Concepts and skills development for first and second classes
Through completing the strand units of the visual arts curriculum the child should be enabled to
An awareness of line
- recognise that lines have various properties and can create shapes, textures, patterns, movement
- look closely at the linear qualities of objects in the surroundings
- develop personal symbols (a schema) to represent familiar figures and objects visually
An awareness of shape
- become sensitive to shape in the visual environment
- become aware of outline shape, silhouette and shadow shapes
- invent and experiment with shape in compositions
in collage, print, drawing and painting
An awareness of form
- become aware of the three-dimensional nature of form in the visual environment
volume in a rock, animal, ball, box, bowl, toy - explore the relationships between the parts and the whole form
experiment with balance - express understanding of form in clay
An awareness of colour and tone
- develop sensitivity to colour in the visual environment
- begin to analyse colours and mix them more purposefully
- distinguish between tone and pure colour (hue)
- use colour and tone to create unity and emphasis in compositions
use tones of one colour to create effects
An awareness of texture
- explore the relationship between how things feel and how they look
- create variety in surface textures using a range of materials and tools
An awareness of pattern and rhythm
- recognise pattern in the visual environment
snail shells, clouds, leaves, lichen on a wall, flowers, bricklaying, railings, fields, circus tent - become aware of repetition and variation in his/her own work and in the work of others
in line, shape, colour, form
An awareness of space
- develop awareness of how people and objects take up space
- begin to show relationships between objects and figures in drawings and paintings and show some sense of scale
making distant objects smaller by placing them on higher levels on the page - begin to develop a practical understanding of structure through construction activities.
Strand: Drawing
Strand unit: Making drawings
The child should be enabled to
- experiment with the marks, lines, shapes, textures, patterns and tones that can be made with different drawing instruments on a range of surfaces
interpreting, as appropriate, line, tone, texture, pattern
using crayons, soft pencils, charcoal, chalks, textured papers, fabrics
using a computer art program to experiment with marks, lines, shapes, pattern and rhythm - make drawings based on his/her personal or imaginative life with a growing sense of spatial relationships
friends skipping, playing ball, running in the yard
imaginative themes based on the fantastic and the magical - explore shape as seen in natural and manufactured objects and become aware of the shape of shadows cast by objects
making silhouette drawings of simple objects
drawing the shapes of objects and their shadows - draw from observation
a variety of natural and manufactured objects (e.g. a tree, leaf, flower, fruit, vegetable, objects grouped on shelves or display tables)
a classmate.
Strand unit: Looking and responding
The child should be enabled to
- look at and talk about his/her work, the work of other children and the work of artists
describing what is happening in the drawing
lines, shapes, textures, patterns, tones created and arranged to compose the drawing
how materials and tools were used and effects created
what was intended
what he/she likes best about the drawing.
Linkage
Print: organising line, shape, pattern in a print design
Construction:discovering how a 2-D drawing translates into 3-D reality
Fabric and fibre: developing awareness of line, shape and texture
These and other possible links between strands could be developed as mixed media activities.
A mixed-media approach within strands is also possible.
Integration
Music:interpreting (in drawing) simple rhythm patterns; interpreting themes from songs
Dance: interpreting (in drawing) themes explored through movement
Strand: Paint and colour
Strand unit: Painting
The child should be enabled to
Strand unit: Looking and responding
The child should be enabled to
- look at and talk about his/her wo rk, the work of other children and the work of artists
describing what is happening in the painting
the colours and tones chosen
the lines, shapes, textures and pattern created
how they are arranged in the painting
how colour was used and effects created
what he/she or the artist was trying to express
what he/she likes best about the painting.
Linkage
Drawing: interpreting pattern, rhythm, texture in drawing
Print:creating texture, shape, negative shape, pattern
Fabric and fibre:developing colour awareness and creating colourful effects
Integration
Music: interpreting (in paint and colour) responses to a story told in sound
History: interpreting (in paint and colour) themes from stories
Strand: Print
Strand unit: Making prints
The child should be enabled to
- experiment with the effects that can be achieved with simple print-making techniques
with oddments that have interesting textures and/or shapes
making rubbings from tree bark, fabrics using a limited colour range to focus on texture, shape, negative shape, pattern
discovering how simple prints could be further developed by overprinting with contrasting colours and with the same or contrasting shapes - use a variety of print-making techniques to make theme-based or non-representational prints
making a variety of relief prints
composing a relief print block using one or more colours
creating a design for a print by drawing thick and thin lines into a slab of clay
printing with mask-outs
masking areas of an inked surface from which prints have already been taken
making stencils
spray or sponge painting over stencils cut to his/her design
making wax-resist pictures
sponge painting over a wax crayon or candle design
making wax-crayon transfer prints
using wax crayons of various colours to print out as a coloured drawing
doing a number of exploded designs using a computer art program.
Strand unit: Looking and responding
The child should be enabled to
- look at, handle and talk about familiar objects for experience of shape, texture and pattern
- look at and talk about his/her work, the work of other children and art prints that have relatively simple shapes, textures and patterns
describing the print
line, shape, colour and tone, texture, pattern
and how they combine
how materials and tools were used to create effects
what he/she likes about the print
looking at some prints to investigate printmaking techniques (e.g. comparing the lithograph with his/her own wax-resist technique) - look at examples of print design in everyday use.
