To jump start a painting unit, I had students explore hue and tints via concentric circle paintings. I wanted them to understand the difference between a hue and a tint, so we first mixed a hue using primary colors, then added the color to a pile of white a little at a time.

 

Each time, we painted a ring, and soon it grew and ended at the outer edge of the page with the original hue.

 

 

I showed these works to a colleague and they immediately screamed “James Turrell”. He had to be subconsciously in my mind when I devised this activity as I did not create this lesson idea with his work in mind. It is amazing, this brain of ours. I am grateful for it!

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