A Process for Teaching Conceptual Thinking Through Color Media

"First in Flight"

Students often master realism before they’re ready to wrestle with meaning, and bridging that gap takes intention. Helping students become conceptual can mean slowing them down long enough to ask ‘why’ after they’ve already figured out ‘how.’

Many of my Intermediate (Art 2) students love realism. They enjoy the challenge of drawing accurately, rendering carefully, and making something that looks “right," and that’s a great place to start. But getting them to move beyond copying a photo and into communicating an idea? That can be a struggle.

This project was designed as a gentle bridge.

In Nothing Exists in Isolation, students begin with something comfortable: a single object rendered as realistically as possible using color media. But we add a twist. Instead of leaving the object floating on white space, they design a background that adds meaning. The object doesn’t change, but its context does, and suddenly students are thinking about environments, systems, memories, emotions, and ideas.

What I’ve found is that this feels like a manageable first step into conceptual thinking. Students aren’t asked to abandon realism; they’re asked to build on it.

The real work happens during planning. The brainstorming activity scaffolds the thought process in a way that feels doable rather than overwhelming. Students explore obvious connections first, then push themselves toward less literal, more interesting ideas. They learn concrete strategies for being creative instead of being told to “just think harder.”

By the time students start working on their final pieces, their choices feel intentional. The background isn’t decoration; it’s shaping how the object is understood.

Some students lean symbolic. Some go narrative. Some surprise themselves entirely.

This project has led to some rich conversations about meaning, choice, and how artists communicate visually without spelling everything out.

If you’re looking for a way to help students take that next step, from technical skill to thoughtful, concept-driven work, this has been a really effective (and enjoyable) place to start.

This project, Nothing Exists in Isolation, is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. 

Chromatic Cravings: Teaching Color Through What Students Love

Color theory can be one of those topics that sounds straightforward but feels abstract to students until they actually start mixing paint. Over the years, I’ve learned that students understand color best when they’re solving real visual problems, not filling out color wheels for the sake of it. For years, I've worked to develop strategies that encourage students to engage in the thinking and trial-and-error experimentation needed to truly understand color mixing. 

That’s where my project Chromatic Cravings came from.

This unit asks students to slow down, look closely, and mix every color they need using only the primary colors, white, and black. No shortcuts. No premixed browns. Just observation, experimentation, and a lot of decision-making.

The twist? Their reference images are close-up photos of candy and snacks - subjects that are familiar, visually rich, and surprisingly complex when you really look at them.

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Why Candy Works 

At first glance, candy seems simple. But once students begin painting, they quickly realize how much is going on:

• subtle shifts in value

• warm and cool versions of brown

• reflected color in wrappers

• highlights that aren’t actually white

• neutrals with a wide range of color shift

Chocolate, especially, becomes a crash course in mixing believable neutrals. Students painting chocolate almost always end up mixing neutrals early in the process - usually within the first few days,  which leads to great conversations about value, intensity, and color temperature.

Process Over Perfection

One thing I love about this unit is that it naturally supports different pacing. Students aren’t all doing the same thing at the same time, and that’s okay.

Some students:

• spend days refining an underpainting

• remix the same color five times before committing

• need demos on blending or texture at different moments

Instead of locking students into a rigid daily schedule, I provide targeted demo videos and invite students to join them when they need them. This makes the studio feel more responsive and less rushed.

Building Real Skills 

By the end of the unit, students can clearly articulate:

• how they adjusted value and intensity

• why certain neutrals worked better than others

• how layering improved realism

• what they would change if they did it again

Their artist statements reflect real understanding, not memorized vocabulary.

And just as importantly, students leave with confidence. They realize they don’t need a shelf full of paint colors to be successful. They can mix what they need.

A Flexible Unit That Grows With You

This project has evolved over time as I’ve added:

• image selection options (teacher-provided, student-photographed, copyright-free sources)

• digital tools like the eyedropper for color analysis

• more structured reflection and critique

• clearer scaffolding for students who need it

What started as a painting project has become a complete color unit that works well for traditional, block, or blended classrooms.

Final Thoughts

Color theory doesn’t have to feel abstract or disconnected from studio work. When students are invested in what they’re painting, and when they’re given the tools to really see, the learning sticks and can even be applied to other color media.

If you’d like to try something like this with your own students, I’ve shared the full Chromatic Cravings unit (lessons, materials, demos, and assessments) in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Feel free to take a look to see if it’s something that may work in your classroom.

Engaging Art History Lessons / Perfect for Weather Closures & Remote Learning Days

I originally created my Art History series to use in the classroom. They are high-engagement lessons where I guide students through the presentation, they complete their guided notes, and we discuss each movement together.

But one of the unexpected bonuses?
These lessons also work incredibly well on days when learning suddenly shifts online due to weather, power outages, or other school closures.

Because each unit is structured, visual, and fully digital, students can transition into art history seamlessly during remote learning days, even when their in-class studio projects aren’t possible to complete at home.

What’s Inside Each Lesson

Each movement includes:

• EdPuzzle warm-up
• Google Slides presentation
• Guided notes (print or digital)
• Teacher's answer key
• Flashcard-style Memory Builder Quiz
• A complete 90-minute lesson plan

The consistency across the series makes it easy for students to follow along in class and transition smoothly if learning becomes asynchronous for the day.

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Featured Lessons in the Series

• Renaissance
• Baroque
• Romanticism
• Realism (Coming Soon!)
• Impressionism
• Post-Impressionism
• Expressionism
• Cubism (Coming Soon!)
• Dada
• Surrealism
• Abstract Expressionism
• Pop Art (Coming Soon!)

Once all movement lessons have been created, I'll put together a discounted bundle for teachers who want the entire set.

Why Teachers Love These Lessons

• Highly visual and student-centered

• No extra materials needed / great for 1:1 technology

• Easy to adapt whether students are in class or learning from home

• Guided notes keep everyone focused

• Great for subs, blended learning, and “anytime” art history instruction

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Explore the Collection

You can find all available lessons in my TPT store under the category "Art History." Check back soon for the next movement releases!