Key Connections
Visual Arts
- Artists use the elements of art and special techniques to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface.
- Artists use background and foreground to set the scene of an artwork.
- Artists select what parts of a landscape to include within the boundaries of the paper, canvas, or container.
Writing
- Writers use precise, rich language incorporating layers of meaning to create depth of understanding in a text.
- Writers use time and/or place to set the scene for the reader.
- Writers select what parts of a story to highlight within the boundaries of a book.
Instructional Objectives
Visual Arts
- Students will identify ways artists show depth on a flat surface.
- Students will create a tunnel book, a book form that shows depth.
- Students will understand how to use background and foreground in an artwork.
Instructional Plan
Observe
A landscape is a work of art that shows an outdoor scene. Before the camera was invented, landscape drawings and paintings were the only way to show people how faraway places looked. A landscape can record what a place looks like and can express how an artist feels about a place. Some landscapes look so real you can tell what time of year it is and what the weather is like. Artists who want their landscapes to look realistic use techniques that create the illusion of depth on a flat surface.
A Closer Look
Ask students to look closely at Münter’s Staffelsee in Autumn and begin describing and interpreting what they see. Visual Thinking Strategies a highly effective method for facilitating productive conversations about art with your students and introducing new vocabulary in a meaningful way. Following the conclusion of this initial exploration of the work, you may wish to revisit certain concepts in more depth using the questions in the Discussion section.
For additional artworks to include with this lesson, please view this art gallery. To learn more about the featured artists, check out Gabriele Münter’s artist profile and Lilly Martin Spencer’s artist profile.
Discuss
- How did the artist show it is autumn in this landscape?
- How do you think she felt about this place? What do you see that makes you say that?
- What is the point of view? Do you feel like you could step in the picture and walk around? Where would you be when you stepped in? Where do you think the artist was when she made this picture?
Remind students of foreground and background and introduce middle ground. Ask them to identify some objects in each. Ask students to find examples of:
- Different size relationships (the animal in foreground is larger than the houses and trees in the background on the far shore)
- Changes in size (trees in the foreground are larger than trees in background)
- Overlapping (houses are in front of the trees; trees overlap one another)
- Changes in color (dark blue mountains in back)
- Diagonal composition (river/lake moves from lower left to upper right; far shoreline does same)
Now have students look at Lilly Martin Spencer’s Still Life with Watermelon, Pears, and Grapes. This is a still-life painting. A still life is a painting or drawing of objects. Ask students to look for examples of depth in this picture.
- What object is closest to us? How can you tell? Which technique for showing depth did the artist use to create this illusion?
- Where do you see diagonal lines in the still life that create depth? (The right side of the table.)
- Order the objects from nearest to farthest. How far do you think it is from the closest grape to the back of the watermelon?
- How is the depth of this still life different from the landscape?
For vocabulary and questions related to composition, symmetry, and negative space, check out the comprehensive PDF lesson plan.
Create: Tunnel Book
Supplies
- Two pieces of 4 1/4-by-5 1/2-inch construction or cover stock paper per student (four pieces can be cut from one sheet of 8 1/2-by-11-inch paper)
- Two pieces of 4 1/4-by-11-inch copy paper per student (four pieces can be cut from one sheet of 8 1/2-by-11-inch paper)
- Several sheets of colored construction, copy paper, or paper scraps
- Pencils, colored pencils, markers, and crayons
- Ruler
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Student journals
Activity
Make the Front Cover
- Place one piece of 4 1/4-by-5 1/2-inch paper horizontally in front of you. (One of the longer sides will be nearest to you.) Use a ruler and pencil to measure and mark a rectangle 3 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches wide in the center of the paper. Note: be sure to leave a 1 1/2-inch border on the sides and a 1/2-inch border on the top and bottom.
- Cut out the rectangle to create a window. Set this piece to the side.
Activity
Create the Back Cover
- Have students think of a landscape, seascape, or cityscape (or any outdoor place) they would like to represent with their tunnel book and the details they would like to put in it. This scene will serve as the background for their landscape.
- Using drawing tools, cut paper, and/or collage, students create a scene on the inside of the back cover of the tunnel book. Ask students to take risks and experiment with different examples of overlapping, size relationships, and color changes in their work.
Activity
Assemble the Book Structure
- To make the sides of the book, fold both of the 4 1/4-by-11-inch pieces of paper into eight-panel accordions. (For detailed folding directions, refer to the Accordion Book instructions in Lesson 3.)
- Ask students place the two sides of their book (accordions) on their desks so the valley and mountain folds are perpendicular to the surface and parallel to one another. Students should be able to see the space between. The back cover they just decorated will be positioned in the last valley fold of each accordion.
- Starting with the accordion on the right, place glue on the inside of the last flap. Affix it to one of the short sides of your back cover. Repeat, with the left side. Note: When correctly glued, one accordion flap will be visible on each side of the back cover.
Activity
Showing Depth in the Landscape
Tell students they will complete the scene they created on the inside of the back cover by adding details to the foreground and middle ground.
- Using drawing tools, cut paper, and/or collage, students create at least three landscape elements or shapes, planning them so they can all be seen when viewed through the window cut in the front cover. Remind them that objects appear to diminish in size as they get farther away and to adjust the size of the elements accordingly.
- Cut out the shapes and glue them to the front of the folds so the viewer can see the whole shape. The shapes can be glued one behind the other and on alternating sides. For instance, they might attach a large tree to the first mountain fold on the left, a deer to the second fold on the right, and so on.
- Once the scene is complete, students add glue to the top panels of both accordions and affix them to the back of your front cover, which has the window.
Reflect
Display the finished books around the classroom and give students time to look at each other’s books. Ask students to look for different examples of depth and to discuss what they did to create the illusion. How does the book form help them show depth? What else do they notice about each other’s books?
Go Deeper
Check out related writing objectives, lesson extensions, and more in the comprehensive PDF lesson plan.
Vocabulary
Landscape
A landscape is a work of art that shows an outdoor scene. It can include the natural world (plants and animals) as well as seascapes (views of the sea) and cityscapes (buildings and towns). There can be people in a landscape, but the picture is not about them.
Still life
A still life is a work of art that shows a variety of objects, like fruit, books, musical instruments, toys, and flowers.
Foreground
Foreground is the part of the picture that seems closest to the viewer.
Background
Background is the part of the picture that seems farthest from the viewer.
Middle ground
Middle ground is the part of the picture midway between the foreground and background.
Point of view
Point of view is the angle or perspective from which you see something.
Composition
Composition is the way the objects, people, and elements of art are arranged in an artwork.
Overlapping
Overlapping is a way artists create the illusion of depth. When one object covers part of another object, the object in front looks closer to the viewer.
Negative space
Negative space is the area around, inside, and between objects, forms, figures, or shapes.
Positive space
Positive space is the object, form, figure, or shape in a work of art.
Symmetry
Symmetry means an object is the same on the opposite sides of a central dividing line.
Asymmetry
Asymmetry means an object is not the same on the opposite sides of a central dividing line.
Elements of art
Elements of art are color, line, shape, form, space, value, and texture. Artists use these tools to create all visual art: representational, abstract, and non-representational. (Review the vocabulary list for definitions of individual elements of art.)