Frick Art & Historical Center
Three-Piece Landscapes: Creating Depth in Two-dimensional Space
Suggested grade level: 3 - 6
Objectives:
 To compare and contrast foreground, middle ground and background in
landscape painting.
 To observe and discuss types of horizon lines as an important element in
landscape painting.
 To apply the elements of landscape to a watercolor painting.
Vocabulary
 Landscape: a view of an outdoor scene
 Background: the most distant elements of a scene
 Foreground: the closest elements of a scene
 Middleground: the area between the foreground and background
 Horizon line: the line where earth and sky meet
 Perspective: The technique artists use to project an illusion of the threedimensional world onto a two-dimensional surface
PA Academic Standards: Arts and Humanities 9.1.8 A, B, C, E, H
Materials:
 2-3 examples of landscape scenes (mountains, beaches) showing background,
middleground and foreground
 1 piece of 8 ½ x 11 inch sketch paper
 1 piece of 10 x 14 inch watercolor paper (sheet 1)
 1 piece of 11 x 14 inch watercolor paper (sheet 2)
 Watercolor paint - palette or tube
 Watercolor brushes
 Cups of water
 Pencils
 Scissors
 Glue or glue sticks
 Paper towels
Discussion:
This project, Three-Piece Landscapes helps students identify horizon lines,
as well as three basic components of a landscape through a hands-on project
combined with discussion. Through discussion of these elements, students learn
how to better “read” a landscape painting. Select two or three paintings
illustrating a variety of types of landscape to show to the class. At least one of the
examples should include people. There should be a variety of horizon lines
represented as well: high, low, flat, jagged. Discuss what kinds of landscapes
these horizon lines tend to represent (i.e., a jagged line is a mountainous area; a
straight line is a beach or prairie).
After showing the students these examples, ask them to look at details in
the paintings. How do the size of the objects in the foreground compare to the
middleground and background? Ask them to point out what kinds of detail and
color are found in each “ground” of the examples. Are the colors or details of
objects in the distance not as bright or clear as those in the foreground?
Ask students to look out the window and give examples that parallel to the
paintings, pointing out objects that appear smaller in the background and closer in
the foreground. Explain that this way of looking at the world created perspective
drawing.
Procedure - Watercolors:
1. Have students practice sketching a preliminary landscape on the 8 ½ x 11 inch
sheet of paper. Keep the paper horizontal and use the whole sheet.
a. Divide the sketch paper into three equal parts by drawing two horizontal
lines across the paper with a pencil. These lines will serve as guides for the
landscape sketch. The top section includes the horizon line and the
background. The middle section represents the middleground, and the
bottom section is the foreground.
b. Have students fill the back/middle/foreground with elements they would
like to include, such as mountains/trees/bushes or sky/ocean/dunes. Here
you can remind students about perspective: objects that are closer will be
larger and darker. The elements in the foreground should overlap over the
middle and background. See figure 1
2. Give each student a piece of 10 x 14 in.
(sheet #1). The paper should be
Figure 1
watercolor paper
horizontal.
Using the sketch as a guide, draw the background in the upper part of sheet #1.
The horizon line is included in this section. The background can go beyond
the horizon line because it will be partially covered by the middleground in
future steps. Draw large features, such as mountains, sky and clouds in the
background. Paint with watercolors, using faded colors. Set the finished
background aside to dry. See figure 2
Figure 2
3. Distribute the 11 x 14 piece of paper (sheet #2). This sheet should also be used
in a horizontal orientation.
a. Cut two pieces lengthwise. Each piece should remain 14 inches long but
the heights should be unequal. (For example the two pieces could be 8 x
14” and 3 x 14”.) The smaller piece will be used to make the middleground
and larger piece will be the foreground. See figure 3.
Figure 3
4. Use the smaller piece, with your sketch as a guide, to draw all the details you
want to include in the middleground: hills, buildings, trees, etc. Cut around
the features following the outline and keeping the bottom of the middleground
intact. See figure 4.
Figure 4
a. Paint this cut-out middleground with watercolors, using more details and
brighter colors than the background. Set aside to dry.
5. Take the large piece and repeat step 4, drawing all the elements you want to
include in the foreground: flowers, trees, rocks, bushes, etc. Remember these
elements will be larger than those in the middleground and background,
because they are closer. This is key to creating the illusion of real perspective.
a. Cut around the features following the outline and keeping the bottom of the
foreground intact. Paint with more vivid and darker colors. Set aside to
dry. See figure 5.
Figure 5
6. After the pieces have
thoroughly dried, instruct
students to glue the middleground to sheet #1. The middleground should
partially overlap with the background. Glue the last part, the foreground, so it
overlaps with the middleground. See figure 6.
Figure 6
Extended lesson:
 The Three-Piece Landscape project can be connected to social studies,
geography or literature by creating cityscapes or seascapes reflective of a
location students have studied or read about. Jungles, rainforests, deserts, and
historic locations are all exciting subjects and could provide good class
presentation opportunities.
 Students can create unique, collaged landscapes by painting in the background
and taking photographs of features to incorporate into the middleground and
foreground. Take photos using any kind of camera or use images cut from
magazines. Photocopy the images, enlarging them if needed. Tint them with
watercolors and glue into place.
John Linnell
(English, 1792-1882)
The Timber Wagon
1872
Oil on canvas
Width 99 cm
Guildhall Library and Guildhall Art Gallery, London.
Balthus (born Balthasar Klossowski de Rola)
(French, 1908-2001)
Large Landscape with a Tree
1957
Oil on canvas
130.5 x 162 cm
Georges Pompidou Center, Paris.
Milton Avery
(American, 1885-1965)
Yellow Sky
1958
Oil on canvas
156.2 x 184.1 cm
Tate Gallery, London.