The Wave (Original in color)Art Teacher Toolbox
The Wave (Original in color)
Artist Notes
Katsushika Hokusai
was a Japanese painter and printmaker. He was one of the world's first graphic artists. Europeans at the time looked to his work for inspiration.
Painting Notes
The Wave
was part of a series called The Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. In this print, Hokusai is illustrating the power of nature, in this case a wave, which even dwarfs the great Mount Fuji. Notice how the boats are folded deftly into the water, completely overpowered.Hokusai's treatment of water would be interesting to compare to other artists, especially David Hockney and Claude Monet. Hokusai outlines the shapes in the waves, giving features to a subject normally portrayed as a great expanse. These features bring life and attitude to the wave, casting an almost menacing feeling.
Discussion Questions
What is happening in this print?
How does the artist want you to feel? Why? What did he do in the painting to create those feelings?
Why did he include Mt. Fuji?
Why did he make the wave so big?
Look at the water in the print. Does water usually look like this? Why did he create it that way?
How far away is Mt. Fuji? How can you tell?
How quickly is the water moving? How can you tell?
Art Concepts
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perspective |
Create perspective by making closer objects much larger and by overlapping |
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line |
Outline shapes with a black line; outline areas where color changes; use line to exaggerate and add detail |
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movement |
Use diagonal and curving lines and shapes to create movement |
Media Suggestions
Printmaking, pen and ink, watercolor paint, markers, colored pencils, or a combination of the above
Project Ideas
one
Provide the students with pictures of water (turbulent water if possible). Guide them through drawing and/or painting water in Hokusai style. Create all of the lines of the piece before adding color. Highlight the waves by outlining all the spurts of water, and by leaving white with lots of color surrounding them.two
Create a picture with a natural form (wave, tree, flower, animal) in the foreground with a larger structure or landform in the background. (See van Gogh's Starry Night page.)three
Bring an object to life by drawing lines around particular features and exaggerating details--like Hokusai did with the wave. For example, one could draw leaves on a tree to look like fingers.four
Introduce another artist's rendition of water. Ask the students to paint either style of water (using real life photos of water as models). When they're finished, ask students (besides the artist) to identify which style was used. Ask them to explain how they can tell.
Links
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Hokusai - Britannica.com |
http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/3/0,5716,41653%202,00.html |
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©2001 Jennifer MacLeod