As a previous daycare owner, I enjoyed teaching curriculum and craft projects that would help children to not only gain knowledge on art subjects, but also let them make special designs of their own. My love for art has driven me to learn about multiple artists, study their skills, and teach the children in my care to find their own inner style. One such artist that I truly enjoy is Franz Marc.
Marc as a young man suffered from depression, but described himself as “happy as can be when he was painting.” According to Art Academy, “Marc’s style is much like Kandinsky’s, who wanted to create art where colors were bold and shocking to express emotions about life.” Marc loved nature and enjoyed painting out of strong feelings, which within the art community is known as Expressionism. Because Marc believed that animals were more spiritual, and also thought everything in nature was connected, he used strong curvy lines to bring shapes together.
For fun, why not try to paint a portrait inspired by Marc. You and your child can create your own piece of expressionism art by using your emotions, and Marc’s color guide below.
For example:
Yellow – Femininity and gentleness
Blue – Masculinity and calm
Red – Strength and brutality
You will need:
1. Watercolor paper
2. Acrylic paints
3. Brushes
4. Mixing palette
5. Sketching pencil
6. Jars of clean water
7. Paper towels
Here are four simple steps to imitate a Marc style of artwork:
1. Let your child sketch an animal with a watery color as a base. Be sure to encourage your child to paint hills, mountains or desert lands. Make sure that the colors blend together.
2. After your landscape is painted, let your artwork sit and dry. Make sure your little one paints simple, yet curvy clouds behind the animals. To make the painting happy, be sure to add a large rainbow by the landscape.
3. While deciding on your colors, be sure to use the color guide above.
4. Time for touchups! Outline the landscape with a darker shade of the original color. Finally outline the clouds with a dark blue.
Remember:
Children love bold and bright paints. Encourage them to use their imagination. If they seem to get down about their paintings, remind them that every great artist started somewhere and let them know what a terrific job they are doing. Teach them about Marc’s expressionism style, and how his artwork is often known for its curvy lines. It’s important to realize that Marc’s style is beautiful and creative because the animal’s features are often painted with exaggerated highlights and thick black outlines.
Additional articles by this contributor:
‘I Can Read Now! An Easy Sight Word Reader’ by David Fernstedt
Teach Your Child to Find Their Modern Day Artist
Wassily Kandinsky: The Father Who Gave Birth to Painted Sound
