Abstract Trees Inspired by Piet Mondrian

The 4/5s drew trees to complement their studies in Science class.
How can line be used creatively to make a stylized picture?  How can oil pastels be used effectively?   The students aimed to use line creatively and made stylized art.  A focus of the lesson was color mixing, blending and layering of the oil pastel.

1. Show images of Piet Mondrian’s abstract trees.  Discuss how he started out with realistic trees, then they became more and more abstract.  Finally, his style progressed to just shapes, lines and colors… the style with primary colors which he is most known for.

2. Sketch a stylized tree with pencil.  Make sure the trees branches create sections for coloring in.  These lines should touch the edges of the page.

3.  Paint over the tree lines with black tempera paint.  You might need two coats to make it nice and solid.

4.  After the paint is dry, color thickly with oil pastels in each of the white sections (negative space).  Layer colors on top of each other to mix colors.  Then, use your finger to smudge and blend.

Painting of an abstract tree against a colorful sky, with a white swing hanging from one of its branches.

Piet Mondrian’s abstract trees were viewed and we traced the progression of his artistic style from realistic to non-objective. 

A large tree with black branches stands against a vibrant sunset sky of orange, yellow, and blue hues, its silhouette evoking abstract trees reminiscent of Piet Mondrian art, with green grass at the base.

Discover more from Art is Basic | Elementary Art Projects

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.