Art Curriculum

Authenticity and Experimentation

Pupils learn to produce authentic work, relating their own ideas and experiences. They start with responses about themselves, then look at people and the environment around them and eventually respond to themes, topics and issues. Pupils learn to try out ideas, methods and break rules of convention to create something new and find original solutions.

Professional Artist

To achieve these exceptional outcomes, art and design is taught in half-termly blocks by a professional artist, with lessons supported by the class teacher. Pupils are able to know more, remember more and do more with rigorous teaching of the school’s art curriculum and sufficient practice.

Knowledge

Pupils learn practical, theoretical and disciplinary knowledge. To develop practical knowledge, pupils are taught methods and techniques and given time to practice. Pupils learn theory by being taught about journeys and connections through time, materials and processes and meanings and interpretations. A careful choice of artwork, questions and visits to galleries is used to teach disciplinary knowledge.

Year 3

Autumn - First half term

Week 1

Outcome

To draw different marks

Vocabulary

dark
light
wavy
straight
pressure

Week 2

Outcome

To create depth using shading with pencils

Vocabulary

tone
shadow
highlight
contrast
space

Week 3

Outcome

To draw a range of different textures

Vocabulary

crosshatching
graphite
stippling
horizontal
vertical

Week 4

Outcome

To draw with ink

Vocabulary

undulating
perspective
foreground
background
atmosphere

Week 5

Outcome

To present the relationship between colours on a colour wheel

Vocabulary

primary
secondary
poster paint
warm
cool

Week 6

Outcome

To blend and shade using paint

Vocabulary

palette
hue
monochrome
gradual
blend

Week 7

Outcome

To assess knowledge and understanding

Vocabulary

palette
hue
monochrome
gradual
blend

Spring - First half term

Week 1

Outcome

To recall the key features of styles of portraiture

Vocabulary

expression
symmetry
profile
self- portrait
stylisation
realism

Week 2

Outcome

To draw facial features

Vocabulary

ellipse
sphere
vertical
horizontal
proportion

Week 3

Outcome

To draw a face using traditional proportions

Vocabulary

dimensions
protrude
recede
hairline
eye-line

Week 4

Outcome

To recall the traditional proportions for a face and study a drawing

Vocabulary

shading
characterisation
texture

Week 5

Outcome

To paint a portrait with poster paints

Vocabulary

background
blending
outline
paint consistency

Week 6

Outcome

To paint details with fine brushes
Trip to National Gallery

Vocabulary

brushstrokes
layering
miniature

Summer - First half term

Week 1

Outcome

To identify the features of the style of printing of William Morris

Vocabulary

floral
nature
repeat
symmetrical
woodcut

Week 2

Outcome

To draw and shade symmetrical designs

Vocabulary

shade
designs
decorative
ornate
symmetrical motif

Week 3

Outcome

To create a design onto a polystyrene plate for printing

Vocabulary

plate
carve
reverse
transfer
repetitive

Week 4

Outcome

To print using relief printing

Vocabulary

relief printing
roller
aligning
pattern
engrave

Week 5

Outcome

To add further details to the print by amending a relief

Vocabulary

enhance
overlapping
mirror image
medium
amending

Week 6

Outcome

To complete a relief print with a second print

Vocabulary

viscous
opaque
textile
pressure
smudging

Core Skills

Year 3 start by learning looking at cave paintings, considering ‘Why did people start to create art?’ They are taught the practical knowledge to make different marks and shapes with shading and texture. They use pencil of different hardness, charcoal and ink. Pupils are introduced to their sketchbooks used to record their observations and practice. Pupils are taught how to mix colours and the concept of colour theory, painting a colour wheel to show the difference between primary and secondary colours. Using all this knowledge they progress to shading and tonal painting.

Self-portraits

Year 3 consider why people draw and paint themselves, studying examples of traditional, modern and contemporary art, including photography. They learn the proportions of the human face and combine this with knowledge of colour mixing, to further develop practical knowledge of using brushes to paint a self-portrait.

Printing patterns

Year 3 learn about the history of printing both geometric and figurative patterns. William Morris, who lived by the school, inspires pupils to draw natural forms. Pupils design their own patterns, methods to create symmetry and learn the practical knowledge for relief and double printing

Autumn

Core Skills and Colour Theory

Traditional: Caves of Lascaux, Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo da Vinci

Modern: Vincent van Gogh, Paul Klee

Contemporary: Roger Ackling, Marcia Kure

Spring

Self-Portraits

Traditional: Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Gumpp

Modern: Paul Gauguin, Emile Zola

Contemporary: Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Gillian Wearing

Summer

Printing Patterns

Traditional: Islamic Art, Indian Hand Block Printing, Katsushika Hokusai, Rembrant van Rijn

Modern: Franz Marc, William Morris, M.C. Escher

Contemporary: Andy Warhol, Tony Bevan

Year 4

Autumn - Second half term

Week 1

Outcome

To look at the work and compare the styles of famous artists who painted portraits

