Understanding Art: Guide For Teachers, A

Description:
In any area of the curriculum, children need to learn concepts, facts and skills through first-hand experience. In art, such learning depends on exploring and experimenting with the visual language through which artists communicate, and the visual elements such as line, colour and shape. The National Curriculum places strong emphasis on experimenting with and applying the visual elements. This book systematically explores the basic knowledge needed to do this effectively. The author deals with the visual elements of art, their properties, how they are related, and especially with the ways in which children's knowledge of each can be developed through simple but creative activities. Each element is placed in context, with extensive cross-referencing. The author shows how these elements can be observed in the children's environment and provides examples of how they have been used in works of art and craft. This accessible book does not assume any specialist knowledge or experience. It is essential for teachers at primary and secondary levels, art co-ordinators and for undergraduate and postgraduate level students of art education.Martin Wenham is an artist, calligrapher and stone carver who has exhibited at the Craft's Council. He has taught at the University of Leicester and has over twenty years' experience of teaching in primary and secondary schools.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: ART AS EXPLORATION Investigating, Making and Responding to Art Visual Language and The Visual Elements Learning Through Investigation of the Visual Elements Building on the Foundations PART TWO: POINT The Concept of Point Investigating Points and their Potential Point In Context PART THREE: LINE The Concept of Line Investigating Line Some Starting-Points Developing Line Line in Context PART FOUR: TONE The Concept of Tone Investigating Tone The Perception of Tone Tone in Context PART FIVE: MIXING AND CONTROLLING COLOUR The Concept of Colour Colour Mixing Tints and Shades Optical Colour Mixing Colour Range and Mixing in Context PART SIX: PERCEIVING AND OBSERVING COLOUR Colour Constancy and Colour Interaction Finding, Matching and Mixing Colours Perceiving Colour in Context PART SEVEN: RESPONDING TO COLOUR Responses to Individual Colours Colour Groupings and Responses to Them Colour Responses in Context PART EIGHT: SHAPE The Concept of Shape Interaction of Shapes Investigations of Shape Shape in Context PART NINE: SPACE The Concept of Space Objective Space Figure and Ground Illusory Space Objective Space in Context Illusory Space in Context PART TEN: FORM The Concept of Form The Visual Properties of Form Investigating Form Moving into the Third Dimension Form in Context PART ELEVEN: TEXTURE The Concept of Texture Tactile Texture Visual Texture Texture in Context PART TWELVE: PATTERN Concepts of Visual Pattern Rotating and Linear Patterns Investigations of Surface Pattern Space-Dividing Patterns Pattern in Context