ART CANARY

High School Visual Art Curriculum

Painting a Still life

A Brief History of Still Life Painting

Students begin this unit by studying the cultural context of still life painting.  The assignments do not take place in the art studio, but as research in process journals

Find instructions, a rubric, a list of concepts, vocabulary words, and teacher’s notes below.

Watch Video 1: A Brief History of Still Life Painting

Watch Video 2: Painting a Still Life

This video gives a protocol for painting a still life, loosely based on traditional practice: beginning with a dark ground and building layers of glazes.

Artists always develop their own way of painting, but this protocol is a good place to start.  These traditional methods were initially based on oil painting, but changed somewhat and adapted to acrylics.

Directions, rubric, vocabulary, and teaching notes below.