Vocabulary

Realistic
Cubist
abstract
Renaissance
portrait

Week 2

Outcome

To draw a face using the correct proportions

Vocabulary

symmetry
proportion
dimensions
structure
ellipse

Week 3

Outcome

To draw the features of a face with changes to create individuality

Vocabulary

cheekbones
jawline
hairline
pout
vacant

Week 4

Outcome

To experiment with ways of shading a face

Vocabulary

tonal
texture
highlights
monochrome
charcoal

Week 5

Outcome

To draw a face

Vocabulary

details
features
profile
semi-profile
realism

Week 6

Outcome

To paint the face with watercolour paints

Vocabulary

graded wash
brushstrokes
consistency
skin tone
texture

Week 7

Outcome

To complete a portrait in watercolours

Vocabulary

dry brush
brushstrokes
consistency
skin tone
texture

Spring - Second half term

Week 1

Outcome

To identify features of famous paintings in the history of still life

Vocabulary

frescoes
iconography
hyperrealism
realism
impressionist
cubist

Week 2

Outcome

To draw and shade objects for still life

Vocabulary

arrangement
foreground
inanimate

Week 3

Outcome

To draw a still life using charcoal

Vocabulary

shading
chiaroscuro
smudging
shadows

Week 4

Outcome

To create a painted still life

Vocabulary

blending
brush strokes
palette

Week 5

Outcome

To create a Cubist background

Vocabulary

texture
depth
collage

Week 6

Outcome

To combine mixed media work

Vocabulary

assemble
dismantle
deconstruct

Summer - Second half term

Week 1

Outcome

To recall the names of famous potters and some features of their work

Vocabulary

pottery
potter
kiln
fire
sculptor

Week 2

Outcome

To draw 3D pots with shading

Vocabulary

3D
shading
dark to light
cylinder
observe

Week 3

Outcome

To make a simple pinch pot

Vocabulary

pinch pot
clay
thickness
composite
identical

Week 4

Outcome

To paint and decorate a pinch pot

Vocabulary

background
contrast
detail
influence

Week 5

Outcome

To make a coil pot

Vocabulary

coil pot
base
joins
malleable
harden

Week 6

Outcome

To paint and decorate a coil pot

Vocabulary

decorate

Week 7

Outcome

To assess and evaluate how successful the techniques for creating pinch and coil pots

Vocabulary

assess
evaluate

Concept of mood

Building on the knowledge acquired in Year 3, Year 4 revisit portraiture focusing on more realistic shading of the face and the concept of expression and mood. They then study the portraits of the well-known artist, Chris Offilli, noting his cultural influences and how they impact on his work. They use their observations to influence their final painting.

Still Life

Year 4 move on to a very popular aspect in art, the still life. Here, they apply their knowledge of drawing and shading objects but now they have to be aware of the relationship between the objects and draw them accurately in relation to each other. They look at the still life collages of artists Pablo Picasso and George Braque. Using a variety of coloured and textured papers, they create their own collage influenced by these cubist artists.

Shading

Building on the knowledge acquired in Year 3, Year 4 revisit portraiture focusing on more realistic shading of the face. They then study the portraits of the well-known artist, Chris Offilli, noting his cultural influences and how they impact on his work. They use their observations to influence their final painting.

Sculpture

Building on the children’s emerging awareness of texture and three-dimensional form starting with collage, they look at a range of sculptures by famous sculptors. Drawing on the natural world for inspiration, they will design and create a paper sculpture influenced by Barbara Hepworth’s ‘Orpheus’.

Autumn

Portraiture

Traditional: Roman Egypt Fayum portraits, Classical sculpture, Leonardo da Vinci, Jan van Eyck, Jan Vermeer

Modern: Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt, Vincent van Gogh

Contemporary: Julian Opie, Akram Zaatari, Kehinde Wiley

Spring

Still Life

Traditional: Rachel Ruysch

Modern: Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris

Contemporary: Ori Gersht, Damien Hirst

Summer

Sculpture – Art Pottery

Traditional: Ancient Greek pottery, Ming dynasty ceramics, Wedgwood Jasperware

Modern: Clarice Cliff, Daisy Makeig-Jones

Contemporary: Elizabeth Fritsch, Grayson Perry

Year 5

Autumn - Second half term

Week 1

Outcome

To illustrate a child with correct proportions

Vocabulary

illustration
illustrator
lithography
cartoon
digital

Week 2

Outcome

To illustrate figures with different styles.

