Art Nouveau Scratchboard Drawing

Name:
Class:
Art Nouveau Scratchboard Drawing
Inspired by GustavKlimt
Art Nouveau was a highly decorative art form developed
in the 1880’s and 1890’s. Art Nouveau designs are often
characterized by ornamental twisting flowers and plant
forms like the pin on the right.
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was one of
the leaders of the Art Nouveau
movement in Austria. Klimt was the
son of a gold and silver engraver. When he was 14 he quit
school and enrolled in a local college of art and craft. When
he was 20, he opened an art studio with his friend and his
brother.
Like many art movements, Art Nouveau was a break from
the norm and Klimt dealt with a lot of criticism. Klimt’s style
was very different from the classical, or traditional, style that was accepted and
popular with the upper classes. One of Klimt’s goals was to make art more
accessible for everyone, much like the Pop Art movement of the 1960’s. His
modern paintings with their high level of detail and their emphasis on
decoration were considered controversial.
Klimt’s main choice of subject matter was women.
The figures in his paintings are draped with flowing
clothes that are covered with detailed patterns and
designs. Backgrounds are usually simple and often
contain designs as well. Klimt used a lot of gold and
silver colors in his artwork. What may have
influenced his metallic color choices?
“The Kiss,” made in 1907-08, is one of
Klimt’s most popular paintings.
“Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I”
is from 1907.
Project inspired by Kris Fonteshttp://www.krisfontes.com/klimt.htm
Handout compiled by S. Wagner-Marx
The Project
For this project you will be creating a drawing on metallic scratchboard in the
style of Gustav Klimt. You will combine a printed, digital image with a detailed
line drawing. Follow these steps for a successful project:
1. Before you begin, brainstorm different types of lines, patterns, designs,
and textures that you can use in your drawing. Use the following chart to
sketch and plan your ideas.
2. Cut out the head and hands or arms of your digital photo. Carefully glue
the cut photos to your scratchboard. Your head and hands/arms will help
create emphasis in your artwork.
3. Using the tools provided, scratch out an organic shape that suggests a
flowing garment. Remember to keep it simple; the clothing does not need
to be realistic!
4. You now have two areas to fill with pattern. Use
your ideas from the above boxes to scratch out
designs in the garment and background. Create
contrast in your artwork by using more detail in
one of the areas.
Remember: You cannot “erase” anything that
you scratch into your scratchboard. Keep your
drawing neat!
Vocabulary
Line: The path of a moving dot
Pattern: A repeated design
Texture: How something feels or looks like it feels
Emphasis: areas of an artwork that stand out
Organic Shape: Free flowing, nature inspired, shape
Contrast: degree of difference between areas in an
artwork
“Portrait of Emilie Floge”
was painted in 1902.
Project inspired by Kris Fonteshttp://www.krisfontes.com/klimt.htm
Handout compiled by S. Wagner-Marx