Science and the Arts
Did you ever think about how science and the arts go hand in hand? To be able to draw or sculpt, you have to know shapes, proportions, and perspective, to observe, compare, and measure. To paint, you must understand color theory. To become a glass blower or potter, you must first understand chemistry. Musicians must understand sequence, frequencies, cause, and effect. And filmmakers, animators, and computer gamers must be able to implement engineering and technology.
Many scientists look to the arts to help them think through perplexing scientific questions. A recent blog noted that Nobel laureates in the sciences are 17 times more likely than the average scientist to be a painter, 12 times as likely to be a poet, and four times as likely to be a musician. Creativity, passion, and the need to explore inspire artists and scientists alike.
Did you ever think about how science and the arts go hand in hand? To be able to draw or sculpt, you have to know shapes, proportions, and perspective, to observe, compare, and measure. To paint, you must understand color theory. To become a glass blower or potter, you must first understand chemistry. Musicians must understand sequence, frequencies, cause, and effect. And filmmakers, animators, and computer gamers must be able to implement engineering and technology.
Many scientists look to the arts to help them think through perplexing scientific questions. A recent blog noted that Nobel laureates in the sciences are 17 times more likely than the average scientist to be a painter, 12 times as likely to be a poet, and four times as likely to be a musician. Creativity, passion, and the need to explore inspire artists and scientists alike.
Leo the Great: Leonardo Da Vinci (p. 151)
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was one of the greatest artists of all time. He also possessed a shrewd scientific mind. He was the ultimate Renaissance man, possessing knowledge and skills in and about a variety of topics. He was a painter, sculptor, inventor, military engineer, scientist, botanist, and mathematician. His scientific knowledge influenced his art and his artistic sense influenced his science. He is quite possibly the best example of the connection between art and science.
*Leonardo da Vinci for Kids: His Life and Ideas: 21 Activities
*Art Projects for Elementary Students on da Vinci
*Tape Transfer da Vinci Journal Pages
*Mirror Writing
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was one of the greatest artists of all time. He also possessed a shrewd scientific mind. He was the ultimate Renaissance man, possessing knowledge and skills in and about a variety of topics. He was a painter, sculptor, inventor, military engineer, scientist, botanist, and mathematician. His scientific knowledge influenced his art and his artistic sense influenced his science. He is quite possibly the best example of the connection between art and science.
*Leonardo da Vinci for Kids: His Life and Ideas: 21 Activities
*Art Projects for Elementary Students on da Vinci
*Tape Transfer da Vinci Journal Pages
*Mirror Writing
*Inspired by the Masters
*Project: Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko is best known for his large, geometric paintings featuring color washes. His images are easier to replicate, especially for a large variety of children of different ages and abilities, than those of the artists listed in the manual. Using an image of the color wheel, talk to the children about warm colors and cool colors. Talk to them about the colors they like. Talk to them about how putting colors next to each other can change the way you feel about each color. Show the children some of Rothko's most famous images and have them talk about them: what they like, what they don't like, how the colors work together, etc. You can also talk about color dilution, ratios, and color theory. There is actually a lot of science in art making!
Using canvases, or thick artists paper, let the children make their own Rothko inspired art works. Show them how they can use water to thin the paint, to get a washy effect. If you don't feel comfortable using acrylic paint, washable watercolors will also work, just not as boldly. Use tarps and newspapers to protect surfaces.
*Project: Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko is best known for his large, geometric paintings featuring color washes. His images are easier to replicate, especially for a large variety of children of different ages and abilities, than those of the artists listed in the manual. Using an image of the color wheel, talk to the children about warm colors and cool colors. Talk to them about the colors they like. Talk to them about how putting colors next to each other can change the way you feel about each color. Show the children some of Rothko's most famous images and have them talk about them: what they like, what they don't like, how the colors work together, etc. You can also talk about color dilution, ratios, and color theory. There is actually a lot of science in art making!
Using canvases, or thick artists paper, let the children make their own Rothko inspired art works. Show them how they can use water to thin the paint, to get a washy effect. If you don't feel comfortable using acrylic paint, washable watercolors will also work, just not as boldly. Use tarps and newspapers to protect surfaces.
*Project: Pablo Picasso
*Picasso Inspired Portraits
*Picasso Inspired Collages
You can talk about the science behind beauty and how proportion and layout of a face effect how we perceive beauty.
*Picasso Inspired Portraits
*Picasso Inspired Collages
You can talk about the science behind beauty and how proportion and layout of a face effect how we perceive beauty.
Shape Your Art
The art of Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert is familair to most children through their many picture books. Both artists are known for their collages. In this program, children will make an original piece of art inspired by the collage work of these two artists. You can provide pre-cut geometric shapes, or just let children cut their own. (I adapted this program from the Shape Your Art program on page 159. I find that using paint in a multi-step program is a bad idea. It never dries on time, the kids get frustrated, and you're left with 50 craft projects to get rid of.)
Science Points
What You Need
The art of Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert is familair to most children through their many picture books. Both artists are known for their collages. In this program, children will make an original piece of art inspired by the collage work of these two artists. You can provide pre-cut geometric shapes, or just let children cut their own. (I adapted this program from the Shape Your Art program on page 159. I find that using paint in a multi-step program is a bad idea. It never dries on time, the kids get frustrated, and you're left with 50 craft projects to get rid of.)
Science Points
- Talk about the states of matter they are using (solids and liquids)
- Talk about color and how mixing colors creates new colors
- Talk about symmetrical (stars, squares, circles, etc) and asymmetrical shapes (car, fish, etc.) and point out shapes in art work
What You Need
- *Papers of various colors, textures, and designs (scrapbook paper works great!)
- Scissors
- White card stock
- Glue sticks
- Pencils or markers
- *Let the children cut their designs out of the provided paper. If you're working with younger patrons, provide pre-cut shapes that they may use to complete their artwork.
- Children will glue their cut shapes to the white card stock to create their finished artwork. Click the link above to see some finished examples.