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 color.

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

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

We are going to be creating color theory collages, so it's going to be pretty practical.

There's a lot involved in our lesson as we'll learn about colors, 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'll 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're ready to go.

Let's begin.

The outcome for today's session is: "I can use color 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 color, and next is color theory.

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

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

Color theory: the idea of how colors work together.

It includes the color wheel, primary and secondary colors, and how colors can mix or contrast.

So these are our keywords: color and color theory.

Our lesson is called Color: Perception and Theory and has three learning cycles.

First of all, color and perception, next, using color theory, and then color relationships and preferences.

That'll be interesting.

So let's begin with color 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 the video and 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 colors used and lack of colorful flowers and leaves." That was a really great observation.

You've got very cold, icy blues, whites and the trees are lacking in color, brightness, life, foliage.

Yeah, great observations there.

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

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

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

So pause the video and note down or discuss what some colors 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 color that's actually at the top of this color wheel, this kind of turquoisey color reminds me of a lot of the doorways and gates and entrance ways to the homes of my family in Pakistan when I used to visit when I was younger.

There's a lot of that color around, so I whenever see it, it reminds me of visiting family in Pakistan.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Colors 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: "Colors 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 color wheel.

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

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

These colors can mix to make tertiary colors.

There are complementary and analogous colors." Recap the groups of colors on the color wheel.

So we have primary colors, complementary colors, tertiary colors and secondary colors.

And now let's have a check for understanding.

Match the definition with the word.

So we have primary, complementary, tertiary and secondary.

And here are the definitions.

The three main colors, red, blue and yellow.

You can't make them by mixing other colors.

Next we have made by mixing two primary colors.

Made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color.

And opposite each other on the color 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 colors are the three main colors red, blue and yellow? Complementary are the colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.

And when they're placed side by side, they make each other stand out.

Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color.

The secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors.

Well done if matched these definitions and words.

Color is made up of hue, value and saturation.

Hue is another term for a color.

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

The saturation of a color is its degree of richness, intensity, purity or grayness.

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

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

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

Here's Aisha: "Bright colors are used to capture our attention.

Red colors 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 color really carefully when they design collections and clothes.

I love wearing bright colors." Very interesting, Sam.

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

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

Another example is Hilma af Klint, a Swedish painter who used color 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 color palettes to explore unseen worlds and emotions.

Color can do a lot, it can take us to a lot of places.

Colors have a long history of being used by a range of artists in a variety of mediums. Notable for color, 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 colors and brushwork.

It influenced artists such as Henri Matisse and Andre Derain.

While Fauvism began in Europe, it's ideas about color and expression have since influenced artists around the world.

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

And here we can see some artwork inspired by Milhazes.

It doesn't just painters who use colors to communicate in their artwork.

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

Althea McNish's textile designs explore the full spectrum of color 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 screen as well.

Color 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 color on the screen there.

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

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

Color 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 color one side and another primary color on the opposite side of the box.

Gradually blend and intermix the colors so they meet in the middle, creating a secondary color.

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

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

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

Well done for doing this.

And now we're moving on to the next learning cycle: using color theory.

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

Thanks for sharing your responses.

Using color theory means thinking carefully about how colors 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 colors grab your attention, some make you feel relaxed, and others bring warmth or energy to a piece.

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

Using color theory in your work involves choosing colors that work well together.

For example: complementary colors, opposites on a color wheel like blue and orange, create contrast.

Warm and cool colors create mood or atmosphere, and tertiary colors create a sense of harmony.

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

You can choose to use colors 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 colors in this image make you feel? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your responses.

Using color theory in your work involves making intentional choices.

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

You can see some intentionally chosen colors 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 colors together to make a tertiary color.

In the remaining sections, explore block colors and value gradients.

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

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

Well done for doing this.

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

We all have preferences.

That's fine and it makes things interesting.

Everyone has their own favorite colors.

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

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

Which colors 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 colors too.

Culture can also play a part.

Different colors 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 color 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.

Color can affect our emotions without us even realizing it.

Color preferences can also be linked to personality.

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

We also pick colors 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 color 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 now I'd like you to choose eight sections to cut shapes out from.

This can be any shapes, for example, geometric or abstract.

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

Apply your knowledge of color theory and your own preferences.

So pause the video here while you create your own color theory collage.

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

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with creating your own color theory collage? I 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 color theory and preference.

I hope you enjoyed this part of your task.

And now on to the next part of your task.

I'd like to consider the relationships between the different colors before gluing them down on top.

I'd consider the following questions: What your favorite colors you mixed? What were your favorite color combinations? And which colors did not work well together? And why do you think that was? So pause the video while you consider the relationships between the different colors and answer these questions.

Great to be back with you.

So how did you get on with considering those questions? What were your favorite colors you mixed? What were your favorite color combinations? And which colors 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 favorites.

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, Color: Perception and Theory, we have covered the following: Colors can carry different meanings and these can vary across people, places and cultures.

We can use color to convey emotion in our work.

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

Well done for joining in with this lesson, everyone.

It was great to see you exploring color, primary, secondary, tertiary, complementary colors and creating your own color 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.