Work with colour

Daniel von Sturmer used only red, yellow and blue squares to make his artwork but the moving, translucent shapes overlapped to make new colours.

See how many colours you can mix from red, yellow and blue paint.

  • Did you make green? Which colours did you mix?

  • Did you make orange? Which colours did you mix?

  • Did you make purple? Which colours did you mix?

  • Did you make other colours? Which colours did you mix?

Many artists have experimented with shapes and colours. Experiment with shapes and red, yellow and blue paint to make an artwork.

Each class member:

  • select a canvas, timber, card or artpaper shape

  • use a roller or large paint brush to paint your shape red, yellow or blue.

As a class:

  • find a floor space large enough to place the white backing surface provided by your teacher

  • take turns to place shapes onto the backing surface—you might leave spaces between shapes, place shapes next to one another or arrange shapes on top of one another

  • move the shapes around until the class is happy with the composition and then attach the shapes to the backing surface

  • discuss where you might add black sticky tape to make lines

  • ask your teacher to help you attach the tape lines

  • find a place to exhibit your work and get help to install it safely.

coloured translucent squares

Daniel von Sturmer The Object of Things (Sequence 2), 2007 (excerpt) video stills