8/12/2019 Monochromatic Mona Lisa Lesson Plan

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Monochromatic Mona Lisa

Grade: 5thgrade (The 5thgraders learned about value, tints,and shades. Then they worked together to recreate Leonardo

da Vincis Mona Lisa using these skills.)

Materials:Photocopies or black-lined copies of the painting12"x18" (30.5 x 46 cm) heavy weightDrawing PaperLarge tag board for putting all of the paper squares togetherDrawing Pencils ,Kneaded Rubber Erasers Tempera Paint -Brushes-Mixing TraysMona LisaprintExamples of FauvesObjectives:1. To become more aware of Expressive color in painting2. To become more aware of values in painting3. To strive to paint with a monochromatic color scheme (using

black and white, blue and black and white, any color and blackand white)

4. To become familiar with Leonardo's work of the Mona Lisa5. To strive to paint with bold color scheme6. To learn how to work collaborativelyArtists HistoryLeonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)

Leonardo da Vinci was born in the small Italian town of Vinci in 1452.Da Vinci lived during a time when people all over Europe were

becoming interested in art and this period was called the Renaissance.Leonardo started to draw when he was very young. He drew what he

saw in the countryside near his home. Da Vinci was well known as an

artist but he also was an architect, musician, sculptor, scientist,inventor, and mathematician.

When he was 15 his father took him to Florence, Italy to learn about

being an artist. Leonardo used what he learned from nature andscience to make his paintings look real. People were amazed at how

realistic his paintings were. He gave the people in his paintings afeeling of movement and being alive. He also spent as much time on

the background as he did on the subject of his paintings.

Many of his paintings were so smooth you could hardly see a brushmark. As an inventor Da Vinci used his art talent to make realistic

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drawings of machines to show how they would work.

The Mona Lisa is Da Vincis most famous painting. He painted it in

1503 at the age of 51. Ever since he painted it people have beentalking about the mysterious look the lady has and especially her

smile. No matter where you stand, the Mona Lisa is always lookingright into your eyes. Leonardo painted only a few pictures after the

Mona Lisa because he was more interested in working on hisinventions and experiments.

Leonardo da Vinci died in France in 1519 at the age of 67.

Renaissance means rebirth. It refers to the great period of artisticcreativity that began in Italy in the 14thcentury. It was marked by areturn to classical style in architecture, and naturalism in art. The spirit

of art was one that celebrated earthly pleasures and displayed healthy

curiosity! Art and science joined forces. It was a time of intelligence,growth and progress. This flowering of the arts had long-lasting

influences. Renaissance thinkers returned to the ideals of ancientGreece and Rome. They celebrated the power and dignity of human

beings; their ideas were based on humanism (the study of man) ratherthan theology (The study of God). Their religious paintings of real

people in natural settings were fresh and joyful compared with the stiffstylized medieval art. The Renaissance artists often used elaborate

detail and textures, and light and shadows were important elements intheir work. They discovered rules for creating distance and the illusion

of space. During the Renaissance the artists sought the ideal of order.

Trivia about the Mona Lisao Lisa Gherardini Giocondo (Mona Lisa) was born in 1479 and would have been

about 24 years old when Leonardo painted her.

o In 1495 at the age of 16, Lisa married Francesco Di Bartolomeo De Zanobi delGiocondo who was very wealthy in the silk trade and is believed to havecommissioned da Vinci to paint his wifes portrait though it did not end up in

his collection.

o Leonardo da Vinci carried the Mona Lisa with him for years. Took it to Milan,Rome and France. Impressing other painters with his mastery of style andtechniques never seen before.

o Sfumato (sfoo MAH toh) is an effect used by da Vinci to create the Mona Lisa.The word sfumato is derived from the Italian word sfumare, which means

to evaporate.o In the Mona Lisa, da Vinci used this technique by shading tones into each

other to create soft blurred outlines. Tons bled (or evaporate) into one

another to eliminate sharp lines and create an atmospheric effect.o Many painted copies and reproductions emerged. Writers and poets wrote

about her, and idealized her.

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Procedure:

Discuss a little history concerning Leonardo da Vinci. Ask the childrenwhat they think of the Mona Lisa, Why did he paint her? Show work of

the Fauves. Discuss and explain various color plans. Review shading

and tinting techniques. The final product will be a Mona Lisa painted ina monochromatic manner. Have students paint a value chart using

their desired color they have chosen before beginning.

The final product will be a monochromatic Mona Lisa that students willwork together to complete using 2 x 2 1/4' squares.

Optional:

Materials:Pencil and ruler

Have a one-inch grid drawn on the photocopy of Mona Lisa. Take thenumber of squares and divide them by students. There should bearound 140 squares, so divided by 30 each one will get about 5. Have

each student draw out 2 x 21/4 squares to then fill in the lines ofthat specific square using different tints and shades of the color chosen

for each class. (Green, blue, red, etc.)