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Vol. 39 No.1 ISSN 1060-832X
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Georges Seurat Working With Color

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All articles correlate with

the National Content
Standards for Visual Arts:
1. Understanding and
applying media, tech-
niques, and processes
2. Using knowledge of
structures and functions
3. Choosing and evaluating
a range of subject matter,
symbols, and ideas
4. Understanding the visual
arts in relation to history
and cultures
5. Reflecting upon and
assessing the character-
istics and merits of their
work and the work of others
6. Making connections
between the visual arts
and other disciplines
Overview
French artist, Georges Seurat (1859–1891),
was the creative force behind an innovative
style of painting called Pointillism (also called
Divisionism or Neoimpressionism). Inspired by
the Impressionist painters of his time, Seurat
took their ideas one step further. Instead of
using loose brushstrokes to recreate light and
color, Seurat placed dots of pure color side
by side. From a distance, the colors worked
together to create the desired optical effect. In
this issue, your students will learn about color
by exploring Seurat’s painting techniques.
hatch marks, to create the feeling of a vibrant,
• Before reading: Have students study the warm summer day. He experimented and mixed
poster of Sunday on La Grande Jatte. What does dots of related colors that are near each other on
the painting show? How do the colors the artist the color wheel—yellow, orange, and red—with
used make you feel? How would you describe dots of their color opposites, such as purple,
the mood of the painting? Explain that this blue and green. By doing so, Seurat believed his
painting was one of French artist George Seurat’s work would glow with intensity when viewed
first, and most famous, Pointillist works. In the from a distance. Sadly, Seurat died of a sudden
huge work, the artist carefully painted more than illness in 1891, only five years after completing
3.5 million tiny dots, dashes, tiny circles, and the painting. He was 31.

