Lesson Plan

Kandinsky Shapes

Your students will have a blast thinking about polygons and making these paintings inspired by Wassily Kandinsky!
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Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • Draw repeated concentric polygons to create visual balance.
  • Use warm or colors expressively.

This art lesson corresponds to California Visual and Performing Arts Standards: 2.4 Create a painting or drawing, using warm or cool colors expressively. 2.5 Use bilateral or radial symmetry to create visual balance.

Introduction

(5 minutes)
  • Tell students that today we will make an art project inspired by Wassily Kandinsky.
  • Show students "Color Study. Squares with Concentric Circles" on document camera.
  • With "Color Study. Squares with Concentric Circles" still projected, ask students what shapes they see in the painting.
  • Tell students that while Kandinsky used circles in his painting, we will be using polygons today. Ask the students if they know what a polygon is. Remind students that a polygon is a plane shape with at least three straight sides and angles. Have the class brainstorm different polygons, writing them on the board.