COLOR AND EMOTION

 

Georgia Standards

 

South Carolina Standards

 

Key Vocabulary

Materials

• Sketchbooks/practice paper
• Pencils
• 9X9 paper divided into four sections
• Markers, colored pencils, or paint (students may choose their preferred medium)
• Black permanent markers
• Black construction paper cut 11X11 for mounting
• Glue or double-sided tape
• Various artworks that express emotions (ex: Van Gogh, Picasso, André Derain, Jim Dine)
  • Examples: “Four Hearts” by Jim Dine, “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh, and “The Old Guitarist” by Picasso
• Video about Pop Art and Andy Warhol (Watch only the first four minutes)
• Examples of Warhol’s work:

• Emotions and feeling chart:

• Color psychology and emotions chart:
  • Red – love, mad, angry, happy, energetic
  • Yellow – excited, happy, hopeful
  • Orange – excited, energetic
  • Blue – sad, cool, calm
  • Green – cool, calm, growth, nature
  • Purple – creative, luxury, wealth, lonely
  • Black – power, evil, madness, anger
  • Gray – bored, tired, sad
  • Brown – sleepy, lonely, nature

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

• Students will begin this lesson by discussing a variety of artists and how they use color to express or evoke emotions.
  • Examples: Van Gogh used yellow to show hope and joy, Picasso used blue to show sadness and despair, Derain used color to show noise and activity, Dine used color and line to show fun and excitement, and Monet used color to show calm and tranquil.
• Show examples of artwork that use color to evoke emotion and ask students to reflect on how each makes them feel. Provide time for students to discuss with a partner.
  • Examples: “Four Hearts” by Jim Dine, “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh, and “The Old Guitarist” by Picasso.
• Engage students in a discussion about what colors they identify with when they are sad, happy, mad, sick, etc.  
• Discuss color psychology and how this can help artists add emotion to their work.
• Ask students what other colors artists used to convey emotions.
• Next, look at and discuss artworks by Andy Warhol. Observe how he used contemporary objects in our everyday life in his work and how he used color to transform them.
• Show students images of different facial expressions used when conveying emotions. Discuss how changing the angle of the brow can make a face go from happy to sad, surprised to angry.
• Say different emotions and have students respond by making expressions to show that emotion.  

Work Session

• Ask students to provide an example of an emoji that displayed a particular emotion (sad face, happy face, mad face, etc.) and ask them how they could change or manipulate this emoji using facial expressions or colors to make this emoji appear to have more meaning.
  • Example: Using tints and shades of blue to color the sad emoji, using bright reds, yellows and oranges to show anger, etc.  
• Students will use their sketchbooks to design four emoji inspired characters that show different feelings or emotions through color and expression.
• Next, they will use crayons to practice using the appropriate colors throughout the piece to further express each character’s emotion. 
• After students have had time to sketch out their ideas, have them do a think-pair-share activity with the students around them to get constructive criticism.
  • Have students focus on communicating and expressing their concerns or thoughts about their peers’ artwork. The purpose is to gain other’s perspectives on their artwork and to make sure their classmates are communicating effectively.
  • Tell students that their peers should not have to guess what emotions they are trying to convey. It should be understood; if it is not, discuss what could be done differently to make it clearer.
• Show students examples of Andy Warhol’s artwork. Ask students to discuss the composition and colors that Warhol used.
• When the students are ready, pass out 9X9 inch project paper and have them fold it vertically and horizontally to create four equal sections.
• Have students trace or draw a large circle in each of the four sections. Students will then sketch out their four characters (one in each section) in a grid pattern like many of Warhol’s pieces.
• Once they have a sketch on the paper that they are happy with, have them outline their work with a black permanent marker.
• Students can use their choice of markers, colored pencils, or paint to finish their work. Remind them that the colors and facial expressions they use should express or convey a specific emotion.
• When the students are finished with their artwork, mount them on black paper giving them a clean border.

Student Examples:

 

 

Closing Reflection

• In closing, have students do a gallery walk. Have them determine what emotions are being conveyed. Students should be able to justify their answers using the knowledge they have gained from the lesson.
• Have students reflect on their own artwork and discuss what they thought they did well on and what they would change.

 

Assessments

Formative

• Teachers will assess students throughout the lesson through observations, questioning, responses to class discussion, sketching/practice, and conferencing.
• Suggestion: Use a Think-Pair-Share activity with students at the beginning, middle and end of the project so that they can give each other feedback. 

Summative

• Artwork rubric

 

Differentiation

Accelerated:  For accelerated students, talk about not only facial expression and color but introduce gesture and body posture. Students can create full-bodied characters that combine all of these elements to convey emotion. Another option is to allow students to write a proposal on a self-directed project that covers the same standards and goals as this lesson. Remedial: Students that need remediation might receive more time, scaffolding (small sets of instruction at a time that build on each other to complete the process), or a change in medium that works better for their abilities. Differentiation in art can be seen through variations in content, process, products, and learning environment. Content can be varied through things such as step-by-step instructions, supplementary text, art prints, student choice, curriculum compacting, technology and various other resources. The process in which the art is made can vary by medium, levels of support, challenge, complexity, or time. Products will vary based on how the students demonstrated their learning or expressed their ideas and knowledge of the project. Teachers can use a rubric to match or extend students’ skill level. Products can also vary based on whether the students worked alone, in small groups, or as a school to create artworks. Lastly, learning environments can be altered to accommodate different learning styles and objectives. The art teacher can create a safe, engaging, and positive setting by establishing clear rules and guidelines.

 

Additional Resources

• Andy Warhol (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia 
• Art & Emotions - YouTube (watch the first 2 ½ minutes)
• How Artists Use Color to Express Emotion (this can be used as a hook or a supplemental resource for kids that need more information or support)

 

Credits

U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning

Ideas contributed by: SAIL Grant Teacher Leaders–Chad Itnyre, Kristen Alvarez, Leah Patel, Lucerito Gonzalez, Tamu Clayton, Sandra Cash, Erin Smullen

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  August 2025 @ ArtsNOW