SART Seurat REG TE F4 p1.indd 3 6/18/08 12:19:14 PM

 ☞
Pages 2-3
NOTE: Numbered questions and answers correlate with quiz on page 4.
Reinventing the World in Color
Standards Correlation: 2. Structures/func-
tions; 3. Symbols/ideas; 4. History/culture.
1 What was the dominant style of painting
when Georges Seurat began working during
the late 19th century? When Seurat entered
the French Academy in 1878, he was expect-
ed to create paintings in the highly realistic,
traditional style that dominated Europen art at
the time. Some students like Seurat wanted
to break free from the academy’s rigid tradi-
tional vision. They quickly became discour-
aged with the program and left the school
so they could work in a looser, less realistic
style. 2 What qualities in Seurat’s early
works show that he was being influenced by
a new Impressionist style of painting? Like
the Impressionists, Seurat painted ordinary
subjects, set outdoors, in bright sunlight,
with loose, sketchy strokes and little detail.
He painted his figures from an unusual point
of view and a background that appeared flat,
also part of the Impressionist style.
3 How did Seurat use Impressionist
ideas about color as he developed his own
painting style? Seurat noticed that when
the Impressionists wanted a color to ap-
pear brighter, they would include a bit of the
color’s opposite. He applied this principle as
he developed his own system of represent-
ing color using small dots of paint. This style
later became known as Pointillism. What
color opposites did Seurat use in Circus
Sideshow to make its color appear unusu-
ally bright when seen from a distance?
Seurat added small dots of blue-green be-
tween the orange and red strokes in a figure’s
face. This made the face appear brighter. He
also scattered red dots in the painting’s green
background to further intensify that area.
Pages 4-5, 8-9
SHIMMERING SURFACES
Standards Correlation: 2. Structures/func-
tions; 3. Symbols/ideas; 6. History/culture.
4 How did Seurat’s color techniques
evolve as he prepared for one of his most
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2 TEACHER’S EDITION • september/october 2008
SART Seurat REG TE F4 REV p2.indd 4
important works The Bathers? At first,
Seurat used uniform hues or colors to mod-
and yellow (related because they are located
next to one another on the color wheel). The
artist added small dots of their complemen-
tary pairs, orange, red, and purple, to create
el the larger figures. He gradually started to the visual sensation of sparking sunlight.
juxtapose colors, painting blue and purple
dashes to create water, in a loose Impres- Pages 6-7, 8-9
sionist style. 5 How is looking at The summer in the park
Bathers up close different from looking Standards Correlation: 2. Structures/func-
at it from a distance? When you look at tions; 3. Symbols/ideas; 4. History/culture.
the grass up close, much of it is made up
of yellow and blue brushstrokes. From a 9 In what way did Seurat divide the
distance, these two primary colors combine composition of his best-known painting,
in an optical mix that appears green. Up Sunday on La Grande Jatte? Seurat visually
close, you also see that Seurat added marks divided the painting’s composition into three
of green’s complementary color, red, to the horizontal bands. In the foreground, the cool
grass in the foreground. From a distance, dots of related dark green and blue paint
the red recedes and causes the grassy area form a shadowy patch of grass. The warmer
to appear to shimmer and vibrate. yellow-green dots in the middle ground form
6 Why does adding a color’s complemen- an area of sunlit grass. The blue-green trees
tary pair have the visual effect of making and sky at the top of the painting make up the
that color appear brighter? When a person’s background. 10 How would you describe
eyes focus on a certain color, the sensation the figures in Sunday on La Grande Jatte?
of that color—an afterimage—forms. Take The more than 40 figures in the painting are
the color red, for example. If you stare at a large and simplified, and have little depth,
red object long enough, then shift your eyes texture, or detail. No figure looks at any other,
to a white wall, you will see a green after- and few seem to interact. Also, the artist did
image for several seconds. As he developed not include much facial emotion.
his Pointillist style, Seurat experimented (Additional notes: Some historians believe
with small dots in different color combina- that the stiffness of Seurat’s human figures
tions. He discovered that juxtaposing a small may have been inspired by Egyptian art.
amount of a color’s complement creates an Some historians also say that the figures’
afterimage that has the visual effect of mak- lack of expression may have been Seurat’s
ing the color seem brighter, or more intense. way of commenting on French society of the
How does Seurat’s use of color affect the late 1800s). 11 How does Seurat’s use of
way viewers perceive The Bathers? Seurat multiple points of view serve to draw the
added orange and blue dots to the red hat viewer into Sunday on La Grande Jatte? The
worn by the boy in the river to make it appear viewer is drawn into the painting through the
more brilliant. By doing so, he was adding figures in the foreground, who are painted
an element that draws the viewer’s eye to the with a point of view that is slightly from
right of the canvas and visually balances the above. The viewer’s attention then moves to
asymmetrical (different on each side) com- the people scattered in the middle ground,
position. 7 What effect did the increasing who are seen from eye level. The figures’ di-
importance of technology have on Seurat’s agonal shadows give the sensation that they
work? It caused him to believe that art could are firmly anchored to the ground.
be created using scientific methods. He tried 12 Why wasn’t Sunday on La Grande Jatte
to come up with an optical formula based on well received when it was shown to the
painting an exact number and mix of colored public for the first time? Seurat’s pointillist
dots per square inch. The artist used this masterpiece was so different, even from the
formula to create a seascape. 8 What color work of the Impressionists, that most people
techniques did Seurat use to capture sun- and critics rejected it. Today, the painting is
light on the water in the seascape on page regarded as one of the finest examples of its
5? Seurat used the related colors blue, green, kind ever painted.
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6/18/08 3:15:28 PM
 Pages 10-11
Portraits of the artists
Standards Correlation: 2. Structures/func-
tions; 3. Symbols/ideas; 4. History/culture.
How is Chuck Close’s use of small units of
color similar to Seurat’s pointillist tech-
nique? How is it different? Like Seurat,
Close builds his paintings with small units
of color that, from a distance, blend to cre-
ate an overall image. But, rather than build-
ing an image with painted dots like Seurat,
Close uses a grid to divide his canvas into
small squares. Each square is like a tiny
abstract painting. In some squares the col-
ors are made up of complementary pairs,
in others the colors are related. To cre-
ate highlights, Close uses tints. To create
shadows, he uses shades. What qualities
