Painting with scissors like Matisse

made by students of grade 4

You need per student:

1. 1 sheet white drawing paper
2. 1 sheet colored construction paper 
3. 1 sheet colored construction paper from which you cut 7 cm 
4. 1 sheet blue construction paper 
5. leftovers of colored paper
6. glue
7. scissors
8. black marker

Who is Matisse?

Matisse (1869 –1954) was a French artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was primarily known as a painter.

Matisse didn't care if stones were blue, he just chose the colors he liked. Some people thought is art was very ugly: someone who paints blue faces and green noses is a fool and Matisse was called 'Fauve', which means: wild. This is how the word Fauvism came into being for this art movement, art with bold colors. 

After a surgery Matisse spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. He wasn't able to paint anymore, but could still paint with his scissors.

View various artworks of Matisse. 

Then few the artwork Oasis. What stands out? 

• no straigh lines 
• organic shapes
• bright colors
• What is an oasis and why is this artwork called so?  

How to make it 

Step 1

Take the two colored sheets: a whole one and one with 7 cm cut off. Paste the smaller sheet on the large one. The strip at the bottom is the table for the fishbowl. 

Step 2

Cut Matisse shapes and glue them on the small sheet. Let them fall of the sheet and cut away the outer pieces.

Step 3

Fold a white sheet in half on the long side and cut out a fishbowl. The center line of the bowl is the fold of the sheet. Trace around the bowl with a thick black marker.   

Step 4

Cut 'water' out of the blue sheet, slightly smaller than the bowl. Paste it in the bowl. Paste the bowl on the colored sheet with organic shapes. 

Step 5

Cut two or three fishes and some water plants and paste them in the bowl.

Elements of art: shape, color. 

One pumpkin, four materials

 

You need:

1. drawing sheet
2. color pencils
3. watercolor paint
4. oilpastels
5. soft pastels

Fold the sheet in four. Draw 4 pumpkins. Color them with different materials. 

Sail with the VOC

 

by students of grade 6

 You need:

1. drawing sheet A3 size
2. drawing sheet A4 size
3. liquid water color
4. brush
5. oil pastel crayons
6. scissors and glue
7. ice cream sticks
8. boxcutter
9. cutting plate
10. newspapers 
11. paper towels

Towards the end of the Golden Age, the Netherlands are at war with England, a battle that is being fought at sea. 

In this lesson students draw a sea ship from that time. 

Study paintings of ships in a battle. What stands out? How do you recognize the Dutch and English ships? Which flags do you see more? What do you see in the foreground of the first painting? What can you tell about the sails? How can you see those ships are in combat? 

Naval battle Anglo-Dutch war(1666). Painter: Abraham Storck

Burning of a part of the English fleet (1667). 

Painter: Pieter van de Velde 

What should you do?

Step 1

First you paint the background on the largest sheet with liquid water color paint. At the bottom (near by) the water is dark, further away it becomes lighter (add water). 

Step 2

Draw on the A4 sheet a VOC-ship with oil pastel and color it. Draw and color extra things which you also see in the water during a naval battle, such as fire,, aa life boat, an anchor etc. Do not forget tho color the sails white!

Step 3

Paint your drawing with blue water color paint. Wipe the excess paint off the white sails with a paper towel. Let dry. 

Step 4

Cut out all parts, leaving a blue edge. Stick ice cream sticks behind the loose parts. Take the large blue painted sheet and decide where you want hour ship and the other things. Cut slices of about 3 cm in this sheet. Insert the sticks into the background and the artwork is done. 

Source: Laatmaarleren.nl