Year 6 - Art and design
Plan a story artwork including character and objects
Meaning and symbolism in art: drawing and painting
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils will investigate how artists create meaning and tell stories through their art. They will investigate symbolism in art and develop understanding that visual art, craft and design has multiple meanings beyond its surface depiction to support the development of their own visual literacy.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to plan a story artwork that uses your character and objects to convey meaning through symbolism.
Key Notes
- Artists use symbolism to convey meaning in their work.
- Symbolism can be shown through characters and objects that have hidden meanings or represent ideas.
- Careful planning helps tell a clear story through art.
- Composition helps to arrange elements in an artwork to make them clear and stand out.
Vocabulary To Learn
- character: a person or figure in a story or artwork
- symbolism: the use of symbols to communicate ideas, emotions, or stories in art
- composition: the arrangement of visual elements in an artwork
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Objects in art are just for decoration.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Artists use symbolism to convey meaning in their work. Symbolism can be shown through characters and objects that have hidden meanings or represent ideas.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'character'
a person or figure in a story or artwork.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Objects in art are just for decoration. Correction: Objects often have meanings. For example, a crown might mean power. When planning, think carefully about what each object could represent in your story artwork.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 6 Art and design guide library.