Art Skill - Drawing with Watercolor Pencil

 

Art History - Marc Chagall and Modern Art

Chagall was an expressionist, modern artist that created art in many different art forms from 1910-1985. He painted, illustrated books, and created stained glass windows, ceramics, and prints. His works appear dreamlike with a kind of supernatural quality, much like Surrealist art. Chagall claimed that he painted “not the dream of one [person] but all of humanity.”

Chagall often portrays symbolic religious themes in his work, relating to his background growing up in a religious Jewish home in Russia during a time in which Jews were considered outsiders in a hostile society. Chagall faced significant opposition as a Jewish artist, but embraced his religious roots and became known for his unique ability to portray traditional, religious themes in a modern way. He did this by drawing and painting child-like figures in an imaginative way, with colors that create a sense of movement, rather than imitating nature. Chagall studied and created art in Russia, France, and the United States and absorbed art techniques such as Fauvism (led by artist Henri Matisse) and Cubism (pioneered by Pablo Picasso).

Think of what you might draw that could depict the places you have visited or different people (or animals!) you have seen. How might you draw to combine a sense of the past with the present? Use the watercolor pencils and paintbrush with water to allow for your work to take on a dreamlike, whimsical feel.