‘Nano Nature’ Landscapes

Year 7 students undertook this painting exercise to develop their colour mixing skills, their brushing techniques (wet and dry, stipple and scumble) and the process of layering as a painting technique.

We looked at highly magnified ‘Nano’ images. (Reference book: Nano Nature by Richard Jones).

These images are amazing. As a stimulation and reference for painting they are less threatening to students as they are not readily recognisable. (eg. tip of a fly’s proboscis, opening of a spore capsule)

We observed the gradations and transitions of colours. We discussed how we can work in layers, blend wet into wet or use dry brush over already dry areas to create subtle gradations and transitions of colour.

All colours were mixed from the primary colours (Cool BLUE, Cool RED, Warm YELLOW) and white. No black was permitted (we made our own using the 3 primaries)

Before starting on the actual painting we completed a Colour Mixing Grid and a Brush Technique Sheet for their workbooks.

Darryl Smith
Visual Art Teacher
St Leonard’s College, Brighton
Suitable for Level 5