Get a box handy, ’cause you’re going to be packing in a lot of stuff for this project. It’s a super fun activity and totally worth the extra prep time and supplies!
Giotto di Bondone was an Italian painter and architect during the late Middle Ages. He created beautiful frescoes and also did tempera paintings on wood panels, which is what our students will be mimicking. Tempera paint allows for vivid color (medieval artists even used toxic substances like arsenic and mercury to get these colors. Yikes.) that has retained its vibrancy for hundreds of years. While chalk isn’t quite the same as what Giotto used, it’s a fun substitute to learn about pre-Renaissance painting techniques.
To get started, here’s the supply list. Some have links to the items on amazon.
- Cardstock (can print the images from page 2 of lesson plan, if desired)
- Brightly colored chalk in a variety of colors
- Mortar and pestle
- Containers for chalk dust
- Spoons
- Paintbrushes
- Palettes (or muffin tins)
- Several egg yolks mixed with water (2 tsp. water per egg yolk)
- Optional: Pipette
- Paper towels, water for cleaning brushes
- Book/images of Giotto’s work
Here is the Cycle 1 Week 13- Giotto lesson plan and printable images.
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