WINTER HARBOR BY HENRY GASSER
o What is the artist communicating with
this work?
o What appears to be important? (harbor
village, trees, boats, water, hillside?)
o What time of year is it? How do you
know?
o What time of day is it? What clues do
you base your answer on?
o Why are there a lot of human made
things, but no people? Is it real or
imaginary?
o How does the artist lead your eye
through the composition? If you could
walk into this scene where would you
go?
o If the same scene were painted during
another season, how would the mood
change?
o If you could use one word to describe
this painting, what would it be?
HENRY GASSER (1909-1981)

American artist born in Newark, New Jersey
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Studied art in New York at 2 different schools

Became the Director of one of the schools (Newark
school of Fine & Industrial Art) at age 37

Began his career as a lecturer/demonstrator of painting
at age 45

Author of several books on technical aspects of painting

Successful career both in U.S. and abroad

Many awards, including election to the Royal Society of
Arts in 1957

Known for oils and watercolor, painted American coastal
life in a solid, realistic style

Died at age 72
WORKS BY HENRY GASSER
VALUE:
the lightness or darkness of a color
 Dark colors in a composition suggest a night or interior scene.
 Also, the convey a sense of mystery or foreboding.
 Light colors often describe a light source or reflected light.
INTENSITY:
the purity or strength of a color
 Bright colors are undiluted and often associated with positive energy
and heightened emotions.
 Dull colors have been diluted by mixing with other colors and create a
sedate or serious mood.
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A pure color plus white is known as TINT.
A pure color plus black is known as TONE.
Shadows actually have both value and color.
Look for examples in print.
 Artists use value & intensity to create moods & feelings
in their compositions.
VALUE
HUE = COLOR
INTENSITY
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
VALUE & INTENSITY?
The INTENSITY of the pure color blue is very bright.
Add some other color to it and it becomes less bright or less intense.
As you use a color, say, blue... you can add its complement to dull it down and it looks
natural. That’s orange-just a little to your blue. See what happens…
The VALUE is how much dark or light, white and black is in the color.
Looking at a value scale it shows the darkest dark value on one end, gradually getting
more light-adding white until you record your perception of the highest value- the
lightest area of your drawing composition.
Intensity is the pureness of the color without adding black or
white. You use complement of color to adjust intensity.
LESSON: VALUE DESIGN
Supplies (25 students):
•
25 sheets watercolor paper (9x12 or 12x18)
•
25 pencils
•
25 rulers
•
25 brushes (medium width, approx. ½ inch)
•
Tempera paints (red, yellow, blue, black, white)
•
Bowls for paint
•
Water cups for rinsing
1. Students divide up the space over the entire paper by using a pencil and a
ruler to create straight edged shapes (some self-contained some bleeding
off the edges) OR a single pencil line in a bold swirling “scribble” (some
shapes contained, some off the edge).
2. Provide each student with two containers of the same primary color and
one contain each of white & black paint.
3. Students fill in their shape design with tints and tones of their primary color.
(color + white= tint, color + black=tone). Begin by using pure color in areas
of choice. Show students how to add a small amount of white to change
the tint of their color. Continue to add white paint, paint a few areas and
add more white. Using second container of primary color, add a small
amount of black to create a tone… and so on, until paper is filled.