Pointillism for Kids- A Georges Seurat Art History Lesson
Fun Pointillism Art Lesson For Kids Self-Portrait Inspired by Georges Seurat
Here is a fun and engaging art history lesson for kids. They will create a self-portrait that is inspired by the Pointillism artist Georges Seurat. Using dots and contrasting colors, children will paint a portrait of themselves. This is a great art activity to hang on your walls!
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Who was Georges Seurat?
Georges Seurat was born in 1859 in the Paris, France. His family was wealthy and lived a very comfortable lifestyle. Georges Seurat was an artist early on in his life. He went to art school, but got frustrated with the strict rules that the teachers taught. He dropped out of art school and started to study art on his own. When he saw Monet’s artwork, he was amazed with his use of color, light, and line. He was highly influenced by Monet’s style.
What Art History Movement Was Georges Seurat a Part of?
The Larger movement Georges Seurat was a part of was the Post-Impressionist movement, however more specifically he was the creator of Pointillism. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac are considered the founders of the Pointillism movement.
Artists at the time of Post-Impressionism were looking for new ways to paint “impressions” of what they saw around them. While impressionists were creating art with small brush strokes, Seurat and Signac took that a step further and used dots instead. The other difference was that they did not blend colors on their palettes, rather they placed dots of specific colors next to each other on the canvas and created the illusion of blending to the viewer.
What is the Pointillism Technique?
Pointillism comes from the French word for point or dot. Pointillism is a painting technique where dots of contrasting color are arranged in a way as to appear as a blended color when admiring the work from afar. It is sort of like pixels today. You get the full effect of Pointillism by standing a distance away from the art work.
In reality, the human eye is tricked by the precision of the dots location and by their color selection. Seurat was fascinated by the science of color and he sought to create beautiful artwork based on this science.
He and other Pointillists did not mix the colors on a palette before painting, rather they placed vibrant complementary paints directly on the canvas, side-by-side. The effect was brilliant! The viewers eyes “mixed” the colors when viewing the art from far away. That is one reason why Seurat’s art pieces were so large; over six feet in most cases
Georges Seurat preferred the term “divisionism” for his newly developed style, but it didn’t stick.
Why Did Georges Seurat Use Pointillism?
Georges Seurat wanted to create something new as an artist. He felt that he was being taught art in a way that was rigid and lacked freedom. He desired to create a new style of art after he studied the impressionist painters.
He loved the science behind art and color as well, so he mixed the two. He focused on the power of line and form as well as perception. He brought his love of color theory to the front and center of his art. He spent much of his time studying the science behind it.
While the Impressionists were using complementary colors and mixing them on a palette, Georges Seurat skipped the mixing step and applied color in dots directly on the canvas. He did NOT mix the colors, but rather allowed them to “blend” when we glanced at his art from afar.
What is Color Theory?
Color theory is the study of how colors are mixed and how they are seen with the human eye.
The Scientist Michel Chevreul had devised a theory of color and Georges Seurat was fascinated by that theory. When Chevreul was studying color he saw that when two colors were placed side-by-side and viewed from far away, they appeared to be mixed. Georges Seurat studied this concept and applied it to his art. Rather than mixing colors before applying them to his canvas, Seurat placed colors side-by-side and let the viewers brain mix them for him.
For more information on color theory see Designwizard.com.
What Other Artists Use Pointillism?
Paul Signac was another famous Pointillism artist. He is credited to have created this new style of art with Seurat, however, he is less famous.
Today, many artists are influenced by Pointillism. It can be seen in digital art, embroidery, and tattoos.
See this great article by MyModernMet.com for more information on Pointillism’s influence today.
What Was Going on in History During Georges Seurat’s Life?
The Franco-prussian was was going on during his young life, so his family relocated to Fontainebleau.
Scientific discoveries and artistic innovation occurred during the 19th century. The telephone was invented in 1876, the combustion engine was invented in the 1880s, and so many more technological inventions during the industrial revolution. Artists were constantly trying new techniques as well.
How to Teach About Georges Seurat in Art History for Kids
Start with the bigger picture (no pun intended) when teaching about Georges Seurat. Seurat came into the art world eager to make a big impression and he did just that. At a time when the impressionism style was in the forefront and gaining appreciation Seurat took it a step further with his innovative ideas.
