SBMA Art Lesson: Tempera Resist Project (Grades 3-12)
Inspiration: Two Paintings by Georges Rouault (Clownerie and Acrobat VIII)
Goals:
Students will experience a range of attitudes and emotions as they assume
various postures and poses.
Students will participate in facilitated discussions about works of art.
Students will create a tempera resist painting inspired by the work of Georges
Rouault. Supplies:
• pencils and paper for sketching
• watercolor paper (140 lb. cold press) • tempera paints in assorted colors
• paint brushes
• a large bottle of waterproof black ink
• paper plates • running water (faucet/sink) or vat of water Optional: masking tape and Masonite boards
Preparation:
Prepare paint palettes by pouring small pools of tempera paint in various colors onto the paper plates. (Palettes can be
shared by pairs of students).
Option: Tape watercolor paper to Masonite boards using masking tape.
Distribute sketching paper, pencils, paint palettes, watercolor paper, and paint brushes to students. Option: Distribute
Masonite boards and masking tape.
Inspiration:
Show students the two paintings (above) by Georges Rouault: Clownerie (left) and Acrobat VIII (right). Experiment with
assuming postures and poses inspired by the paintings (see slides 2 and 3 for larger images and discussion questions).
Discussion of style and technique:
Distinguishing features of this project include dramatic, heavy black outlining of shapes of color, highly textured areas of
color, high contrast, and emphasis on different values (light, medium, and dark areas) in the composition.
1 Georges Rouault, French, 1871-1958, Acrobat VIII), 1913, Gouache and oil on
paper marouflaged to linen, Bequest of Wright S. Ludington, SBMA
Warm Up Activity (Posturing Possibilities: Posing/Thinking/Sketching Routine):
• Begin the lesson by asking students to look carefully at this painting by Rouault. Ask them to assume the acrobat’s posture
and facial expression, and to hold the pose for a full 60 seconds before moving. Ask: What is the acrobat doing? How
does he feel? What is he thinking? What might he do next…in 5 minutes? 10 minutes? What action verbs describe his
movements in this pose, and what verbs would describe him during an acrobatic performance?
• Next, ask students to continue imagining that they are the acrobat, but to assume a new pose for another 60 seconds.
Then, while they still holding their poses, ask the students to look around the room at their peers. Only their eyes should
move – not their bodies. What different poses have their classmates assumed?
• Option: Students pair up. One student can sketch while the other holds a pose. Later, they can reverse roles.
• If small wooden mannequins with movable parts are available, have students position their mannequins in the same pose
as Rouault’s acrobat, and in other poses and positions. Students may choose to sketch posed mannequins later in the
lesson sequence. 2 Georges Rouault, French, 1871-1958, Clownerie, ca. 1917, Gouache and oil
on paper marouflaged to linen, Bequest of Wright S. Ludington, SBMA
Georges Rouault, French, 1871-1958, Acrobat VIII), 1913, Gouache and oil
on paper marouflaged to linen, Bequest of Wright S. Ludington, SBMA
Following the posturing/sketching activity, engage students in a discussion about the two Rouault paintings (above).
Begin by asking students to look carefully at the paintings for a few moments. Then ask open-ended questions to elicit
student participation and response. Sample questions:
What do you notice about these paintings? Where do you see lines and shapes? What do you notice about the paint
application? How would you describe it? Where do you see black in these images? Where do you see contrast in these
paintings? Different values? Shadows? What is the effect of the thick black outlining of segmented shapes in all of these
paintings? How do you think the lines and textures in the colored areas were created? What strikes you about these
paintings? What do you think is interesting? What questions do you have about the paintings or Rouault’s process?
3 Art Making: Session One (60 minutes)
When students have decided on a subject to paint, have them make a sketch of the
composition on newsprint. (If wooden mannequins are available, ask the students to pose
the mannequins in different positions.) As they begin to sketch their subjects, instruct
students to create spaces between areas of color by drawing double lines around all shapes
within the sketch - imagine placing lead between glass pieces in a stained glass window.
(Georges Rouault worked in stained glass before concentrating on his painting career.) See
the photographs on the right for examples of the “double lines.”
