Hard Edge Painting:
Abstract Art - Art with Text
Lesson 4
Art II
Print out the final slide, The Quiz,
and use it for the following slide.
Artists of the Movement: Quiz # 1-5
Frank Stella
Robert Indiana
Al Held
Sister Corita Kent
Ellsworth Kelly
Lettering: Quiz # 7 - 8
 Capital letters are most
often used at the beginning
of a sentence, as the first
letter of a proper name, or
in inscriptions or
advertisements.
 A particular typeface may
alter standard forms of
characters, may present
them with different optical
weight, or may angle or
embellish their forms.
 A letter may be printed in a
number of different sizes or
forms, depending on choice
of typeface.
The Movement: Quiz # 6, 9 - 10
 U.S., late 1950s - The term Hard-edge painting was
coined in 1959 by art historian Jules Langsner to
characterize the nonfigurative work of four artists from
California in an exhibition called Four Abstract
Classicists. The term then gained broader currency
after British critic Lawrence Alloway used it to
describe contemporary American geometric abstract
painting featuring an “economy of form,” “fullness of
color,” “neatness of surface,” and the non-relational,
allover arrangement of forms on the canvas. This
style of geometric abstraction refers back to the work
of Josef Albers and Piet Mondrian.
Materials:
 1 inch viewfinders (card stock)
 masking tape (removable kind)
 magazines
 poster board or mat board, 24”x24”
 pencils - erasers
 rulers
 tempera paints or latex
 brushes - mixing trays - water dishes
Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Using note cards, cut out a 1" square in the middle
for a viewfinder.
In magazines, find a section of large ad lettering
that you like
Use view finder to find a nice, balanced
arrangement (center of interest, rule of third's,
whatever you want to accomplish).
Transfer design by quadrants onto a pre-cut square
of large cardboard about 24"x 24" (approx).
Plan colors- limit to two or three per square, no
mixing of colors to create hues or tones
Paint composition - use removable (blue) masking
tape for straight hard edges. Press down along the
edge so that the paint is not allowed to spread
through underneath.
Work in areas and let dry. Don’t rush. Once the
blue tape is removed, and paint dry you may retape another area to paint.
Name ____________________________
Hard Edge Painting: Abstract Art Quiz
Date _____________________________
Using the links below each artwork, match the artist and their art:
1. _____ Robert Indiana
A
B
C
E
F
2. _____ Sister Corita Kent
3._____ Frank Stella
4._____ Ellsworth Kelly
D
5._____ Al Held
6. _____ Piet Mondrian
True or false:
7._____ Typeface may alter standard forms of characters.
8. _____ Typeface is most often used at the beginning of a sentence, as the first letter of a proper name, or in inscriptions
or advertisements.
9._____ Hard Edge is contemporary American geometric abstract painting featuring an “economy of form,” “fullness of
color,” “neatness of surface.”
10._____ The term Hard-edge painting was coined in 2008 by a art historian .