What Are Georges Seurat’s Most Famous Pointillism Art Pieces?
The most famous piece of artwork, in my opinion, is “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte”. I can still remember learning about it in high school (many years ago :-)). It is so massive, it takes up most of the wall in the museum where it is located. “The Eiffel Tower”, “The Bathers at Asnieres”, and “Le Chahut” are other famous pieces by Georges Seurat.
A Timeline Perspective of Art History
It is important to give your children perspective when it comes to art history and history in general. Never teach out of context! Timelines are a great way to show your kids the purpose of what they are learning and the context. What was happening elsewhere around the world? What was going on culturally where the artist was from. Were any wars going on? Strife? Political issues? The art of the time usually represents a much larger cultural and historical picture; make sure to include this when you are teaching.
Try making your own Timeline and adding to it as you learn about different artists. Below is a FREE for subscribers printable timeline book that you can download if you would like.
Check out this ART HISTORY Timeline. It covers every continent in the world and all of history. Bookmark it and use it as a reference when needed.
For more information on the life of Georges Seurat see this great website TheArtStory.org
Georges Seurat Art History For Kids Lesson Plan:
Note: I taught this lesson for a group of 10 mixed aged homeschoolers from pre-k through 8th grade. When doing the lesson, I catered to the higher levels because I believe young children will glean from this type of education.
Grades: Kindergarten through 8th Grade (Modify based on your own children/students)
Learning Objectives/ Big Ideas: The 19th century was a time of great innovation in the arts and the sciences. Pointillism was a part of the post-impressionist movement and was invented by Georges Seurat. Students will apply his technique and become familiar with how to create an art piece using Pointillism.
Vocabulary: art history, pointillism, primary colors, color mixing, Georges Seurat, impressionism, innovation, color theory
About Georges Seurat:
A fun way to remember this artist: “Seurat Dot” (pronounced “SIR-ROT DOT”) while I am pretty sure that this is an incorrect pronunciation- the fact that it rhymes really helps children to remember what Seurat was famous for… DOTS!
Georges Seurat was born in 1859 in Paris France. He was the youngest of 3 children and born into a wealthy home. He lived a comfortable life and was encouraged to study art. He was sent to art school where his formal study began. However, he dropped out due to the strict rules and lack of artistic freedom. Georges Seurat continued to study art on his own. When he found Claude Monet’s Impressionists works, he was in awe. Monet’s use of color and lines inspired Seurat to create his own artistic style, which became known as Pointillism.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
— Georges Seurat
Materials Needed:
art work prints by Seurat (Check out this website for free public domain art work- The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Book about Seurat (Optional)
picture of your child/student (5×7 or larger)
white cardstock paper
vellum paper (for tracing)
printer
black sharpie marker
acrylic paints in bright colors (or for younger kids-tempura paints)
Q-tips (lots)
newspaper for messes
paper plates
Map
Timeline
trash can or small brown paper bags
2 pieces of rope or string: one that is 7 feet long and the other 10 feet long- these will be used to demonstrate how large Georges Seurat’s art pieces were.
Optional: magnifying glass
Optional: Hardback blank book to keep your child’s art- if you are making them an Art History Introduction book.
Optional: I like to get into character when I teach. I find that the kids really enjoy it. For Art History I wear a beret and talk in an accent.
Prior to beginning the lesson:
You will need to create outlines of your child/students. This doesn’t take long, just a couple of steps and you can make the outlines for the self-portrait. See this lesson for instructions: Andy Warhol Pop Art Instructions.
I created a self-portrait template of myself so that I could have an example to do with my students. So, you may want to take the time to create a self-portrait of yourself
IF you do not want the Self-portrait portion of the lesson, please use any other picture or this template/coloring page of “A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte”.
Another great website with lots of famous art coloring pages is Supercoloring.com.
You can also give freedom to your students to sketch out whatever they would like and then paint using the pointillism technique.
The Lesson
Hook/Interest Grabber
- Dress up and put on your Beret! Grab that accent and introduce yourself as the Artist/Instructor 🙂 get into character and have fun!