Linkage
Drawing:interpreting line, shape, pattern in drawing
Paint and colour: developing a sense of pattern and rhythm
Integration
Mathematics: developing awareness of 2-D shape
Strand: Clay
Strand unit: Developing form in clay
The child should be enabled to
Developing form in clay
- explore and discover the possibilities of clay as a medium for imaginative expression
squeezing, pinching, pulling, squashing, prodding, rolling a small ball of clay
tearing pieces from the clay and putting them together again
making forms of different sizes that have simple flowing contours - change the form of a small ball of clay, using the medium expressively
making animals or birds, real or imagined, and finishing them with surface texture and/or incised decoration
making sturdy clay figures based on stories, poems, songs, music, drama - work inventively with cubes or oblong blocks of clay and add details to suggest a solid structure
designing and making a house
designing and making a variety of buildings to suggest a town - make simple pottery
designing and making a pinch-pot or a coilbuilt pot
finishing it with incised decoration or paint and varnishing it when dry - experiment with and develop line, shape, texture and pattern in clay
decorating clay slabs with patterns of small clay coils and pellets
experimenting with textural effects
working in low relief on small, thick slabs of clay.
Strand unit: Looking and responding
The child should be enabled to
- look at, handle and talk about natural and
manufactured objects for experience of three-dimensional form
pebbles, shells, fir cones, soft, moulded or carved toys, simple pottery - look at and talk about his/her work, the work of other children and figures by famous sculptors with contrasting styles (or slides or prints)
describing the form
how it felt to work with the clay
how the sculptor may have worked
what he/she or the artist was trying to express
what he/she likes best about the work.
Linkage and integration
Drawing: developing awareness of form through drawing
Integration
Drama: interpreting (as sturdy clay figures) characters explored through drama
Strand: Construction
Strand unit: Making constructions
The child should be enabled to
- explore and experiment with the properties and characteristics of materials in making structures
grouping, balancing and building with relatively small components and with construction toys that allow free play
how some materials help to create or suggest form
how structure and balance are achieved
how the various outlines and spaces are created
how the different parts relate to the whole
how materials can be joined together
how some materials can add colour, pattern, texture, interest - make imaginative structures
designing a large imaginative complex with a variety of spaces for inventive use (e.g. a castle)
designing an imaginative structure with some complexity in the division of space (e.g. a miniature theatre set)
designing an imaginative plaything from waste material (e.g. a robot, a fantastic toy).
Strand unit: Looking and responding
The child should be enabled to
- look at collections or photographs of natural and built structures and investigate spatial arrangements, balance and outline and how the spaces created relate to the whole
habitats of burrowing animals, towers - look at and talk about his/her work and the work of other children
describing the structure
the materials and tools chosen and other possible choices
how the spaces were arranged
how balance was achieved
what he/she was trying to express
what he/she likes best about the work - look at and talk about a local building complex, at a famous building and at visually stimulating artefacts (or slides or prints)
a shopping centre, a farm building, the school, a castle
toys, machines, playground furniture.
Linkage
Drawing: developing spatial awareness in drawings
Print and colour:discovering how colour can add interest to structures
Clay: developing awareness of how objects are solid and take up space
Integration
Drama: making a miniature theatre set
Science:Materials -- Properties and characteristics of materials: Designing and making
Strand: Fabric and fibre
Strand unit: Creating in fabric and fibre
The child should be enabled to
- explore and discover the possibilities of fabric and fibre as media for imaginative expression
experimenting in changing open-weave fabric (e.g. hessian)
removing sets of fibres in either direction
weaving in contrasting fibres
threading in decorative items
talking about and inventing stitches
discovering and talking about how different textures feel and how they compare when put together - make small inventive pieces with fabric and fibre
designing and making a non-representational
or theme-based collage or appliqué
developing colour, texture, shape
awareness
paying close attention to and talking about the shapes created, the shapes between the shapes and whether some of them overlap
decorating a small piece of fabric with stitches and other additions
creating line, shape, colour, texture
filling in some of the shapes created with colourful and/or textural effects
designing and making soft sculptures or puppets
using old clothes
weaving small individual pieces
creating colourful and/or textural effects - invent a costume
using old clothes
sewing, lacing or pinning large fabric strips together to create a magic cloak.
Strand unit: Looking and responding
The child should be enabled to
- look at, handle and talk about a variety of fabrics and fibres for experience of tactile, visual and spatial qualities
soft, fluffy, coarse, stiff, warm, cool, finely or thickly woven
colour and pattern
covering and folding qualities - look at and talk about his/her work and the work of other children
describing the work
the colours, textures, patterns and effects created
what he/she intended
what he/she likes best about the work - look at and talk about fabrics crafts and artefacts and visit a craftsperson at work if possible.
Linkage
Drawing:developing awareness of texture, pattern
Paint and colour: developing colour awareness
Construction: beginning to develop a practical understanding of structure, e.g. in a costume or in jewellery
Integration
Drama:making a miniature theatre set
Science: Materials -- Properties and characteristics of materials;Designing and making
History:interpreting (as puppets or in costume) characters from stories