12.1 Visual Arts
Key Takeaways
- The seven elements of art (line, shape, form, color, value, texture, space) are the building blocks every artwork is constructed from; the principles of design are how those elements are organized.
- Color theory organizes the color wheel into primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, and pairs hues by temperature (warm/cool), relationship (complementary/analogous), and the three properties of hue, value, and intensity.
- Elementary visual arts instruction spans drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and collage, each with distinct tools and materials suited to P-5 developmental levels.
- Art history movements (Renaissance, Impressionism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism) and the art of diverse cultures (African masks, Asian brush painting, Native American pottery, Mexican folk art) teach children that art reflects time, place, and belief.
- Media arts (photography, video, animation, and digital creation tools) belong with visual arts on the 702 and should be taught with the same creativity, safety, and cross-curricular integration expectations.
Elements of Art
The elements of art are the visual building blocks an artist uses to construct any work. In a Georgia P-5 classroom, students should be able to identify and use each element before they can discuss how an artwork is organized.
| Element | Definition | Classroom Example |
|---|---|---|
| Line | A path created by a moving point; can be actual or implied | Contour drawing of a hand using pencil |
| Shape | A 2-D area enclosed by a line or edge; geometric or organic | Cutting geometric shapes from construction paper |
| Form | A 3-D object with volume and depth | Clay sphere or papier-mâché mask |
| Color | What the eye sees when light reflects off an object | Mixing tempera to paint a landscape |
| Value | The lightness or darkness of a color or of black and white | Charcoal shading from light to dark |
| Texture | How a surface feels (actual) or looks like it would feel (implied) | Crayon rubbing over leaves |
| Space | The area around, between, and within objects; positive and negative | Overlapping shapes to show depth |
Principles of Design
The principles of design describe how the elements are arranged to communicate meaning. Common principles taught in elementary grades include balance (symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial), contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, and unity. A first-grade collage that repeats red circles demonstrates pattern; a fifth-grade painting that places one bright figure against a dark background demonstrates emphasis.
Color Theory
A working knowledge of the color wheel is a GACE objective. Students should understand the three categories of color, the warm/cool split, complementary and analogous pairs, and the three properties of color.
| Concept | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Primary colors | Colors that cannot be made by mixing | Red, yellow, blue |
| Secondary colors | Made by mixing two primaries | Orange, green, violet |
| Tertiary colors | Made by mixing a primary with an adjacent secondary | Red-orange, yellow-green, blue-violet |
| Warm colors | Hues associated with energy or sunlight | Red, orange, yellow |
| Cool colors | Hues associated with calm or water | Blue, green, violet |
| Complementary | Pairs directly opposite on the color wheel | Red/green, blue/orange |
| Analogous | Three or more colors side-by-side on the wheel | Blue, blue-green, green |
| Hue | The name of a color | "Blue" |
| Value | Lightness or darkness of a hue | Tint (add white), shade (add black) |
| Intensity | Brightness or dullness of a hue | Adding gray lowers intensity |
Art Techniques and Materials
Elementary teachers should know the basic techniques and the tools used with each.
Drawing
- Pencil — graphite in varying hardness (H for hard/light, B for soft/dark).
- Charcoal — rich dark values, smudges easily for shading.
- Pastels — chalk (soft, blendable) and oil (vivid, waxy).
Painting
- Tempera — water-based, opaque, the staple of elementary classrooms; dries quickly and washes out.
- Watercolor — transparent, applied with water; teaches wash and wet-on-wet techniques.
- Acrylic — polymer-based, water-soluble wet but waterproof dry; used in upper elementary for permanence.
Printmaking
- Relief printing — raised surface inked and pressed (e.g., styrofoam prints, linocut, potato prints).
- Mono-print — a single pulled image from a smooth inked surface.
Sculpture
- Clay modeling — additive and subtractive; pinch, coil, and slab techniques.
- Papier-mâché — paper strips and paste layered over an armature; used for masks and large forms.
Collage
- Assembling torn or cut paper, fabric, and found objects onto a surface. Eric Carle's painted-paper illustrations are a common elementary model.
Common Art Tools
- Brushes — round (detail), flat (broad strokes), filbert (versatile).
- Palette knives — mix and apply thick paint.
- Easels — vertical supports for painting.
Art History: Major Movements
- Renaissance (14th–17th c.) — realism, linear perspective, classical subjects; da Vinci, Michelangelo.
- Impressionism (late 19th c.) — visible brushstrokes, light, everyday life; Monet, Renoir.
- Cubism (early 20th c.) — fragmented geometric forms showing multiple viewpoints; Picasso, Braque.
- Abstract Expressionism (mid-20th c.) — non-representational, expressive gesture; Pollock, Rothko.
Art from Diverse Cultures
- African masks — ceremonial, symbolic, often carved wood; teach symmetry and spiritual function.
- Asian brush painting — sumi-e ink painting emphasizes empty space and spontaneity.
- Native American pottery — coil-built vessels with geometric and symbolic decoration.
- Mexican folk art — alebrijes (painted animal sculptures), papel picado, retablos; vibrant color and communal tradition.
Art as Self-Expression, Communication, and Social Expression
Art is one of the earliest forms of human expression. For children, art lets them express feelings they may not yet verbalize, communicate ideas visually, and comment on social issues (e.g., a mural about recycling). A kindergarten self-portrait is self-expression; a third-grade poster about neighborhood safety is communication; a fifth-grade collage about civil rights is social expression.
Critical Analysis of Art
The standard elementary four-step model is describe, analyze, interpret, evaluate.
- Describe — What do you see? Name elements only ("a red circle, three black lines").
- Analyze — How is it organized? Identify principles ("asymmetrical balance; the red circle is the emphasis").
- Interpret — What does it mean? What is the artist trying to say?
- Evaluate — Is it successful? Defend a judgment using evidence from steps 1–3.
Teachers should model evidence-based looking and avoid closing questions such as "Do you like it?" until interpretation and evaluation are grounded in observation.
Media Arts in the P-5 Classroom
Pearson's Arts, Health, and Wellness framework pairs visual and media arts. Media arts use technology-based tools and processes—photography, video, animation, digital drawing or collage apps, and simple sound-image combinations—to create and communicate ideas. In a Georgia elementary classroom, media-arts experiences stay developmentally appropriate: a kindergarten class photographing classroom shapes, a third-grade pair sequencing still photos into a short stop-motion story, or a fifth-grade student designing a digital poster that combines original drawings with typed captions.
Safe and appropriate use matters as much as creativity. Teachers preview platforms, keep accounts under school control, teach students not to share personal information, and set clear rules for photographing classmates (permission first). Media arts also integrate easily with other subjects: documenting a science investigation with labeled photos, recording a short book-trailer video for an ELA unit, or mapping a neighborhood walk with geotagged images in social studies. On the GACE 702, expect items that treat photography, digital tools, and video as legitimate artistic media alongside drawing, painting, and sculpture—not as optional extras.
Role and Function of Art Across History
Art documents belief systems (cave paintings at Lascaux, Egyptian tombs), asserts political power (Roman imperial portraits, Diego Rivera's murals), records daily life (Dutch genre painting), and protests injustice (Picasso's Guernica). Helping students see art as a record of human experience is a GACE expectation under Objective 2.E.
A second-grade student mixes red and yellow paint. Which color result and color-theory relationship does this demonstrate?
When a fourth-grade student critiques an artwork, the first step in the describe-analyze-interpret-evaluate process is to:
Which art movement is best matched with its defining characteristic?