Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

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

My name is Ms. Afzal.

I will be your art teacher for today.

I'm feeling pretty good about that, because I'm excited about this lesson.

We are going to be exploring colour.

The title of our lesson is Elements of Art: Colour.

We are going to be looking at different kinds of colours, primary colours, secondary colours, and more.

We are going to be creating colour theory collages.

So, it's going to be pretty practical.

There's a lot involved in our lesson.

First, we'll learn about colours and then we'll get to making our collage.

This lesson comes from the unit of work The elements of art.

So, the elements you will need for this lesson are some focus, some enthusiasm, some paint will be required at some point in time.

And if you have all of that, I think we are ready to go.

Let's begin.

Outcome for today's lesson is, I can use colour theory and personal preference to make a collage.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

First of all, we have colour, and next is colour theory.

So, colour is what we see when light reflects off an object.

Colour helps us describe how things look and can also make us feel different emotions.

Colour theory, the idea of how colours work together.

It includes the colour wheel, primary and secondary colours, and how colours can mix or contrast.

So, these are our key words, colour and colour theory.

Our lesson is called Colour: perception and theory, and it has three learning cycles.

First of all, colour and perception.

Next, using colour theory and then colour relationships and preferences.

That would be interesting.

So, let's begin with colour and perception.

Take a look at this artist's mixed media abstract piece.

How does this piece make you feel? Pause the video, take a look, and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your responses.

Next question, what season is it inspired by and how do you know this? Pause video, share with someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing your answers.

You might have said, "It makes me feel calm, sad, contemplative, and cold.

It's based on winter, and I know this because of the cold colours used and lack of colourful flowers and leaves." Yeah, that's a really great observations.

We've got a very cold kind of icy blues, whites, and the trees are lacking in colour, brightness, life, foliage.

Yeah, great observations there.

Colours can carry different meanings, and these can vary across people, places, and cultures.

Take a moment to discuss and note down what some colours mean to you personally.

And there's a colour wheel here to give you some inspiration for some of those colours.

So, pause the video and note down or discuss what some colours mean to you personally.

You might have said, "Blue reminds me of holidays and calm.

Yellow makes me think of energy and celebrations.

Red, I associate with love, anger, and certain foods." Thanks for sharing.

For me, the colour that's actually at the top of this colour wheel, it's kind of turquoise-y colour, reminds me of a lot of the doorways and gates and entranceways to the homes of my family in Pakistan when I used to visit when I was younger.

There's a lot of that colour around.

So, whenever I see it, it reminds me of visiting family in Pakistan.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Colours carry the same meaning for everybody.

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

Well done if you selected false.

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

So, pause here and share a little more with someone nearby.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"Colours can carry different meanings and these can vary across people, places, and cultures." Thanks for sharing a little more about your answer.

These students are deep in discussion.

They're busy discussing what they already know about the colour wheel.

What are the key things you recall about the colour wheel? Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

You might have said, "Red, yellow and blue are primary colours that mix together to make secondary colours such as green, orange, and purple.

These colours can mix to make tertiary colours.

There are complimentary and analogous colours." Recap the groups of colours on the colour wheel through a primary colours, complimentary colours, tertiary colours, and secondary colours.

And now, let's have a check for understanding.

Match the definition with the word.

So, we have primary, complimentary, tertiary, and secondary.

And here are the definitions.

"The three main colours, red, blue, and yellow.

You can't make them by mixing other colours." Next, we have, "Made by mixing two primary colours." "Made by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour." "And opposite each other on the colour wheel.

When placed side by side, they make each other stand out." So, pause the video while you match the definition with the word.

Let's see what you came up with.

Did you have the primary colours are the three main colours, red, blue, and yellow? Complimentary are the colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel.

And when they're placed side by side, they make each other stand out Tertiary colours are made by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour.

And secondary colours are made by mixing two primary colours.

Well done if you matched these definitions and words.

Colour is made up of hue, value, and saturation.

Hue is another term for colour.

