Visual arts activity
Artist Spotlight: Hokusai
Look at 'The Great Wave' by Hokusai. Talk about the big wave and the little boats.
Materials and setup
- internet or book with Hokusai images
- paper
- markers or paint
Parent note
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' (c. 1831), and 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' (c. 1830-1833) are all real and well-documented. Japonisme's influence on Van Gogh and Monet is also documented art history.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Look at 'The Great Wave' by Hokusai. Talk about the big wave and the little boats.
Steps
- Look up 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' by Katsushika Hokusai (1831).
- Point to the biggest wave.
- Count the boats.
- Find the mountain in the background.
- Draw your own big wave.
Learning objectives
- Look closely at a famous artwork
- Find the biggest and smallest things
- Make a drawing inspired by what you saw
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Study Hokusai's 'Great Wave'. Notice shapes and colors, then make your own wave picture.
Steps
- Look at 'The Great Wave' together.
- Name 3 colors Hokusai used (mostly blue!).
- Notice the wave shape — like curling fingers.
- Draw or paint your own wave using similar shapes.
- Include a small boat and a mountain in the distance.
Learning objectives
- Describe an artwork's colors and shapes
- Borrow visual ideas respectfully
- Compose a scene with foreground and background
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Learn about Hokusai (1760-1849), Japanese ukiyo-e master. Study his 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' series and create your own 'view' of a local landmark.
Steps
- Read a short bio: Hokusai was a Japanese artist (1760-1849) who made woodblock prints called ukiyo-e. His 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' series is famous.
- Look at 3 prints from the series.
- Notice: he put Mount Fuji somewhere in each, but the foreground is different every time.
- Pick a local landmark (a tree, a building) and draw 3 'views' of it from different angles and activities.
- Share what changed and what stayed the same.
Learning objectives
- Learn about ukiyo-e woodblock printing
- Study Hokusai's series concept
- Apply series thinking to a local subject
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Deep study of Hokusai: ukiyo-e technique, 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji', and his influence on Van Gogh. Create a tribute piece with written analysis.
Steps
- Research Hokusai (1760-1849). Key facts: Japanese ukiyo-e artist, created 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' (c. 1830-1833), profoundly influenced European Impressionists including Vincent van Gogh — this movement is called 'Japonisme'.
- Study 5 prints from the Mount Fuji series.
- Identify Hokusai's use of strong contour line, limited color palette, and flat shapes.
- Create your own tribute print or drawing of a local landmark using those 3 techniques.
- Write a 1-paragraph analysis comparing your piece to Hokusai's choices and noting how 'Japonisme' connected Japanese and European art.
Learning objectives
- Understand ukiyo-e as a documented tradition
- Recognize Hokusai's influence on Impressionism (Japonisme)
- Apply specific technical choices (contour, palette, flat shapes)
- Write analytical art history
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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