Table of Contents
WOOD
CREATE IT!
Alix Wood
ABSTRACT ART
AbstrAct Art
CREATE IT!
CREATE IT!
ISBN: 978-1-4824-5045-3
CREATE IT!
imprint
C onTEnTs
Thank you to
Davina Cresswell
and Jemma Martin
for their help with
this book.
Please visit our website, www.garethstevens.com . For a free color catalog of all
our high-quality books, call toll free 1-800-542-2595 or fax 1-877-542-2596
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Wood, Alix.
Title: Abstract art / Alix Wood.
Description: New York : Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2017. | Series: Create it! | Includes index.
Identifiers: ISBN 9781482450439 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781482450453 (library bound) |
ISBN 9781482450446 (6 pack)
Subjects: LCSH: Abstract expressionism--United States--Juvenile literature. | Art, American--
20th century--Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC N6512.5.A25 W66 2017| DDC 709.04052--dc23
First Edition
Published in 2017 by
Gareth Stevens Publishing
111 East 14th Street, Suite 349
New York, NY 10003
Copyright Alix Wood Books
Produced for Gareth Stevens by Alix Wood Books
Designed by Alix Wood
Editor: Eloise Macgregor
Photo credits: Cover, 1, 5 bottom, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15 top right and bottom, 16 top right and
bottom, 17, 18 bottom, 19, 20 middle and bottom, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27 bottom, 28, 29 Alix
Wood; 3, 14 bottom, 15 top left, 16 top left, 20 top, 27 top Dollar Photo Club; 10 bottom
Dreamstime; 22, 26 Artothek; all remaining images are in the public domain
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
permission from the publisher, except by reviewer.
Printed in the United States of America
CPSIA compliance information: Batch #CS16GS: For further information contact
Gareth Stevens, New York, New York at 1-800-542-2595.
C onTEnTs
What Is Abstract Art? .................... 4
Wassily Kandinsky .............................. 6
Create It! Kandinsky .................... 8
Henri Matisse ....................................... 10
Create It! Matisse ........................ 12
Piet Mondrian ........................................
Create It! Mondrian ................... 16
Paul Klee .................................................... 18
Create It! Klee ............................... 20
Jasper Johns ........................................... 22
Create It! Johns .............................
Jackson Pollock .................................. 26
Create It! Pollock .......................... 28
Glossary ................................................... 30
Further Information ......................... 31
Index ............................................................ 32
WHAT IS ABSTRACT ART?
Most paintings or sculptures are of a
recognizable object, place, or person. Artists
might paint a beautiful garden, or a persons
face, or a bowl of fruit. Abstract art is a painting
or sculpture that isnt of a person, a place, or a
thing! Instead, artists use color, shape, and brush
strokes to express ideas and emotions without
trying to create a realistic picture.
Abstract artists may
use blocks of color,
like this artist has,
to create their art.
T
he choice of colors,
shapes and where
the artist puts each
block is important.
Do you like this
painting? What does
it make you feel?
Meet an Abstract Artist
The Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky
was one of the rst abstract artists.
He loved music, too. He thought colors
were like the different sounds made
by musical instruments. To Kandinsky,
the sound of a cello was a deep blue!
TEChn
IquE
T
Ips
It can be hard to think what
to draw when you are used to
drawing things. Try this. Using
a pencil, draw ten dots, scattered
randomly on a sheet of paper.
Using a ruler, join the dots
together to make shapes. Join
some dots to the four corners
of the paper, too. Color in the
shapes using colored pencils, felt
pens, or paint. You could use lots
of shades of the same color, or
use different colors.
CREATE IT!
WASSILY KANDINSKY
As a child, the colors of nature amazed Wassily
Kandinsky. He loved art and he loved music.
In his paintings he wanted to create the same
effect a piece of music would have on a listener.
He used color in his paintings to show emotion.
Kandinsky wasnt interested in making objects
look real. He believed that shapes and colors
alone could be art. He was one of the founders
of abstract art.
Part of Kandinskys work
C
olor
Study
Squares with Concentric Circles
Kandinsky thought
triangles caused
aggressive
feelings, squares
were calming, and
circles caused
spiritual feelings.
What do the
different shapes
make you feel?
CREATE IT!
Fold the two sheets of
paper in half and then in
half again. Open them out.
Take one of the sheets. Paint
each square with a different
color background. You
could mix your background
colors on some squares like
Kandinsky did. Leave to dry.
You will need: two large square pieces
of construction paper, paints, glue
Cut the second sheet
of paper into the four
squares.
Choose the
colors you want
and then paint
a large circle
that lls the
square. Paint
more circles
inside that one,
getting smaller
and smaller.
Once the paint is dry,
carefully tear the square
corners off each piece of paper
to make them roughly circle-
shaped. It doesnt have to be
perfect! Decide which circle you
want on which background, and
glue them in place.
1 2
Wassily Kandinsky drew black outlined shapes and lines
which he lled with vibrant colors. Try listening to or
thinking about a piece of music while you create your
painting, like Kandinsky did. It may inspire you!
Draw lines on
the paper using
the ruler and crayon.
Add some shapes
by drawing around
objects such as
plates, bowls, boxes,
pencil sharpeners
etc. Add a few wavy
lines, too.
You will need: construction paper, a black crayon,
watercolor paint, a paintbrush, a ruler, different shaped
objects to draw around
Using the crayon,
add some dashed
lines around some of
the shapes. Add a few
movement lines too, such
as small arcs around
circles, and corner lines
around squares.
CREATE IT!