Examples of hues are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.

The saturation of a colour is its degree of richness, intensity, purity, or greyness.

And value is the relative lightness or darkness of a colour.

Sam and Aisha discussing whether it's only artists that use colour.

Can you think of any other types of creativity where colours are used to convey meaning? Pause the video and share with someone.

Here's Aisha.

"Bright colours are used to capture our attention.

Red colours can be used to convey a sense of urgency in advertising.

Certain combinations grab our attention more or convey the brand." Good thinking.

And Sam.

"Fashion designers must consider colour really carefully when they design collections and clothes.

I love wearing bright colours." Oh, interesting, Sam.

Artists often harness the powerful influences colour can have on us and play with colour in unusual ways to make us think about how we see the world.

An example of this can be seen in Caroline Chinakwe's colourful collage portraits, which expressively use bold colours to create a narrative.

Another example is Hilma of Klint, a Swedish painter who used colour not just for visual impact, but as a way to express her spiritual and emotional ideas.

Long before abstract art became mainstream, she used swirling forms and vibrant colour palettes to explore unseen worlds and emotions.

Colour can do a lot and can take us to a lot of places.

Colours have a long history of being used by a range of artists in a variety of mediums. Notable for colour, Fauvism is an art movement that took place in the early 20th century around 1905 to 1910.

It was the first new and experimental movement of the 20th century and is known for its strong colours and brushwork.

It influenced artists such as Henri Matisse and Andre Derain.

While Fauvism began in Europe, its ideas about colour and expression have since influenced artists around the world.

Contemporary artists such as Beatriz Milhazes have also used bold colour and pattern to communicate emotion, cultural identity, and narrative in their work.

And here we can see some artwork inspired by Milhazes.

It isn't just painters who use colours to communicate in their artwork.

Hew Locke's colourful sculptures, such as "Kingdom of the Blind" are very vivid and expressive.

Althea McNish's textile designs explore the full spectrum of colour and layering.

As one of the first Black British textile designers to gain international recognition, McNish brought a fresh perspective to the post-war British design scene.

Her patterns are often inspired by the lush, vibrant, tropical landscapes of her native Trinidad, combined with the textures and tones of her life in the UK.

See some beautiful tropical flowers there on the screen as well.

Colour is a powerful tool used across all areas of art and design, whether it's in 3D sculpture, textiles, photography, or graphics.

And we can see some graphic design, digital art, and puppets and so much colour on the screen there.

It's all around us in fashion, adverts, packaging, posters, and digital media.

Artists and designers use colour to grab our attention, send messages and influence how we feel, think, or even what we buy.

Colour has a big impact.

And now, it's time for your first task.

I would like you to fold a piece of paper into eight sections.

In each section, paint one primary colour one side, and another primary colour on the opposite side of the box.

Gradually blend and intermix the colours so they meet in the middle, creating a secondary colour.

In the remaining boxes, you can experiment with blending or even diluting primary colours with water gradually.

Pause the video while you have a go at this task.

So, how did you get on with blending and intermixing of colours, they met in the middle and created a secondary colour? And not outcome will be exactly the same, but you will have created a range of primary and secondary hues or colours in different saturations and values.

Well done for doing this.

And now, we're moving on to the next learning cycle, using colour theory.

How does each of these colour combinations make you feel? Pause the video, notice how they make you feel, and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your responses.

Using colour theory means thinking carefully about how colours work together and how they make people feel.

Artists and designers might pick shades that pop, clash, or calm, depending on the feeling they want to create.

Some colours grab your attention, some make you feel relaxed, and others bring warmth or energy to a piece.

Every colour choice helps tell a story or set a mood.

Using colour theory in your work involves choosing colours that work well together.

For example, complimentary colours, opposites on a colour wheel, like blue and orange, create contrast.

Warm and cool colours create mood or atmosphere.

And tertiary colours create a sense of harmony.

Using colour theory in your work involves thinking about the psychology of colour.

You can choose to use colours that make people feel a certain way.

