Atmospheric Perspective in Art-Renaissance Lesson Plan
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Art of the Italian Renaissance-Lesson Plan For Children
I love finding great ideas for art appreciation for my children. We included this project in with our Renaissance history plans to learn more about the time period and Leonardo Da Vinci.
We have been learning about the artistic techniques that evolved in Italy during the Renaissance period of time, roughly the 15th and early 16th centuries. There is so much to learn that we have broken the concepts down into mini-lessons. Here is the first part of the lesson.
This lens will focus on Leonardo Da Vinci's artwork and how he incorporated these ideas into his paintings. Scroll down to find the lesson plan and an example of a follow-up art project.
Concepts that formed during this time period are:
Importance of the artist
Use of space and proportion
Realistic representation of the figure
This lens contains five paintings that represent the idea of aerial perspective.
Leonardo was the first artist to show objects as less detailed in the distance, contrasts between lights and darks became less distinct in the distance, and there appeared to be a bluish haze.
This is called aerial or atmospheric perspective.
View the paintings below and look for these features.
We have been learning about the artistic techniques that evolved in Italy during the Renaissance period of time, roughly the 15th and early 16th centuries. There is so much to learn that we have broken the concepts down into mini-lessons. Here is the first part of the lesson.
This lens will focus on Leonardo Da Vinci's artwork and how he incorporated these ideas into his paintings. Scroll down to find the lesson plan and an example of a follow-up art project.
Concepts that formed during this time period are:
Importance of the artist
Use of space and proportion
Realistic representation of the figure
This lens contains five paintings that represent the idea of aerial perspective.
Leonardo was the first artist to show objects as less detailed in the distance, contrasts between lights and darks became less distinct in the distance, and there appeared to be a bluish haze.
This is called aerial or atmospheric perspective.
View the paintings below and look for these features.
Contents At A Glance
Short Video Lesson
Sometimes it is nice to actually see how artists put this into practice. This very short video will introduce a couple of really great ideas for getting started with atmospheric perspective.
You will see how an artist uses "blurred vision" to begin the painting and then using values of paint, he creates the atmospheric perspective.
You will see how an artist uses "blurred vision" to begin the painting and then using values of paint, he creates the atmospheric perspective.
curated content from YouTube
Leonardo's Art Featured On This Page
More Links for Atmospheric Perspective
- Flickr Group Photos
- These photos show how photographers use atmospheric perspective.
- Excellent Article with Simple Explanations
- This article is a concise explanation of this technique used by artists.
- Lesson Plan Atmospheric Perspective
- A complete lesson plan with images for learning about this technique.
- Leonardo Sings the Blues
- Short lesson on atmospheric perspective in Leonardo's paintings.
Lady of the Rocks, 1483-1486
Leonardo da Vinci
Mona Lisa, 1504-1506
Leonardo da Vinci

Agony in the Garden, C. 1465
Giovanni Bellini

Three Philosophers, 1505-1509
Giorgione
The Tribute Money, 1427-1428
Masaccio

Follow Up Project
Try your hand at painting with watercolors the scene you see before you. Try to incorporate the ideas that Leonardo talked about and then demonstrated in his paintings.

Our First Attempt at Showing Aerial Perspective
Links for More Leonardo Study
- Art History-Leonardo Da Vinci
- This link has a wealth of information for homeschoolers looking to go more in-depth with their study of Leonardo's art.
- Web Museum
- Online art gallery with Leonardo's paintings to view.
- Olga's Gallery-Online web gallery of Leonard's paintings
- This link has wonderful images and a short biography for Leonardo.
- Mona Lisa coloring page
- Simple blackline drawing that you can print and color.
- Famous Artists Lapbook PDF
- Fantastic printable resource for making a Famous Artists lapbook featuring Leonardo.
- Child's History of Art - Ebook from Currclick.com
- This classic narrative style book is full of great information and full-color images of artwork. Click over and see the full-size preview. I think this is a great value for your ebook reader.
- Leonardo da Vinci for Kids
- Lots of nice projects outlined on this webpage.
- Free Printable Notebook Page for Da Vinci
- Print and go with this easy to use notebook page from NotebookingPages.com.
Looking for more Renaissance art plans?
Try my Harmony Fine Arts Ebook
- Medieval and Renaissance Art
- Read more about this ebook here.
- Customer Review of the First Week
- Here you can read Hope's experience with the new ebook format.
- Order your copy of this ebook here.
- $17.44 for this complete year plan in ebook format.
Mona Lisa - Picture Study
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Art and Music: Da Vinci
Ever wonder what music Leonardo might have listened to during his lifetime? Check out this album for a unique perspective into his world.
More on Renaissance Artists
I love to hear your comments!
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iijuan12
Feb 9, 2011 @ 5:38 pm | delete
- We're doing a unit study on Leonardo da Vinci right now, and your ideas are very helpful!
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bakerwoman
Nov 25, 2010 @ 11:22 pm | delete
- The more I stare at the paintings the more I see aerial perspective. Thanks for sharing.
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Jimmie
Nov 17, 2008 @ 8:33 pm | delete
- I like how the art is right in the lens. This is a one stop lesson!
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by HarmonyArtMom
HarmonyArtMom
Mom of four, fourteen years of homeschooling, passionate about art, music, and nature study. See Harmony Fine Arts and my Squidoo Bio for more about me... more »
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