- Display a piece of Seurat’s artwork. You can locate free art on the website Metropolitan Museum of Art and print it up. Tell your students that they are going to be inspecting some famous art pieces and you need their expert input. I like to pass around a variety of art pieces and allow the children to really inspect it, they can use magnifying glasses as well. This is a great activity to get your children interested in the lesson.
- Spend a couple of minutes allowing the children to describe what they see. Write notes on the board or on a piece of paper. Encourage discussion about colors used, perspective, and where else you may find this type of art (think of pixels on a TV or digital art).
- Bring out your map and your art history timeline and show student that today’s artist is from Paris, France and lived during the 19th century. His name is Georges Seurat!
Lesson:
- If you purchased the book “Joining the Dots: The Art Of Seurat” By In-Sook Kim, then read that book and discuss who Seurat was and his style of art. Pay attention to how Seurat uses the science of color to create illusions of color mixing in his famous art works. This book does a good job of showing that.
- Discuss who Georges Seurat was and how he developed the Pointillism method which is a part of the larger impressionist movement.
Activity:
Children will create a self-portrait using the Pointillism method:
Step 1. Line the table with a protective covering such as newspaper.
Step 2. Pass out the supplies: Paper plate with which ever paint colors you are using, Q-tips (lots), trash can nearby, self-portrait template. (see Andy Warhol lesson for directions in how to create the self-portrait template)
Step 3. Using a blank sheet of paper, first demonstrate how when complementary colors are used next to each other in dots, when you stand back, the color appears to blend a bit.
Step 4. Model how to paint your own self-portrait using Q-tips and complementary colors.
Optional Activities:
- Create your own art piece using pointillism. Sketch the ouline on a piece of white construction paper and paint it using dots of complementary color. Try not to leave any white left on the page.
- Use Coloring page as a base for your art. Use Q-tips and paint to add the dots of color.
Closure
Many of the children will take quite a long time to finish with their art. This is great because it really shows how long pointillism took.
Georges Seurat was only able to complete seven large paintings in his lifetime because his style, pointillism, required such an intense amount of work and time.
Students can share their artwork with the class or put their art into their own art book. See how to make books for learning here.
Applying What We Learn: Ways to extend Art History Learning
Play a game (Go Fish Impressionists is a great game *NOTE: 2 cards have nudes, I removed them)
Make your own board game or card game.
Visit a Museum (virtual or in person)
Hold an Art Exposition and invite friends after you complete your art
Make food from the time period and host a luncheon- discuss art
Recreate famous pieces of art from the time period you are studying and take pictures
Dress up in attire from the time period you are studying
Complete the worksheet about art history.
Add Artists to a History Timeline Book
End Note: This Lesson was completed in one day over about 2 hours. It is a part of a 12 week mini-course titled “Art History for Kids”. All lesson activities are placed into the child’s own Art History Introduction book. I have made all of the information pages for each of the artists. These are available for purchase as are the other lessons (coming soon).
Best Books to Teach Art History to Children
One More Art History Tip for Teachers/Parents
Sometimes art prints can be expensive… However, I have been able to find lots of old art books at yard sales, thrift stores, and library sales. I often cut out pictures for the artists that I want to teach about to my kiddos.
Because the quality of the art is amazing when it is from a book (a bit better than when I print in myself), I often display the art around my house and do Charlotte Mason style “Art Picture Studies” with them.
SO… Always be on the lookout for those 50 cent old art books that you can cut up and use for art prints!!!
Which Artist Comes Next in Art History?
Vincent Van Gogh! He was another Post-Impressionist, and quite unpopular in his time. He shows us how the use of color and brush stroke can convey emotion and feeling. Come explore this innovative artist in the next lesson where we recreate, step-by-step, Starry Night (coming soon).
Make your own Art History display board.
Prior to each class, I would arrange my art history board with various art pieces as well as the artists self-portrait. I would include art from other artists of that time period so the children could see the similarities and differences.
How Did Your Georges Seurat Inspired Self-Portrait Turn Out?
Let me know in the comments below. 🙂
Sharing is caring! Be sure to share this Pointillism lesson with others that you know 🙂
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