For example, red can give a sense of energy, urgency, passion.

Blue gives more of a feeling of calm, trust, sadness.

And green can equate to nature, health, freshness.

How do the colours in this image make you feel? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your responses.

Using colour theory in your work involves making intentional choices.

Rather than picking colours randomly, artists and designers use colour theory to draw attention to certain areas, create a sense of balance, evoke a specific feeling, aesthetic, or reaction.

Can see some very intentionally chosen colours on these embroidered cushions.

And now, it's time for your next task.

I would like you to fold a piece of paper into eight sections.

In each section, blend two secondary colours together to make a tertiary colour.

In remaining sections, explore block colours and value gradients.

So, pause the video while you have a go at this task blending secondary colours to create tertiary colours.

Okay, so, how did you get on with that, blending your two secondary colours to make a tertiary colour? And remember, not every outcome will be exactly the same, but you will have created a range of tertiary colours.

Well done for doing this.

Now, we are on to our final learning cycle, colour relationships and preferences.

We all have preferences.

And that's fine, and it makes things interesting.

Everyone has their own favourite colours.

Some people love bright colours like yellow or red, while others prefer calm colours like blue or green.

And these favourites can change as we grow older or depending on how we feel.

Which colours do you like to wear or use a lot? Pause the video and share with someone.

I used to wear lots of black when I was younger and now still wear black, but also really like some bright colours, too.

Culture can also play a part.

Different colours can have different meanings in different places around the world.

Red has associations with good luck and prosperity in China.

In western countries, red is often associated with danger or warning.

Our colour choices are often linked to our mood or memories.

For example, someone might like green because it reminds them of playing in the garden.

Some people feel calm or relaxed around blue, while yellow might make others feel cheerful and full of energy.

Colour can affect our emotions without us even realising it.

Colour preferences can also be linked to personality.

A person who enjoys standing out might pick bold, bright colours, while someone quieter might choose softer tones.

We also pick colours based on where we use them.

You might like wearing red, but prefer soft blues for your bedroom.

It all depends on how you want to feel in that moment.

And now, it's time for your final task.

I would like you to create a colour theory collage.

Collect your two dry painted sheets from the last tasks.

Cut out each rectangular section of painted paper.

There should be 16 sections in total.

And I would like you to choose eight sections to cut shapes out from.

These can be any shapes.

For example, geometric or abstract.

And then arrange the cutout painted shapes on top of the remaining rectangular sections.

Apply your knowledge of colour theory and your own preferences.

So, pause video here while you create your own colour theory collage.

I'm excited to find out how you get on.

It's good to be back with you.

How did get on with creating your own colour theory collage? See some great-looking examples on the screen.

And not every outcome will be exactly the same, but you will have cut and arranged shapes according to colour theory and preference.

Hope you enjoyed this part of your task.

And now, onto the next part of your task.

I'd like you to consider the relationships between the different colours before glueing them down on top and consider the following questions.

What were your favourite colours you mixed? What were your favourite colour combinations? And which colours did not work well together and why do you think that was? So, pause the video while you consider the relationships between the different colours and answer these questions.

Great to be back with you.

So, how did you get on with considering those questions? What were your favourite colours you mixed? What were your favourite colour combinations? And which colours didn't work well together and why do you think that was? There are many possibilities, but you may have said something like this.

Here's Jacob.

"The warm oranges and purples were my favourites.

They really bounced off each other.

When I tried brown with purple, it didn't quite work.

They were both warm, but instead of popping, they just blended in too much and lost their spark." Great observations.

Thanks for sharing yours.

In our lesson today, Colour: perception and theory, we have covered the following.

Colours can carry different meanings, and these can vary across people, places, and cultures.

We can use colour to convey emotion in our work.

Artists and designers can use colour theory and personal preference in their work.

Well done for joining in with this lesson, everyone.

It was great to see you exploring colour, primary, secondary, tertiary, complimentary colours and creating your own colour theory collage.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

In the meantime, stay creative!.