone.

Perhaps you said something like this? Horizontal lines created by visible brush strokes.

The shapes and forms are all flowing and natural.

The colours in the work are bold and contrasting.

The tonal contrast in the centre draws our attention.

Patterns can be found in the brushstrokes; and the paint has created organic textures.

Many artists making landscapes have been interested in capturing light.

Some would work outside in the landscape to directly experience the light and atmosphere.

This way of working is called "en plein air." Check for understanding.

Why did many landscape artists choose to work outdoors or en plein air? Is it :A because it was a requirement in traditional art schools, B: to avoid using studios or paying rent and save money, C: to capture natural light and the atmosphere more accurately, D: to include real people working outside in their landscapes? Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Indeed, it was to capture natural light and the atmosphere more accurately.

Take a look at this artwork again.

How has this artwork captured light? Pause and share with someone.

Perhaps you noticed something like this.

Paler tone is found on the left with areas of highlight in the centre and right.

Darker tones are found in the bottom, centre and right side of the work.

The shifting of tone from one side to the other suggests a sunrise by mimicking the light of early morning.

This is emphasised by the highlight in the centre almost like the sun.

Artists can use perspective or viewpoint in their landscapes in a range of ways.

So they can take in their subject from above, an aerial view, from eye level, or from below.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Artists must use viewpoints from a standing position, at eye level in their landscape works.

Pause the video and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this: Artists can use a range of viewpoints.

Some choose to include more than one viewpoint in a single work.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to select one artwork and describe it.

Describe: what you can see in the artwork; the elements of art, line tone, colour, pattern, shape, form and texture; composition, space and perspective; materials and techniques; imagery and subject.

How the artist has used these techniques to communicate with the audience.

You might record this as an idea shower around an image of an artwork.

Write it as a paragraph or create an audio or film recording of your ideas.

So pause here while you have a go at this task.

Good to be back with you.

So how did you get on with your task? You may have said something like this: The landscape shows urban buildings and maps using geometric shapes.

The composition is busy with most of the space filled with details and information.

Textures are created with different mark-making.

Use of bold red stands out.

The work uses high contrast with a single pale area making the rest appear muted.

Shown from eye level, like we could be stood there.

You may have said something like this: This work is shown from an aerial viewpoint, like a topographic map.

The composition fills the space with diagonal movement from the top left to bottom right.

Flowing lines with different line weights.

The use of warmer hues draw attention in a cool palette.

The work uses a dark, deep blue background and paler foreground to create contrast.

The shapes and forms are all organic and flowing.

And now we're onto our final learning cycle of Personal connection in art: landscapes.

How can looking at an artist's work help us develop our own work? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

"Artwork with a similar theme can help develop ideas rather than just an artwork that uses the same technique." Here are Jun and Sam.

"I'll look at techniques and perspective, and try to apply them to my theme." "Work that has similar imagery or landscapes can inspire, even if the idea is different." Check for understanding.

Fill the gap.

"We can look at other artists' work to gain inspiration through their use of.

imagery and themes, helping to develop and enrich their own creative ideas." Pause here while you fill in the gap.

Well done if you filled in the gap with the word techniques.

There are a number of things which can cause us to have a personal connection with an artwork, such as connecting to the use of techniques or expression of themes.

We can establish a personal connection to an artwork by interpreting how landscapes can signify deeper meanings or a theme.

We can often find links to our own work through deconstructing both the themes and techniques used in an artwork.

What themes or deeper meanings might this landscape represent? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

"I'd be interested in the use of light and colour to respond to my theme of reflections." Jacob: "My theme is religion.

It makes me think about the breaking of dawn, which is an important time in many faiths for praying." And Sofia: "This ocean scene reflects my theme of home and travel by showing places we see while moving." Can you think of other theme interpretations? Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? We can only establish a personal connection with a landscape artwork if we're planning to make landscape art.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this: We can connect to an artwork by finding links to our own ideas and developing work.

We can interpret different themes from the imagery and techniques used in a landscape.

And now it's time for your final task.

I'd like you to select one artwork and use the questions below to consider your personal connection.

What themes, symbols, or ideas does this art explore? Are there any symbols, imagery, or connections between them that help create a narrative or show meaning? Which techniques, processes, or creative decisions in this artwork inspire you, and how might you use them in your own work? You might record this as an idea shower around an image of an artwork.

Write it as a paragraph or create an audio or film recording of your ideas.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Great to be back with you.

So how did you get on with that task? You can see with this artwork, the theme is networks.

And in this work, the red map lines symbolise underground connections like roads, subways, or pipes.

This highlights how networks link us, even without showing people.

The busy scene suggests our deep interconnection.

I plan to use landmarks from my granddad's hometown and here, layering maps between the two locations.

You may have said something like this: The theme here is borders, boundaries, and edges.

This aerial view suggests how water forms boundaries resembling islands surrounded by deep blue sea.

I'm drawn to the range of mark-making, which is flowing and water-like, and suggests boundaries moving and changing.

I'll create an abstract landscape using ink, oil, and milk and capture imagery from an aerial perspective.

I can then develop these into screen printing layers.

In our lesson, Landscapes and fine art, we've covered the following: Artists can manipulate perspective, viewpoint and scale in their landscapes.

Landscapes let artists explore scale, perspective, and composition from vast vistas to intimate details.

Artists can use landscapes to celebrate nature's beauty and foster appreciation for ecological diversity.

Artists can use landscapes symbolically to discuss other topics.

Many artists making landscapes have been interested in capturing light.

Some would work directly in the landscape, which is called "en plein air." Well done, everyone for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore landscapes and fine art with you.

Landscapes are such incredibly beautiful things that exist on this earth, so I love it when artists capture them in their work.

I hope you enjoyed exploring landscapes together, and I hope to see you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.