October 7, 2023
Resources for Atmospheric Perspective Project
NEW: a rotating group of artists and art educators will be bringing you high quality art projects and lessons at Outside the Box Creation! October's project is Amanda Koonlaba's debut project as an Artist in Residence with us: atmospheric perspective!
DOWNLOAD YOUR PROJECT PLANSetting the Stage
The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak by Albert Bierstadt, painted in 1863.
October's project explores the artistic technique of atmospheric perspective! First, let's explore what that means and why it matters.
In the art world, atmospheric perspective is all about creating a sense of depth and distance in 2D artwork. In the real world, atmospheric perspective is what you see when you look far into the distance. If you've ever looked at the mountains, out across a body of water, or watched a beautiful sunset, then you've seen examples of atmospheric perspective. The gasses in the air around us interact and cause faraway objects to look blurred, almost as if they are blending in with the background.
The painting above is a great example. The mountains and sky are the background, the treeline and waterfall are the middleground, and the settlement of people and horses below are the foreground. See how the mountains become lighter and almost like they're part of the sky as they get farther away? That is atmospheric perspective!
Backgrounds are an important part of atmospheric art as they provide context for the figures or objects within the piece. While color is not the defining characteristic of atmospheric art, it is often used to simulate the changes that occur to colors seen at a distance, due to the effects of the atmosphere.
In this lesson, we will be creating our own atmospheric art using chalk pastels. Chalk pastels are a great medium for experimenting with the use of color to simulate atmosphere. By blending and layering colors, we will create the illusion of depth and distance in our artwork.
Plenty of examples of atmospheric perspective in art can be found in this month's book, too!
Image Credits & Further Learning:
www.wikiart.org/en/albert-bierstadt
Supplies Needed for Insider's Club Members (or if you're a box subscriber & want to purchase additional supplies)
Strongly recommended: A Symphony of Whales by Steve Schuch. You can purchase it or find it at your local library, or watch our Artist in Residence's read aloud below!
Elmer's Glue like so
Chamois for blending like this one
**Pronounced "shammy" in American art circles, though the animal it comes from is pronounced "sham-wah"!
Black onstruction paper 9"x12" like this pack
School Smart chalk pastels
Cotton balls, just like ones you may keep around the house like these
Something to wipe hands on like a wet paper towel, baby wipe, old tshirt, or a dry tissue
*The above Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of them we may earn a very small commission but it does not increase your price at all, so we hope you will!
Main Project Tutorial
Taking It Further
Read Together
About the Artist
Amanda Koonlaba
In addition to her impressive accomplishments as a mixed media artist, Amanda Koonlaba (pronounced koo-laba) is also a highly decorated educator who has won numerous awards for her exceptional work in the field. She was named the Mississippi Elementary Art Teacher of the Year in 2016, and in 2019 she was recognized as the Top 40 Under 40 Person of the Year by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
Koonlaba's extensive experience as an educator has been instrumental in shaping her artistic practice. She has a particular talent for working with children, helping them to unlock their creativity and develop their artistic skills. Her passion for education and her expertise in the arts make her a dynamic and engaging teacher who is deeply committed to helping others discover the joys and benefits of artistic expression.
Whether she is creating mixed media pieces for exhibitions or working with children on creative projects, Koonlaba brings a unique perspective and an unwavering dedication to her craft. Her ability to connect with others and to inspire them to explore their own creativity is a testament to her exceptional talent as both an artist and an educator.
You can find her online at www.partyintheartroom.com
Instagram: @partyintheartroom
Printable Vocab Match & Answer Key
Our newly designed project instructions feature an activity just for fun!
The October game is a vocab match puzzle found on page 11 of the printed insert.
Below is a printable version of the vocab match for sibling sharing and the answer key.
About the Insider’s Club
The Outside the Box Insider’s Club is a monthly digital membership that includes videos, downloadable curriculum/project plans, and tips to make it easy for parents to do art regularly with their kids! If you know someone who would enjoy this, please share the Outside the Box Insider's Club. If you have been a box subscriber for a year or more and have accumulated a large stash of art supplies, you may want to switch to the Insider's Club digital membership.
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