Art Materials and Techniques
Explore drawing, painting and simple sculpture to share ideas and experiences; try out colour, pattern, texture, line and shape with different materials (pencils, paint, clay, collage) and talk about the effects
What a learner can do afterwards
- Make pictures and models using a range of materials (e.g. thick and thin pencil lines, mixing paint colours, rolling and pinching clay)
- Use words like colour, pattern, texture, line and shape when talking about their own artwork (e.g. 'I used wavy lines for the sea')
- Choose a material or technique to match an idea (e.g. picking bumpy collage paper for a dragon's skin)
1 · Read
Pencils, paint, clay and paper are art materials. You can glue paper pieces onto a surface to make a collage. Soft clay can be rolled, squeezed and pinched into a model. Use materials made for children.
Test a thick drawing pencil on scrap paper. Its point can make a narrow line. Its side can make a wide line. A light touch usually makes a pale mark. A firmer touch usually makes a darker mark. Mixing some paint colours can make a different colour.
Art words help you describe your work. A line can be straight or wavy. A shape can be a circle or a star. Red and blue are colours. Texture tells how a surface feels, such as smooth or bumpy. A pattern repeats shapes, colours or marks.
Zara chooses bumpy paper for a dragon collage. Its texture can stand for scaly skin. Look at and feel your materials before choosing. Smooth foil can show a shiny surface. Rough paper can show a scratchy surface.
Choose a material for the effect you want. If you want a collage piece to feel soft, choose soft material. Scratchy paper gives a different effect. There are many ways to show the same thing. Tell someone what you chose and why.
Try different materials, then use art words to describe what you made.
Readings and flashcards written for this dataset.
More to read
Look before drawing
Look at an animal or a picture of one. Find the biggest part of its body. Make a light mark for that part. Add the head and the other parts you can see. Look back as you draw. You may notice something you want to change. Tiny details can wait until later.
Compare two paint patches
Use watercolour paint made for children. Ask an adult to help set up. On scrap watercolour paper, paint one mark on a dry patch. Dampen another patch and paint there too. Watch the edges. Paint often spreads more on damp paper. Use clean water when changing colours. Let the paper dry before adding another layer.
Try shaping clay
Choose soft modelling clay made for children. Roll a lump between your palms. What shape does it make? Try squeezing, flattening or pinching another lump. Different clays need different ways of joining and drying. Ask an adult to read the pack before you start. Keep clay out of your mouth. Wash your hands when you finish.
Cover a cardboard shape
Papier mache uses paper and paste to build shapes. Ask an adult to choose child-safe paste and a cardboard shape. Cover it with paper strips and a little paste. Let the strips overlap. Smooth them with a brush. Leave the cardboard inside. Wait until the paper is fully dry before painting. This version needs no balloon or sharp tools.
Test a little paint
Put small amounts of two paint colours on a tray. Mix a little of each together. What colour appears? Try more of one colour and compare. Some pairs make a new colour. Others make a duller mixture. Different paints give different results. You can also mix a little white into a colour and look for a lighter version.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.