Topic title: Tones and Techniques
Year group: 8
When taught: March – April
What are we learning?
Pupils will explore tonal mark-making and mixed media during learning about the artistic tradition of Still Life. Light and texture are used to decide which combination of materials and mark making can best describe specific objects. Pupils also learn the basic principles of composition as they combine objects and undertake their own photography. Pupils look at the work of artists with varying styles such as Sarah Graham and Henry Moore and continue to develop their own competencies in mark-making.
Why is this important to know?
Understanding how to make independent decisions on what combination of materials and mark making to use in relation to what you are depicting in your art is vital. The skills learnt in this project support pupils ability to be more informed and confident to experiment in future projects with greater autonomy. The fundamental skill of tonal observation and understanding light and shadows also underpins future work.
Where does this link into our past and future learning?
Tones and techniques builds on the observational drawing skills started in year 7 Colour Landscape, Minibeasts and identity projects. The project is far more centred around classical observational drawing skills. The ability to record observations, experiment confidently and refine work as a result will continued in future projects including Year 10-13.
How will we be assessed on this topic?
Students will be assessed practically both during and at the end of the project focusing on the accuracy in shape and quality of tonal mark-making shown in their mixed media designs and extended homework.
What makes a strong piece of work in this topic? What are teachers hoping to see?
Strong work in tones and techniques should include the following;
- Accurate observations of shape and proportion
- A variety of mark-making used
- Clever combinations of materials to show textures
- creative risks taken with materials
What key words are there in this topic?
- Tone
- Technique
- Highlight
- Mid-tone
- Shadow
- Mixed Media
- Composition
- Layout
- Balance
- Texture
- Hatching
- Cross-hatching
- Form
- Texture
What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?
- Create your own photography of groups of objects, thinking about why you choose certain objects. For their colour and texture? For their meaning or symbolism. Play with directional light, shadows and backgrounds.
- Try unusual combinations of materials to try to draw or paint unusual textures like wool, coal or hair for example.
What wider reading can be done on this topic?
- A wide range books or websites on the theme of still life are available. Exploring visual themes such as chiaroscuro or vanitas and its use of symbolic meaning in objects could be highly interesting and useful.