See the Light: Pointillism Fruit {A Review}

See the Light sent us an instructional DVD from their art collection. Pointillism Fruit ($14.99) is based on the work of French impressionist artist Georges Seurat and designed for 10 year olds and up. Seurat was known for the pointillism style-placing dots of different colors next to one another to create an optical illusion. Master artist Pat Knepley asks students to create a work of pointillism art from an arrangement of fruit by using q-tips.

The lessons are broken down as follows...
1. Color Theory and Initial Drawing (21 minutes)
2. Lay down Base Color with Dots (24 minutes)
3. Optical Color Mixing with More Dots (25 minutes)
4. Highlights and Shadows for Finished Still Life (26 minutes)

How we used it
We spread the lessons out over four weeks. The DVD is so easy to use. Get your supplies, put the DVD in, and sit back and enjoy the lesson.

Getting a copy of Pointillism Fruit was very timely for us. We just so happen to be studying Seurat this term. This DVD teaches art history, periods of art, artists (mentioned Cassatt and Monet: two of our favorite artists), art work, and color theory. Mrs. Knepley quotes scripture during the lessons. And this may just be the first time I let Jo-Jo stand on the couch for school!

Supplies needed

• An 11”x14” sheet white Bristol board (or poster board): we purchased a large poster board and cut it down to the proper size

• Small craft acrylic paints in pure hues – white, yellow, orange, red, green, blue, purple

• 3 pieces of fruit (real or fake) – red apple, yellow banana, green pear, or an orange: we'd recommend fake, especially if you are working over the 4 week period. Either your fruit would grow a little moldy or like us you'd keep having to buy fruit from the store that was the same as you started with.

• 50 clean cotton swabs

• Several waxy coated white paper plates: we used bowls that we had on hand.

• Paper towels

• A pencil

• A white eraser

Little Man worked too. Jo-Jo made a color wheel out of cereal.

Quotes from the kids

Ceesa said, " I like that she calls us friends."

Interesting facts

Hues are shades of the same color. When you add white, it is a tint. When you add black, it is a shade. When you put contrasting colors next to each other, they make brown.

Two tips I love from the lessons

Follow the contour of the subject you are drawling with your eyes several times and then draw AND see the space as shape between your subjects.

We highly recommend checking out their blog for great tips available for free.

Little Man's drawing of fruit from lesson 1.

Wishing you homeschool blessings,

 

Click here to read more reviews from Schoolhouse Review Crew.