Art Challenges
Fourteen Art Challenges for Middle School
… or the Fun-damentals of Design
Students conquer the simplest Challenges, then climb to higher levels, taking on more complex Challenges. To review this outline scroll to the bottom and observe how each new Challenge builds on the one below it.
| CHALLENGE | MEDIA | INSPIRATION | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | EXTREME ACTION Figures in action |
Watercolors | Miriam Schapiro |
| 13 | MAKING AN IMPRESSION Color and texture |
Acrylic paints | Claude Monet |
| 12 | THINKING ABOUT THE BOX Cubism and abstraction |
Acrylic paints | Picasso & Cubism |
| 11 | TRANSPORTED IN TIME & SPACE Intro to painting |
Mixed media | Edward Hopper – American painter |
| 10 | EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED Psychological space & texture |
Mechanical pens with assorted nibs | Rene Magritte |
| 9 | IS THIS PLACE HAUNTED? Space: two-point perspective |
Colored pencils on black paper | Victorian houses |
| 8 | DEEP SPACE Space: one-point perspective |
Colored pencils on tinted paper | Renaissance & classical architecture |
| 7 | A SURREAL EXPERIENCE Form: light & shadow |
Graphite pencils | Salvador Dali: Surrealism |
| 6 | A MATTER OF VALUES Value & contrast |
Grayscale markers | Chuck Close: digital design |
| 5 | MASTER OF ILLUSION Space: positive/negative |
Felt tip pen, markers, colored pencils | M C Escher |
| 4 | WHAT’S IN A NAME? Shape and color |
CorelDraw, markers, colored pencils, gold pen |
Medieval Illuminations |
| 3 | LIFE ON PLANET EARTH Rhythm & shape |
CorelDraw, felt tip pen, black marker | Poster design |
| 2 | DON’T BE SO OBVIOUS Advanced rhythm & line |
Felt tip pen | Geometric & organic lines |
| 1 | COOL RHYTHMS Simple rhythm & line |
Felt tip pen | Nature |
| Begin here at Challenge 1 and design your way to the top | |||