Limited Color Palette Collage
Emil James Bisttram (United States, born Hungary, 1895 – 1976)
Village of Monhegan, Maine, 1925
Oil on canvas, 35 ½ x 48 inches
Jacobsen Collection
Image courtesy of Luc Demers
Best for Middle School students and above
Lesson Plan written by Adrienne Munger
Inspired by Village of Monhegan, Maine by Emil Bisttram
During this online lesson we will observe the painting, Village of Monhegan, Maine by artist Emil Bisttram. We will consider how this artwork uses a limited color palette to create a mood. In the second part of this lesson, we will create a collage using common materials found at home. Through making a collage utilizing a limited color palette, we will explore the use of shape and color in our art-making.
Materials Needed
Paper (any kind of paper will do)
Magazine paper and/or other found recycled papers at home
Glue (glue stick or liquid glue), or tape
Scissors
Visual Arts Standards Met (for classroom use)
A2a Elements of Art and Principles of Design
Students compare features of composition both within an artwork and among art works.
a. Compare Elements of Art: color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value.
B1 Media Skills
Students choose suitable media, tools, techniques, and processes to create original art works.
B3 Making Meaning
Students create artworks that communicate an individual point of view.
a. Demonstrate skills in the use of media, tools, techniques, and processes.
b. Demonstrate knowledge of visual art concepts.
c. Communicate a variety of ideas, feelings, and meanings.
VOCABULARY
Collage: An art process that uses different pieces of paper or small objects and combines these smaller pieces to make a complete artwork.
Elements of Art: A list of characteristics commonly found in an artwork. There are seven elements of art: color, line, shape, value, texture, form, and space.
Limited Color Palette: The artist chooses to only use a few, select colors in their artwork.
Essential Question
How does limited color affect the overall composition of an artwork?
Prepare
Observe: Look at this painting by Emil Bisttram which is located at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA). This painting is titled Village of Monhegan, Maine and was painted in 1925.
Ask: What do you see? What do you notice?
Instructions
Follow along as we look at this painting together
Watch the video to go through a guided looking activity with Teaching Artist, Adrienne Munger.
Let’s create a collage that uses color and shape in interesting ways just like the painting we observed. Either follow along using the video above or follow the steps below to get started:
Step 1: Collect your materials
Gather these materials from around your home: paper, magazines, scissors, and glue.
Step 2: Choose a color palette you would like to use in your artwork
This will be your limited color palette. Select three or four colors to use.
Step 3: Start flipping through magazines and collect images or cut out shapes for the color palette you chose.
Step 4: Begin cutting out shapes from the magazine pages you’ve selected.
Step 5: Find a sheet of paper to be your background paper.
Arrange your shapes on your paper. Glue or tape your cut paper shapes and continue adding more shapes until you feel like your artwork is completed.
Reflect
What limited color palette did you choose?
Why did you chose these particular colors in your color palette?
How did using a limited color palette change the meaning of your artwork?
Share
Share your artwork with someone! You can either show it to someone in your home, your teacher, or you can send a photo of it to someone.
Share a photo of your finished artwork to The Susie Konkel Family Gallery. We look forward to seeing what you made!
ADRIENNE MUNGER holds a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Maine College of Art (Portland, Maine) and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, Maine). Adrienne believes that through art-making we deepen our lives, feel connection to others, and develop our own style and authentic voice. Her art practice includes: painting, printmaking, sewing, weaving, and mixed media. To learn more about Adrienne please visit her website: www.adriennemunger.com