I Heart Art

The Scream

The Scream art lesson plan was inspired by Expressionism and Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”. Encouraging students to explore their own ideas and expressions. Students will learn how to express emotions and tell a story through directional lines.

Definition of Expressionism:

Expressionism is the personal representation of the artists’ perspective on life, with an emphasis on emotions, and often depicted with expressive lines and simple representational images. Expressionism is an art history movement founded in Germany in the early 20th century.

Materials for Art Lesson

Pencils

Drawing Paper

Oil Pastels

Copy of The Scream by Edvard Munch

“The Scream” is the nickname for a series of similar works done by Edvard Munch between 1893 and 1910 most done in pastel and a few are black and white lithographs. The image represents a moment in time, captured during an evening walk. Munch had the overwhelming sensory feeling of nature screaming out in agony on that walk. The impression was due to the modern destruction of nature through industrialization. Munch explored this image of nature’s agony in many pictorial variations.

Inspiration and Instruction:

Directional lines are used to connect the elements in the work as well as to communicate the swirling emotions that Munch was expressing. Have the students discuss the use of directional lines in this image and point out the path the artist wants the viewer to take around the image and where Munch used One Point Perspective.

(Directional Lines can lead the eye in a path around an image and provide a means to communicate emotional content.)

(One point perspective is when two or more

lines originate from a singular vanishing point.

The directional lines resemble an upside down V)

Lesson:

Students should sketch out a replica or their own individualized version of “The Scream” with pencil on drawing paper. With a pencil outline the important directional lines. This helps to emphasize the importance of the directional lines when applying oil pastels.

This semester, since it was the end of the school year, I let my students choose if they wanted to recreate The Scream or create a parody of The Scream. Some students chose the parody and had a lot fun with it!

Using oil pastels, students apply color to their sketch. This is a fun and messy process. They should layer the complementary colors emphasizing the mood and the directional lines.

Evaluation:

A successful project should have directional lines that lead the viewer around the image. A one point perspective that accurately gives the illusion of distance and layers of blended colors.