VanGogh Inspired Still Life

Still Life with Basket and Six Oranges
Oil on Canvas
Vincent VanGogh

My 7th and 8th grade students worked on still lives inspired by the above painting by Vincent VanGogh.  Students observed the strong use of brushstrokes and shading that VanGogh used.  They recreated this masterpiece by using a quick perspective point and making three walls.  From there, students drew a basket focusing on lines to represent the cane's shape using crayon.  Next, students practiced their shading techniques by using pastels to color in one wall entirely a dominant color.  They then used this same color to create a shadow on the second wall and floor around the basket.  Students blended the chalk with a second color to fill in the remaining space of the floor and wall.  here students were asked to add details of quick "staccato" lines to mimic VanGogh's style.

Day two the class worked with oil pastels and making the fruit to fill the basket and table.  I modeled how to use to oil pastels to add definition and then apply baby oil to help blend the colors.  Student then were asked to make apples, oranges, pears and even bananas to their artwork.