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Year 8 - Art and design

Abstract art: dry materials in response to stimuli

Abstract painting: sustainable materials

Unit Summary

Pupils will develop their understanding of abstract painting and make more sophisticated connections. They will build confidence in taking risks with new ideas, look at different tools and techniques, and learn to communicate with symbols and marks.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to work into your abstract artwork using dry materials to create a variety of marks and textures.

Key Notes

  • Artists often use dry materials to create definition in their work when responding to a stimuli.
  • When working intuitively, we can work in an abstract way to reflect mood or energy, rather than realistic images.
  • Using intuitive mark-making, artists let their materials and feelings guide the artwork

Vocabulary To Learn

  • intuitive: creating without a set plan, making choices based on feeling, instinct, or the mood of the moment.
  • define: to make something clearer or more detailed, often by adding lines, shapes, or contrast to show its form.
  • dry materials: art materials that do not need water or liquid to work. They are used for drawing, shading and mark-making directly onto a surface.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • You should only add layers to a painting with paint.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Artists often use dry materials to create definition in their work when responding to a stimuli. When working intuitively, we can work in an abstract way to reflect mood or energy, rather than realistic images.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'intuitive'

creating without a set plan, making choices based on feeling, instinct, or the mood of the moment.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: You should only add layers to a painting with paint. Correction: Dry materials can be used in a variety of ways to add detail and shading to an art work. Dry materials can be layered over the top of wet materials once dried. Examples include pastel over watercolour or pen over dried ink washes.

More Lessons In This Unit

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