Joslyn
Art
Museum
Fresco
a
la
Diego
Lesson
Plan
Diego
Rivera:
Masterwoks
from
the
Museo
de
Arte
del
Estado
de
Veracruz
October
25,
2008­January
18,
2009
Focus:
Fresco
Painting
Diego
Rivera
Objectives:
Students
will
mix
and
pour
plaster
as
a
team
to
create
a
fresco
support
Students
will
use
tempera
paint
to
create
a
fresco‐style
painting
on
wet
plaster
Students
will
sketch
multiple
compositions
based
on
Rivera’s
most
frequent
subjects/themes
Students
will
become
familiar
with
the
life
and
art
of
Diego
Rivera
After
completing
this
lesson,
students
will
be
able
to
do
the
following:
Identify
works
by
Diego
Rivera
Communicate
facts
about
Diego
Rivera’s
life
and
art
Communicate
facts
about
the
history
and
process
of
fresco
painting
Properly
mix
and
prepare
plaster
to
create
a
fresco‐style
support
for
a
painting
Instructional
Strategies
that
Strongly
Affect
Student
Achievement
–
Robert
J.
Marzano
01
Identifying
similarities
and
differences
02
Summarizing
and
note
taking
03
Reinforcing
effort
and
providing
recognition
04
Homework
and
practice
05
Nonlinguistic
representations
06
Cooperative
learning
07
Setting
goals
and
providing
feedback
08
Generating
and
testing
hypotheses
09
Activating
prior
knowledge
Resources:
Weblinks
Fresco:
•
“Fresco”. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresco (accessed Sept. 8th,
2008). •
Carr, Karen. “Ancient Fresco Painting”. Kidipede.
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/arts/fresco.htm (accessed Sept. 8, 2008).
Rivera:
•
Rivera,
Javier.
“Diego
Rivera
Web
Museum”
The
Virtual
Diego
Rivera
Web
Museum.
http://www.diegorivera.com/index.php
(accessed
Sept.
8th,
2008).
•
Malyon, John. “Diego Rivera Online”. Artcyclopedia.
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/rivera_diego.html (accessed Sept. 8th,
2008)
Books
• Nordmark,
Olle.
Fresco
Painting:
Modern
Methods
and
Techniques
for
Painting
in
Fresco
and
Secco.
New
York:
American
Artists
Group,
Inc,
1947.
•
Sabbeth,
Carol.
Frida
Kahlo
and
Diego
Rivera:
Their
Lives
&
Ideas.
Chicago:
Chicago
Review
Press,
2005.
•
Venezia,
Mike.
Diego
Rivera:
Getting
to
Know
the
Worlds
Greatest
Artists.
Chicago:
Children’s
Press,
1994.
• Winter,
John.
Diego:
in
English
&
Spanish.
New
York:
Knopf,
1991.
Suggested
Materials:
• Plaster
(do
not
dispose
of
in
sink)
• Tempera
cakes
• Buckets
for
each
group
(preferably
• Small‐medium
brushes
with
spout)
• Fesco
Sketch
Sheet
PDF
‐‐‐‐enter
• Masking
tape
weblink
here
• Tarps
(plaster
can
be
messy)
• Pencils
• Styrofoam
meat
trays
(one
for
each
• Rivera
reproductions
student)
• Renaissance
reproductions
• Picture
Wire
• TV/projection
with
clip
of
Rivera
at
• Wire
mesh,
cut
to
size
of
syrofoam
work
tray
(optional,
strengthens
dried
plaster)
Vocabulary:
• Fresco
(Buon
Fresco)
• Buon
Fresco
• Renaissance
• Fresco
Secco
• Cartoon
• Diego
Rivera
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):
• Discuss with students the fresco process & history
• Show slides of frescos throughout time
• Discuss Rivera, and his exposure to and involvement with fresco
• Explain that they will create a small-scale fresco to take home.
• Show clip of Rivera at work.
Step-By-Step Procedures:
Styrofoam Prep: (Done beforehand or by students)
Use picture wire to make a hook for hanging. First, cut 2-3 inch piece of wire and twist
into a loop. Completely cover the looped portion of the wire with tape and apply to the
middle of the foam tray. Bend the two ends of the wire up and outward (to make a “V”),
this will set within the plaster and secure the hook.
Plaster Prep: (can be done before hand by instructor for a Fresco Stecco approach)
1. Fill buckets ¼ full with water.
2. Have students work in groups of 4-6.
3. Have one student place wire mesh into each tray (optional)
4. Have one student gradually dump dry plaster into water bucket, as another student
continuously stirs the mixture with their hand until a melted milkshake
consistency is reached.
5. Have one student pour the wet plaster into each tray until mesh is completely
covered
Fresco Creation:
1. While the plaster sets have students use a fresco sketch sheet to sketch ideas based
on Rivera themes. (takes about 10 minutes)
2. Once the plaster sets use pencil to draw a cartoon of their best sketch idea onto the
plaster.
3. Use tempera paints while plaster is damp, but not mushy, to create the fresco.
Plan For Independent Practice:
• Have students research Diego Rivera.
• Have students enlarge a Rivera work into “mural” on paper, using a grid.
Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):
• Have students share their frescos, explaining their theme and how it relates to themes
used by Rivera.
• Have students share their experiences with painting on plaster, and compare/contrast with
other painting surfaces.
• Have students discuss the challenges of painting an entire wall or room using this
technique.
Adaptations (For Students With Special Needs):
• Have student work with a partner throughout the preparation stages.
• Have student focus on the experience of painting on plaster
• Have student identify colors used by Rivera, and replicate those in his/her fresco
• Utilize adapted tools.
Extensions:
• Have students use multiple plaster “tiles” to create a gridded mural based on an original
design or replicated Rivera image.
• Have students work as a class to create a replica of a Rivera work using plaster tiles as a
grid.
Interdisciplinary
Connections:
• Cultural
Connections/Social
Studies:
o Create
a
fresco
timeline
throughout
history
o Use
Rivera’s
subjects
to
investigate
a
period
of
time
and/or
historical
figures
in
Mexico,
U.S
or
the
world
• Fine
Arts:
o Investigate
other
fresco
artists,
historical
or
contemporary
o Investigate
traditional
&
contemporary
Mexican
music
&
instruments
•
Language
Arts:
o Have
students
compose
a
paragraph
explaining
their
fresco
and
how
it
relates
to
Rivera’s
subjects
and
themes
o Have
students
compose
a
socially
conscious
poem
or
song
o Have
students
complete
an
exercise
that
introduces
Spanish
world
relating
to
Rivera’s
life
or
art
•
Math:
o Construct
a
grid
with
accurate
proportions
to
reproduce
a
work
of
art
by
Rivera
•
Science:
o Investigate
the
chemical
change
of
the
plaster
as
it
heats
up
and
sets