3rd
MixedMedia
Create a stunning mixed-media inspired by
Van Gogh’s Starry Night
Starry Night
Mixed-Media
The Starry Night, 1889, Oil on Canvas,
Museum of Modern Art, New York City
Art Supplies:
12” x 15” black sulphite paper
Liquid tempera paints (blues,
greens, yellows, white)
Black and colored oil pastels
Colored craft paper or painted
paper scraps
Scissors and glue sticks
Water containers and medium
paintbrushes (6-8) with a flat
edge.
Objectives:
Study Van Gogh’s Starry Night art
Understand perspective (Here,
Near & Far)
Paint directly onto paper using
double-loading technique
Create contrast using paper
I believe the reason why Van Gogh’s artwork is so
popular with children is because they can relate to
the color and texture of his work.
Van Gogh painted Starry Night from memory,
painting in the daytime his view outside his hospital
window. He had always wanted to paint the night
time sky.
This Starry Night art lesson is the first I have ever done. I
have seen many art lesson devoted to Starry Night,
but none interested me entirely.
Combining oil pastel, double-loading technique plus
a bit of painted paper, I love how this art lesson came
together.
It just might be my favorite art lesson ever.
My third grade students created this lesson but it
could easily be adapted for upper or lower grades. I
have included suggestion on how to do that on the
following pages.
Enjoy!
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
1
Drawing the
Landscape
Start with a black piece of
sulphite paper. I took the regular
sized 12” x 18” and cut it down to
12” x 15”. The smaller size is better
for 3rd graders as the smaller
paper requires less painting time.
Using an oil pastel, draw the outline of a cypress tree along the left hand side. I saw one art
teacher trace her hand (loosely) to mimic the cypress trees. This is such a clever technique for
young children to use. Next, draw a slightly wavy line from one side of the cypress tree to the
end of the paper. This is the horizon line. On top of the horizon line, draw a series of bumps,
starting from the left hand side and progressing to the right. The bumps are the hills in the
background, so look at the original poster and show the kids the hills and how they grow bigger
towards the right hand side of the paper.
This is a great project for liquid
tempera paints but if you wish to
use acrylics, make sure your
students wear smocks.
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
2
Double
Loading
I have spoken about the doubleloaded paint brush technique
many times (see video here)but
this might be one of the best uses
of the technique to date.
The idea is to mix the colors
directly onto the paper and not in
a palette.
The kids delight in the magic of
blind mixing.
Here’s how to do it:
Using a flat tip brush, dip brush into one
color of paint. Lift up and without
mixing, dip paintbrush into another
color.
Take the loaded brush and paint a
small dab on the paper.
As you dab, the color will start to fade
and mix at the same time. You can dip
the brush into the same colors in the
palette without cleaning the brush.
When painting on black paper, it’s
helpful to always have a bit of white
on the brush. White adds tints to each
color making the color pop better on
the black paper.
As the children start to feel more
comfortable with this technique,
encourage them to begin using three
colors.
If all goes well, this is what your paint
palette will look like!
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
2
Painting
the Sky
Using the double-loading
technique, start painting the sky.
You can set out one palette for
the sky colors and one palette for
the ground (mountains and
hillsides) if you wish.
I asked the children to start with
the moon. We looked at Van
Gogh’s artwork and noticed the
crescent moon shape and the
small lines around the moon
creating a glowing effect.
To mimic this, children need to
paint in small, almost over-lapping
strokes. How children interpret this
is interesting to watch. Some
children create a mosaic-style
pattern while others blend their
strokes entirely.
Both ways are perfectly fine and
it’s quite lovely to see the different
styles.
I encouraged the students to think
about using less colors for the
ground. Because there will be
colorful buildings, plus with the sky
being multi-colored, painting with
less colors will make everything
else contrast better.
Older kids can continue to paint
“Van Gogh” style with small
strokes.
After everything is painted, use oil pastels to color in the
cypress tree. Some children painted it, but because it is
already black from the background paper, painting
isn’t necessary. Instead, use oil pastels to create texture
within the tree. Oil pastels will help the tree stand out
nicely from the painted background.
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
2
Adding
Details
Using oil pastels to differentiate between
the sky and the mountains is one of the
secrets to this lesson.
The younger the child, the more fuzzy the
sections will appear. Running a black oil
pastel along the original lines will make a
dramatic difference in the overall effect.
Using small scraps of paper to
create the houses in the village
is another way to separate the
busy painted background with
the tiny homes.
The kids can make as many or
as few as they like. I requested
at least three. If the children
finished three, I showed them
how to trace around the little
paper structures with oil pastel
to give the houses shadow
and depth. Only a few of my 8
year olds were able to do this,
but older children could do it
very well.
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
1
2
Start by drawing a cypress tree. The
tree starts at the bottom of the page
and almost touches the top. Tracing
your hand is a fun way to make a
cypress tree.
Add a curvy horizon line. Be careful
not to make it jagged. You can make
it as low as you would like. The higher
the horizon line the less sky you will
have.
3
Starting on the left of the horizon line,
draw a few hills or mountains. I made
three. You can add more of you would
like.