in Mary Cassatt’s self-portrait show that
she, like Seurat, was being influenced by
the painting style of the Impressionists?
Cassatt used loose, sketchy brushtrokes
WORKSHOP LESSON PLAN
BY NED J. NESTI JR., MORRISON JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, MORRISON, ILL.
OBJECTIVE: Students will create a water
marker pointillist landscape composition.
TIME: Up to 20 hours
VOCABULARY: analogous • background/
middle ground/foreground • complementary •
contrast • composition • contour • silhouette
• wet-on-wet • optical mix • perspective
• proportion • stippling/pointillism • tint/shade
• transparent • unity • value • visual texture •
warm/cool color • wash/underpainting
PROCEDURE
Preparation: up to four hours
1. A few weeks in advance, search for an
outdoor location where students can draw
their landscapes. Try to find a local state
park, city park, or school property that re-
sembles scenes in Seurat’s paintings.
2. Once you have selected a location, dis-
cuss the visit with whomever is responsible
for the site. Also, check with school adminis-
trators for details regarding students leaving
classroom or going off school property.
3. Use tape to secure 18 x 24 in. paper to
drawing boards. Carry pencils, sharpeners,
erasers, viewfinders, tape, in Zip Lock bags.
Introduction (one hour)
1. Show students examples of Seurat’s
work. Discuss composition, subject matter,
painting technique (pointillism), use of color,
texture, rhythm/movement, unity and mood.
SART Seurat REG TE F4 REV p2.indd 5
to create this realistic image, painting
techniques she learned from the Impres-
sionists. She also made her composition
informal and assymetrical (different on
each side but visually balanced). The nega-
tive space on the right balances her dark
solid figure on the left. How does Beauford
Delaney use color, line, and shape to ex-
press his feelings as an African-American
painter suffering through the difficulties
of the Great Depression? In his self-
portrait, Delaney uses thick black lines and
irregular shapes to outline his face and
convey his frustration at having to work
many low-paying jobs. Delaney frames his
facial image in bright, primary shades of
red, yellow, and blue to emphasize the in-
tensity of his feelings. He paints his face, in
contrast, with thick, choppy brushstrokes
of browns and greens and also distorts
the shape of one eye—the painting’s focal
point—to draw the viewer into his agitated
state of mind.
Discuss and demonstrate foreshortening,
perspective, scale, and proportion.
2. Before drawing, students should practice
basic contour drawing. Have students draw a
classroom object using silhouettes and sim-
ple shapes, without too much interior detail.
Drawing: up to four hours
1. Students will create two preliminary
drawings for this assignment. Divide stu-
dents into two groups and alternate them
between two locations. Remind students to
be responsible when working outside the
classroom. As they draw, remind students to
interpret forms and models simply.
2. Demonstrate using a viewfinder for scale
and proportion and a pencil to measure so
shapes and forms will be the correct size.
3. Critique student drawings as they work.
Have students digitally photograph their
scenes for reference in the classroom.
Painting Watercolor Wash: up to two hours
1. Have students tape their strongest compo-
sition to a painting board. If necessary, lightly
erase dark pencil marks so lines are faint.
2. Demonstrate how to paint a wet-on-wet
watercolor wash that will serve as an
underpainting. Tell students to use light wa-
tercolors in their wash that support the color
themes in each area/object. Blot excess wa-
ter. Have students wait for an area/object to
dry before beginning another so colors don’t
Pages 12-13
ARTIST OF THE MONTH
Jessica Staubach: Balanced Color
Standards Correlation: 2. Structures/func-
tions; 3. Symbols/ideas.
How does Jessica’s color scheme resemble
Seurat’s? As in Seurat’s Sunday on La
Grande Jatte, Jessica divides her painting into
three sections. The blue area on top suggests
sky. Below, a band of orange, yellow, and
green suggests trees. Colors swirl around
white riverlike shapes to form the foreground.
Page 16 CRITIC’S CORNER
Standards Correlation: 1. Media/techniques/
processes; 2. Structures/functions;
3. Symbols/ideas; 5. Assessment.
ANSWERS: 1.A. 2.All but F,G,H. 3.H. 4.G.
5.C,E,H. 6.F,G,H. 7.D,F. 8.E. 9. B,C,D,E. 10.G.
11.H. 12.D. 13.F. 14.G,I. 15.G,H. 16.E.
17.B,G,I,(F) 18.H,(C,D,E) 19.B,D. 20.A.
bleed. Frequently change water and clean
brushes thoroughly after each use.
3. Have students experiment with washes and
stippling techniques on the landscape draw-
ing they rejected before starting their piece.
Applying Water Marker: up to nine hours
1. When watercolor wash is dry, have stu-
dents remove paintings from boards. Press
rippled papers between drawing boards.
2. Demonstrate various stippling marks
that can be made using markers with dif-
ferent tips (chiseled, pointed, broad and
fine). Show students how dots of different
diameters, dashes of varying length and
thickness and straight or wavy marks can be
used to define objects and create effects of
light, shadow or movement. Show students
the different effect of marks placed in close
proximity (three-dimensional effect) and
marks placed far apart (light in value).
3. Discuss/demonstrate color theory (analo-
gous, warm/cool, monochomatic, comple-
mentaries) and color traits (ie: yellow has
less visual weight than other colors).
4. Watercolor marker is permanent; different
colors don’t blend. Students should work
carefully and avoid overlapping marks. En-
courage students to step back frequently and
critique their works for focal point, unity, and
balance. Identify each completed work on a
small label, listing title and artist’s name.
september/october 2008 • TEACHER’S EDITION 3
6/18/08 3:16:23 PM
 Scholastic Art Skills Master

Georges Seurat
Working With Color
1. What was the dominant painting style when Georges Seurat began working in the late 19th century?

2. What qualities in Seurat’s early works show that he was being influenced by a new Impressionist style
of painting?

3. How did Seurat use Impressionist ideas about color as he developed his own painting style?

4. How did Seurat’s color techniques evolve as he prepared for one of his most important works,
The Bathers seen on page 4?

5. How is looking at The Bathers up close different from looking at it from a distance?

6. Why does adding a color’s complementary pair have the visual effect of making that color appear brighter?

7. What effect did the increasing importance of technology have on Seurat’s work?

8. What color techniques did Seurat use to capture sunlight on the water in the seascape on page 5?

9. In what way did Seurat divide the composition of his painting Sunday on La Grande Jatte?

10. How would you describe the figures in Sunday on La Grande Jatte?

11. How does Seurat’s use of multiple points of view serve to draw the viewer into Sunday on La Grande Jatte?

12. Why wasn’t Sunday on La Grande Jatte well-received when it was shown to the public for the first time?

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4 TEACHER’S EDITION • september/october 2008

SART Seurat REG TE F4 p1.indd 2 6/18/08 12:20:09 PM