Painting A Theatrical Backdrop

A Lesson Plan for Designing a Background Scene for a Performance

Oct 14, 2007 Jo Murphy

Involve both the cast and crew in designing the set for a theatre project. This is a creative way to encourage involvement and ownership of the assignment.

At the beginning of the Theatrical Process, involve the entire cast and crew in designing the set. Once you have chosen the play, dance or performance piece, ask the cast and crew to do a drawing or write a description of the backdrop. If there is to be more than one scene, divide your class into groups.

The Design

Do not judge the best design, but rather

see if you can combine the best parts of them all as a synthesis
look for spaces in tempo so that you can make a plan to change scenes
talk with the class about which ones are dramatic. Through questioning, compare and contrast - highlighting differences of atmosphere and tone.

Materials

Large board/s or canvas/es
Containers for water and small amounts of left over paint
Rags and drop sheets
A variety of brushes including small liners
A variety of paint such as Background Scenic Paint, Artists Quality Acrylics, and Spray Varnishes. It is better to use acrylic for easy clean up. It is safer and less toxic
Portable lighting if needed
Bricks, an easel or some support for the surface

Choosing a Working Space

Find a very large area for the students to work where

they will not be disturbed
the work can remain intact in between painting sessions
there is available storage
there is access to water for clean up

It is better not to start the project until a suitable location has been found, as there is nothing more discouraging than the frustration of ruined work or lack of storage. If you need to roll the work up between sessions do not forget to leave sufficient time at the end of the lesson for the paint to dry before rolling.

Painting the Design

Start by having the students draw up the scene in a neutral colour such as Payne’s Grey.
Block in the very large areas of shape and colour so that there is a sense and feel of what the layout will be like.
Outline (again) with Payne’s Grey.
Commence a second coat of paint - blending as the students go.
Layer after layer will give the students a feel for how the painting is progressing. As the artwork develops, students will naturally want to change down in brush size. Blending and line work will get smaller and finer in detail as the students warm to the task.
When ready, painters might divide into small task forces taking responsibility for their own separate section of the backdrop.

Finishing

Use a high quality varnish. If your class takes care at this stage, the backdrop will be durable and can be reused for other productions. It is surprising how often Theatre Troupes can reuse the same backdrop in different ways.

Rehearsal

Finished well ahead of time the students can practice in front of their artwork and the crew will be able to make sure they know how and where to place the artwork.

Time to practice will ensure

that they can handle the work quickly and efficiently.
the cast will better blend with the atmosphere and feeling of the script.
actors will move into role much more easily.
the crew will be confident about how and when they are to perform their tasks
the lighting crew can make tonal adjustments
the director will find that decisions about where to place props and where actors are to stand for highest impact and presence will be made much more easily.
the set designer will find it easier to design the props and to decide where they are to go.

I welcome feedback. If you have any tips or tricks about painting backdrops please post them to the discussion boards.

The copyright of the article Painting A Theatrical Backdrop in Arts Education is owned by Jo Murphy. Permission to republish Painting A Theatrical Backdrop in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.