Start With a Colorful Inspiration

What inspires you to create art? With Crayola Twistables® Slick Stix™ Super-Smooth Crayons, your colors can be as bright as those chosen by Henri Matisse!

• 1.

  French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954) painted pictures of his surroundings using bright colors and soft lines. Look at his painting of "The Goldfish" and see how he uses these two art elements to paint a memorable scene that brims with life. Goldfish swim in a bowl that rests on a table by a chair. Bright plants and flowers surround them.

• 2.

  This painting inspired the young artist who drew the art shown here. With it—or any bright art—in your mind’s eye, draw in the artist’s style with Crayola Twistables® Slick Stix™ Crayons. Some of Matisse’s shapes are only color with no lines outlining them. Try making shapes with only color. Draw others with lines and then color. Blend freshly applied Slick Stix colors with a fingertip or cotton swab to create new colors or soften edges.

• 3.

  Even though Matisse’s art is a still life—a work with mostly inanimate objects—the painting has a feeling of movement. How does he create that impression? Do tables and chairs really look like he shows them? Matisse liked to position his objects to make a more interesting painting. Why not try it with your drawing, too?

Benefits

• Children study a colorful work of art by Matisse or another artist.
• Children recognize the artist’s use of color and line.
• Children represent the artist’s style in their own drawing.

Adaptations

• Matisse believed that art’s purpose was to give pleasure. Think of some other works of art. Predict what those artists thought was their artistic purpose. Find out what they were thinking if you can.
• Learn more about Matisse’s life. He started out planning to become a lawyer but when he was sick in bed for a long time, his mother gave him a set of paints. After that he decided that art was the only thing for him to do.
• Look at more of Matisse’s artwork. He tried lots of different methods of making art, such as paper cutouts and stained glass windows. Try other media like he did.
• Assessment: Are students able to pronounce Matisse’s name? Are they familiar with at least two details of his life? Did students reproduce the feeling of Matisse’s art in their own work?