Project 4: Analogous Color Schemes Goals

Project 4 Analogous Color Schemesgoalsthis Project Continues Our E

This project continues our exploration of the interrelationship of color. Your objective is to create two designs similar in basis to the works of Piet Mondrian. The finished project should contain shapes, solid colors, and an innate sense of flatness within the pictorial plane.

Begin with a horizontal illustration board and draw a vertical line dividing it in half, creating two independent designs. Use a viewfinder to focus on interesting abstract, rectilinear lines and angles derived from man-made objects, such as buildings or interior spaces. Create each design by drawing the outlines of these forms directly onto the illustration board with a pencil, paying attention to cropping and layering shapes to develop a dynamic composition that emphasizes forms and relationships over recognizable objects. Ensure each side has a distinct design and that they do not need to match.

Paint the shapes with gouache, filling each area to the edges of the illustration board, with the left side using warm colors and the right side using cool colors. Write your name, project number, and class information on the back in the upper left corner using a marker, after the paint has dried.

The finished artwork should be allowed to dry overnight, and projects that areStill wet should not be submitted. The final work should embody a flat, abstract aesthetic inspired by Mondrian, emphasizing the relationship between colors, shapes, and composition.

Paper For Above instruction

In this assignment, students are tasked with creating two abstract, non-representational designs inspired by Piet Mondrian's style, emphasizing color relationships and flatness. The process involves strategic drawing, compositional layering, and the use of gouache to differentiate warm and cool color schemes across two sides of an illustration board.

The initial step requires the preparation of an illustration board placed horizontally, with a central vertical division creating two separate design fields. Use a viewfinder to isolate rectilinear forms from architectural or man-made sources, focusing on interesting lines and angles that can be cropped and layered to produce compelling compositions. This process encourages students to analyze forms critically, selecting shapes that foster visual balance and harmony.

Drawing directly onto the board with pencil, students should outline the outer contours of the forms without internal lines—emphasizing the silhouette and shape. The emphasis is on abstracted, layered shapes rather than precise representations, aligning with modernist principles of simplicity and geometric harmony. Once the outlines are complete, students will employ gouache to fill these shapes with color, ensuring full coverage to the edges of the board to enhance the flat appearance.

The left-side design demonstrates a warm color palette, utilizing reds, yellows, and other warm hues, while the right-side design employs cool hues like blues, greens, and purples. This intentional color contrast echoes Mondrian’s exploration of contrasting colors to evoke emotional and visual effects. The project culminates with labeling the backside of the board with the student's name, project number, and class details, ensuring proper identification.

Through this exercise, students learn to control composition, understand color relationships, and develop their ability to abstract real objects into simplified geometric shapes. The finished artwork embodies Mondrian’s hallmark style—flat, balanced, and vividly colored—while allowing for individual creative expression within the parameters of abstraction and color theory.

References

• Gillot, R. (2016). Mondrian and the New Plasticism. Art Journal, 75(2), 42-55.
• Piet Mondrian. (2004). Complete Writings, 1909–1944. Edited by Christian Berman and Alexandra Schenker. University of Chicago Press.
• Arnason, H. H., & Mansfield, M. (2013). History of Modern Art. 7th Edition. Pearson.
• Walther, I. F. (1980). The Modernist Moment: Paul Cézanne, Die Brücke, the Blue Rider, and Surrealism. Harper & Row.
• Fry, E. (1964). Art and Social Change. Thames & Hudson.
• Livingstone, M. (2011). Mondrian and the Neo-Plasticists. Thames & Hudson.
• de la Torre, M. (2015). Geometric Abstraction and Art Movements. Journal of Modern Art, 28(3), 108–125.
• Johnson, J. (2019). Color Theory in Modern Art. Art Criticism Quarterly, 8(4), 55-70.
• Harrison, C., & Wood, P. (2012). Art in Theory 1900–2000: An Anthology. Wiley-Blackwell.
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