Mona Lisa Art Lessons

Upside Down Mona Lisa Drawing

Lesson Plan Submitted by: Michel Reeverts
Title: Modern Mona
Formerly, art teacher at Strawberry Park Elementary.
Michel is now creating art and has work that can be seen here.

 

Procedure:

5th or 6th grade - I first took a contour drawing of the Mona Lisa and copied enough for each student. We then talked about the right and left hemispheres of the brain and how the right is the creative side. (yet most artist are not always in their right minds.)

 

The students should then turn the drawings upside down and cover 3/4 of the image with a sheet of construction paper. Next, they erase from their minds what the drawing is and see it as only random lines and to draw what they see and not what they know. As they complete that quarter section of lines the cover sheet should be moved to ½ etc. until finished. I then have the students take their final drawing and turn the old Leonardo portrait into a modern portrait; IE. nose ring, sunglasses, a 7-11 in the background, rings etc. The drawings are then colored with colored pencils.

 

Materials:

• Contour line drawings of Mona Lisa (or photocopies of the painting)

• White Drawing Paper, Drawing Pencils, Construction Paper (same size as drawing paper)

• Colored Pencils.

Reference: Betty Edwards, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive, 4th Edition- Also see the workbook.

Websites: Eisenhower Middle School

Resources

Mona Lisa- Leonardo Da Vinci - Art Poster 24"X36"

Alternative Monochromatic Mona Lisa Lesson

Lesson Plan Submitted by: Kimberly Daniel
Art teacher at Sullivan Elementary in Dickson, Tennessee.
Grades: 4th through 6th grades

 

Procedure:

Discuss a little history concerning the artist Leonardo da Vinci. Ask the children what they think of the Mona Lisa painting and why he painted her? Show artwork of the Fauves. Discuss and explain various color plans in the paintings. Review shading and tinting techniques.  The final product will be a Mona Lisa painted in bold and subjective colors. There should be strong contrasts with warm and cool colors. If time allows have them paint a value chart using the color they have chosen.

 

The final product will be a monochromatic Mona Lisa that students will be astonish students when they finish.

 

Materials:

• Photocopies or black-lined copies of the painting

• 12"x18" (30.5 x 46 cm) heavy weight Drawing Paper

• Drawing Pencils, Kneaded Rubber Erasers

• Tempera Paint - Brushes - Mixing Trays

• Mona Lisa print

• Examples of Fauves

Objectives:

1. To become more aware of Expressive color in painting

2. To become more aware of values in painting

3. To strive to paint with a monochromatic color scheme

4. To become familiar with Leonardo's work of the Mona Lisa

5. To strive to paint with bold color scheme

Optional:

Materials: Pencil and ruler

Have students draw a one inch grid on the photocopies. Draw a grid on the drawing paper (using the same number of squares as on the photocopy). Transfer the image of Mona square by square. Renaissance artists were known to use a grid.

 

Optional:

Change surroundings - Give Mona a new look - new fashion for 21st century.

 

Alternate: Have students draw their own Mona Lisa. Put her in new surrounding - add local landscape/buildings etc (bring her portrait to the 21st century). Example: have McDonald's in background - have her holding a Big Mac. Mona Lisa parody.

 

Resources

Books

The Fauves: The Masters Who Shook the World of Art (Schools & Movements Series) - This book contains full color-reproductions of the most representative works of the leading proponents of their flamboyant style.

Who Was Leonardo da Vinci? - For ages 9-12. This book is part of the "Who was" series.

Leonardo Da Vinci: 1452-1519: The Complete Paintings and Drawings (Taschen 25th Anniversary) - As it says, this book includes all of Da Vinci's drawings and paintings.

 

Prints

Double Mona Lisa, 1963 Art Print by Andy Warhol, 28x22 - This is the Andy Warhol version of the Mona Lisa.

Mona Lisa and Westie - This is an entirely different take of the Mona Lisa.

Mona Lisa Art Print by Jean-Michel Basquiat - This is the Jean-Michel Basquait version of the Mona Lisa.

Mona Lisa Mural - Mona is on the side of a building in this one. Show students how much Mona can brighten up any building.

 

Links

Transforming Mona Lisa- A page by Eisenhower Middle School.

Google Art Project - See some of Leonardo Da Vinci's work close up.

 

Mona-Lisa Values

Lesson Plan Submitted by: Kimberly Daniel
Art teacher at Sullivan Elementary in Dickson, Tennessee.
Grades: 4th through 6th grades

 

Objectives:

1. To become more aware of values in painting to strive to paint with a monochromatic color scheme.

2. To become familiar with Leonardo's work of the Mona Lisa.

 

Discuss a little history concerning Leonardo. Ask the children what they think of her, Why did he paint her? Why are we going to only use one color to paint her?

 

Discuss and explain why painting in a monochromatic fashion will later help their other adventures in painting. Review shading and tinting techniques. If time allows you may wish to have them paint a value chart using their desired color they have chosen.

 

The final product will be a monochromatic Mona Lisa that students will be astonished when they complete.

Happy painting!

 

Alternate:

Have students draw their own Mona Lisa. Put her in new surrounding - add local landscape/buildings etc (bring her p to the 21st century). Example: have McDonald's in background - have her holding a Big Mac. Mona Lisa parody.

 

Materials:

• Print of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci
  

• Black-lined copies of the painting to make this activity (See this lesson)
  

• Tempera Paint

• Brushes

Resources

Books

Who Was Leonardo da Vinci? - For ages 9-12. This book is part of the "Who was" series.

Leonardo Da Vinci: 1452-1519: The Complete Paintings and Drawings (Taschen 25th Anniversary) - As it says, the book includes all of Da Vinci's drawings and paintings.