Making paper houses
To make a house from paper, cut a small
square from one color of paper and a
triangle from another color. Glue onto
your painted background paper.
Snip!
To make a 3/4 view, start with a
rectangle-shaped paper. Snip off a
corner on the top right and left. Use an
oil pastel to draw the roof line and the
side of the house. You can add
windows and a door if you would like.
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
Van Gogh’s Starry Night
Third Grade
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS - third grade
CREATING
X
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work — elaborate on imaginative ideas—
X
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work — create personal artwork—demonstrate
X
apply knowledge to develop personal ideas in artwork
understanding proficient use of materials—construct everyday life representations
Refine and complete artistic work—elaborate visually by adding detail during art-making
that enhances meaning
Presenting/producing
Analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation— Investigate and discuss
possibilities and limitations of spaces for exhibiting artwork
Develop and refine artistic work for presentation — Identify exhibit space and prepare
X
works of art including artists’ statement for presentation
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work — identify and explain how and
where different cultures record and illustrate stories and history of life through art
Responding
X
X
Perceive and analyze artistic work- Speculate about processes and artist uses to create—
determine messages communicated by images
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work — interpret art by analyzing use of media to
create subject matter, characteristics of form and mood
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work— evaluate an artwork based on a given criteria
Connecting
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art- develop a work
X
of art based on observations of surroundings
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen
understanding —develop a work of art based on observations of surroundings
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS - fourth grade
CREATING
X
X
X
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work — brainstorm approaches for design
problem—set goals and create purposeful and meaningful artwork
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work — explore and invent art-making
techniques-care for materials while art-making—document and describe environments
Refine and complete artistic work—revise artwork in progress through insights gained from
peers and discussion
Presenting/producing
Analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation— Analyze how past, present
X
and emerging technologies have impacted preservation and presentations of artwork
Develop and refine artistic work for presentation — Analyze the various considerations for
presenting and protecting work in all settings and forms
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work — compare and contrast
purposes of art museums, etc. and the types of personal experiences they provide
Responding
X
X
Perceive and analyze artistic work- compare responses to artwork after experiencing the
medium analyze messages in visual imagery
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work — interpret art by referring to contextual info
and analyzing relevant subject matter, characteristics and media
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work— apply one set of criteria to evaluate more than
one work of art
Connecting
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art- create works of
X
art that reflect community cultural traditions
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen
understanding
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS - fifth grade
CREATING
X
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work — combine ideas to generate an
X
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work — experiment and develop skills in multiple
innovative idea—demonstrate diverse methods to approaching art making
techniques through practice—show craftsmanship through care—document objects of
personal significance
Refine and complete artistic work—create artists statements using art vocabulary to
describe personal choices in art-making
Presenting/producing
Analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation— define roles and
X
responsibilities of a curator—explaining the skills/knowledge needed to preform curation
Develop and refine artistic work for presentation — develop a logical argument for safe
and effective use of materials and techniques for preparing and presenting artwork
Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work —cite evidence of how an
exhibition in a museum presents ideas and provides information about specific concepts
Responding
X
X
Perceive and analyze artistic work- compare interpretation of art to another’s interpretation
—analyze cultural associations suggested by visual imagery
Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work — interpret art by analyzing form, structure,
context information, subject, visual elements, and use of media to identify mood and ideas
conveyed
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work— recognize differences in criteria used to evaluate
works of art depending on styles
Connecting
X
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art- apply formal and
conceptual vocabularies of art and design to view surroundings in new ways through art-
X
making
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen
understanding
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
I can statements for starry night
• Today I will learn about PERSPECTIVE, so that I CAN use a horizon line effectively and make
objects appear here, near, and far in the landscape.
• Today I will learn about DOUBLE-LOADING, so that I CAN apply the tempera paint in a more
expressive way achieving many different tints of color similar to the style of Van Gogh.
• Today I will learn about CONTRAST, so that I CAN add details to my landscape using colored
paper that will stand out from the painting.
Common Core STANDARDS for starry night
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
You could take this project a step further and have students write about Van Gogh’s Starry Night
walking them through the very basic steps of art criticism. Answering the following questions: 1.
What do you see? 2. How is the artwork arranged (elements and principles of design)? 3. What
message could the artist be trying to say? 4. What is your opinion? These questions build on each
other and are based on the students’ knowledge of the elements of art and principles of design and
drawing inferences based off their understanding of the discussion about the work and style of Van
Gogh.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in
diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
After introducing the students to the artwork of Van Gogh via posters, PowerPoint, etc., students
can be asked to answer questions orally to summarize what they have learned about Van Gogh's
style, use of the elements of art, and principles of design in the form of a discussion.
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
Artist Statement
Your name
WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR ARTWORK?
HOW DID YOU CREATE YOUR ARTWORK?
(What tools, supplies and techniques did you use?)
WHAT DOES THIS PIECE OF ART MEAN TO YOU?
(You can use “I” statements and talk about your inspiration and what creating
this piece of art means to you)
©DEEPSPACESPARKLE/PATTY PALMER 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.deepspacesparkle.com
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