The Color Wheel in Art

This lesson studies basic color theory by comparing paintings from Monet, Renoir, and van Gogh.  Middle elementary students should be familiar with primary colors but not necessarily with secondary or complementary colors at the beginning of the lesson.  Students will be able to identify color combinations and the effects of color in paintings after browsing through galleries of the artists.  Some discretion may be exercised with Renoir, as he was fond of nudes.  However, his work is important to this study of color, and was therefore, included.

This lesson may be used as an Art lesson with emphasis on individual opinion and creativity.  In which case, the optional "Create your own colorful masterpiece" found in the Conclusion could be made a mandatory part of the lesson.  It may also be adapted to include more biographical information for upper elementary Art History lessons.  The lesson  may be used as an English Composition lesson as well.  Two links were provided for each artist with sufficient biographical and historical information along with galleries of each artist's works.