Activity 01
Stations Rotation: Light and Shadow Setups
Prepare three stations with still lifes under different lighting: side light, top light, back light. Students rotate every 10 minutes, sketching shapes and noting shadow positions at each. Back at seats, they paint one setup using their notes. Conclude with a share-out of light effects observed.
Analyze how light creates shadows and highlights on objects in a still life.
Facilitation TipDuring the Station Rotation, position light sources at different angles so students experience how one object’s shadows change across setups.
What to look forPresent students with a simple still life arrangement. Ask them to sketch the basic outlines of two objects, focusing on their relative sizes and positions. Review sketches for accuracy in proportion and placement before they begin painting.
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Activity 02
Pairs: Viewfinder Proportion Check
Partners create a cardboard viewfinder to frame the still life. One student holds it steady while the other sketches inside the frame, measuring proportions with a pencil at arm's length. Switch roles, then paint together, checking accuracy against the viewfinder.
Explain how to accurately represent the shapes and proportions of objects in a painting.
Facilitation TipFor the Viewfinder Proportion Check, provide plastic viewfinders with grid lines to help students measure relative sizes before sketching.
What to look forAfter students have completed their paintings, have them display their work alongside the original still life. Students will use a simple checklist to assess a peer's work, answering: 'Did my partner accurately capture the main shapes?' and 'Are the colors in the painting similar to the real objects?'
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Activity 03
Whole Class: Guided Color Mixing Demo
Display a shared still life on a projector. Demonstrate mixing shadow colors by adding complements to object hues. Students follow along on scrap paper, then apply to their own paintings. Circulate to prompt individual observations of highlights.
Critique your own painting for accuracy in color matching and form.
Facilitation TipIn the Guided Color Mixing Demo, keep the still life objects visible on the demo table so students can match mixed colors directly to observed hues.
What to look forOn an index card, ask students to write one sentence describing how light affected the color of one object in their still life. Then, have them list one specific color they mixed to represent a shadow.
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Activity 04
Individual: Critique and Revise Cycle
Students paint a still life, then use a mirror to view it flipped. Note three areas for improvement in shape or color on a sticky note. Revise based on notes and real object comparison before final display.
Analyze how light creates shadows and highlights on objects in a still life.
What to look forPresent students with a simple still life arrangement. Ask them to sketch the basic outlines of two objects, focusing on their relative sizes and positions. Review sketches for accuracy in proportion and placement before they begin painting.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teach this sequence by starting with observation drills before touching paint. Model how to squint to simplify shapes and isolate color shifts. Avoid demonstrating completed paintings at the start, as this can set expectations too high. Research shows frequent, low-stakes comparisons to the real still life reduce overgeneralized marks and improve accuracy.
Students will demonstrate accurate proportion, subtle color mixing, and deliberate light placement. Their work will show careful study of negative space, cooler shadow tones, and intentional brushwork rather than generic outlines.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During the Guided Color Mixing Demo, watch for students who automatically reach for black to darken colors.
Have students test black, blue, and purple on a scrap paper alongside the still life shadow. Ask them to compare each strip to the observed shadow and choose the closest match.
During the Viewfinder Proportion Check, watch for students who draw objects at the same size regardless of position.
Provide a ruler to measure the real objects’ heights and widths. Students then use the viewfinder’s grid to plot relative sizes before sketching outlines.
During the Station Rotation, watch for students who assume paint colors should match the object exactly without adjustment.
Place test strips with pre-mixed versions of the object’s local color next to each lighting setup. Students must select the closest match and explain why it differs from the tube color.
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