When their practice sketches are complete, have students create refined, final sketches on
their sheets of watercolor paper. Remind them to leave the double lines to indicate the
areas that will be black in the completed compositions. The shapes should be large enough
for a heavy application of paint. Next, demonstrate color mixing. Direct the students to mix their colors of choice, and to
begin painting the shapes within their sketches. Students can mix two or more colors within
the larger color spaces, as evident in the photos to the right. Remind them to use thick,
textured paint application.
When students have finished painting their compositions, allow the paint to dry thoroughly,
preferable over night. If the paint is not completely dry, it could possibly wash away during
the ink-rinsing process. Art Making: Session Two (15 minutes)
Pour a small puddle of permanent black ink in the center of each student’s composition,
and direct students to carefully brush the ink over the entire piece. The ink should
completely cover the composition. Allow the ink to dry thoroughly.
4 Art Making: Session Three (10 minutes per student)
When the ink is completely dry, have each student hold his/her painting under
running water in a sink (or submerge the paper in a vat of water). The ink will begin to
run off the page. While the water in running over the paper, the student should
quickly but gently brush over the entire composition with a large brush. The ink will
begin to wash off the painted areas (the tempera paint acts as a resist). Students have control over the amount of ink they choose to remove from the
painted areas. This flexible removal process allows the students to create shadows
and textured areas within their unique compositions.
When each student is satisfied with the amount of exposed color, he/she should stop
rinsing the ink, flatten the paper, and allow the piece to dry thoroughly. Art Making: Final Session (Exhibition)
After all the projects have dried, students can arrange an “instant exhibition” and
compare/contrast their processes and paintings. 5 Two student paintings (before the ink is applied)
Note the thick, textural application of paint. The
white spaces will become black after the
permanent ink is poured over the dry paint and
brushed over the entire composition. 6 SBMA Teaching Artist Itoko Maeno’s preliminary
painting of a posed mannequin (see Art Making,
Session One, slide 4). Note the double lines
around the color shapes. These areas will become
black after ink is applied over the heavily textured,
dry paint. 7 A completed tempera resist piece by Itoko Maeno, SBMA Teaching Artist.
Rouault inspiration
8 SBMA Teaching Artist Joni Chancer’s tempera resist painting (before
ink is poured and brushed over the dried tempera paint). Note that
the white flowers are painted with thick white paint – blank white
paper will become black after the ink application. Also note the
“halo” of blank paper around the edges of all the flowers and the
vase. Joni wants to create a black outline around each shape with
the ink she will brush over the piece in the next session of the lesson. Joni’s composition after the ink was applied over the paint,
given time to dry, and rinsed off. The overall effect is similar to
stained glass set into a leaded window. 9 Students can also use this lesson sequence to create a tempera resist
landscape painting. Here are two student examples. 10 Now it is time for your students to create their own tempera resist
paintings, inspired by the art of Georges Rouault. 11 Connections to the Standards
California Visual Arts Standards
1.0 Artistic Perception
Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information Through the Language and Skills Unique to the Visual
Arts
Students perceive and respond to works of art, objects in nature, events, and the environment. They also use the
vocabulary of the visual arts to express their observations.
Develop Perceptual Skills and Visual Arts Vocabulary
1.1 Perceive and describe rhythm and movement in works of art and in the environment.
1.2 Describe how artists use tints and shades in painting.
1.3 Identify and describe how foreground, middle ground, and background are used to create the illusion of space.
1.4 Compare and contrast two works of art made by the use of different art tools and media (e.g., watercolor, tempera).
Analyze Art Elements and Principles of Design
1.5 Identify and describe elements of art in works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, texture, space, and value.
2.0 Creative Expression
Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts
Students apply artistic processes and skills, using a variety of media to communicate meaning and intent in original
works of art.
Skills, Processes, Materials, and Tools
2.1 Explore ideas for art in a personal sketchbook.
2.2 Mix and apply tempera paints to create tints, shades, and neutral colors.
Common Core State Standards
English Language Arts
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from
it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text (using art as text). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually
and quantitatively, as well as in words. CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations
with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
12 Art project and lesson plan sequence created by Itoko Maeno, SBMA Senior Teaching Artist, and Joni Chancer, SBMA Teaching Artist & Curriculum Consultant
Credits and permissions:
This presentation was created by SBMA for instructional use only and is
not to be altered in any way, or reproduced without attribution.
Artwork was created by SBMA Teaching Artists and students in the
SBMA Education and Outreach Programs. For further information about these or other Education and Outreach
Programs, contact Rachel Krieps at [email protected]
13