Vocabulary

comedic effect
exaggerated
angular
manga
realistic

Week 3

Outcome

To sketch different breeds of dog

Vocabulary

concave
convex
coat
muzzle
hind legs

Week 4

Outcome

To draw figures in different positions

Vocabulary

creases
pose
dynamic pose
tilt
anatomy

Week 5

Outcome

To paint with watercolours

Vocabulary

consistency
brush tip
palette
blending
realistic

Week 6

Outcome

To illustrate with watercolours

Vocabulary

texture
shading
blending
style
mood

Week 7

Outcome

To add details with pen

Vocabulary

outline
texture
enhance
fine
dash

Spring - Second half term

Week 1

Outcome

To analyse and compare famous artists’ treatment of landscapes

Vocabulary

impressionistic
vibrant
chiaroscuro
perspective

Week 2

Outcome

To analyse the work of David Hockney and draw various elements of a landscape

Vocabulary

panoramic
aerial
spacial depth
seasonal
composition
‘en plein air’

Week 3

Outcome

To draw a landscape in the style of David Hockney

Vocabulary

vanishing point
converging
pastoral
infinity
undulating

Week 4

Outcome

To paint a background tonally with a limited palette of poster paints

Vocabulary

colour saturation
colour wash
graduated colour
tone

Week 5

Outcome

To paint the foreground of a landscape

Vocabulary

focal point
atmospheric
vibrant
dramatic

Week 6

Outcome

To add textural details to a landscape

Vocabulary

dappled
texture
brushstrokes
contrasting
variegated

Summer - Second half term

Week 1

Outcome

To look at the work and compare the different styles of famous artists who painted natural forms

Vocabulary

botanical
fantasy
naïve
primitive
simplistic

Week 2

Outcome

To make an observational drawing of natural forms

Vocabulary

decorative
floral
beauty
portion
close-up

Week 3

Outcome

To enlarge a picture with a viewfinder

Vocabulary

enlarge
view finder
cropping
focal point
composition

Week 4

Outcome

To shade tonally with poster paint

Vocabulary

shading
tonal
primary colours
secondary colours
palette

Week 5

Outcome

To paint an enlarged picture

Vocabulary

vibrant
blending
opacity
transparency
sculptural

Week 6

Outcome

To complete the painting of an enlarged picture

Vocabulary

highlight
background
texture
dramatic
realism

Week 7

Outcome

To add detail to complete a painting

Vocabulary

magnify
intense
American modernism
elements
detail

The Human Figure and Illustrations

Having started develop the skill of figure drawing in Year 4, Year 5 children progress to drawing the entire human figure with animals and in movement. They look at various artists’ depictions of the figure through illustrations and how illustrators use line and colour to create different styles and moods to suit stories.

Landscapes

Having briefly touched on landscapes, Year 5 study an iconic British artist, David Hockney and his interpretations of various landscapes using traditional materials and technology. They look at perspective, colour, tone and texture in the art and design. Using his painting ‘Garrowby Hill’ as inspiration they will create a landscape with a limited palette of poster paint concentrating on receding and advancing colours to enhance the perspective element, finally adding layered texture.

Computer Generated Art

There are links with the Year 5 computing curriculum which uses design software to recreate Maurits Escher’s work on repeating objects and patterns, especially his tessellations and Bridget Riley’s work on overlapping art and her restricted colour palette. Geometric patterns used in Islamic art, especially in the construction and design of mosques links with art and design as well as RE as Year 5 focus in the Autumn term on Islam and visit a mosque. Pupils create a virtual gallery in computing to exhibit their computer generated artwork.

Detailed Observational Drawings

As landscapes are made up of so many natural elements, the children now look at those more closely. They create detailed observational drawings of plants and animals. Using these sketches the children will paint a picture influenced by ‘Exotic landscape with monkeys and parrot’ by Henri Rousseau which illustrates the huge range of shapes, colours and textures in nature.

Autumn

Figure Drawing – Illustration

Traditional: The Bayeux Tapestry, Pauper’s Bible, John Newbery

Modern: Beatrix Potter

Contemporary: Quentin Blake, William Grill, Yasmeen Ismail

Spring

Landscapes

Traditional: Dong Yuan, John Constable, Caspar David Freidrich, J.M.W Turner

Modern: Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet

Contemporary: Richard Long, David Hockney, Andy Goldsworthy, Brian Eno

Summer

Natural Forms

Traditional: Turkish Iznik Jug, Maria Sybilla Merian, Rachel Ruysch, Otto Marseus van Schrieck

Modern: Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Henri Rousseau

Contemporary: Angie Lewin, Kate Malone

Year 6

Autumn - First half term

Week 1

Outcome

To recall the proportions of the human figure for drawing

Vocabulary

proportion
symmetry
relative
waist
thigh

Week 2

Outcome

To draw people in different positions

Vocabulary

foreshortening
observation
anonymous
tormented
slouch

Week 3

Outcome

To sculpt a figure from clay

Vocabulary

freestanding
casting
abstraction
emotive
maquette

Week 4

Outcome

To describe the steps to create one-point perspective

Vocabulary

vanishing point
retreating
foreground
converge
background

Week 5

Outcome

To share and create emphasis using wax crayons

Vocabulary

highlight
waterproof
oil-based
resistant
low-light

Week 6

Outcome

To create sepia tones with watercolours over wax drawings

Vocabulary

sepia
reactive
transparent
pigments
muted

Week 7

Outcome

To add an oxide wash to clay

Vocabulary

iron oxide
manganese
oxide wash
pigment
highlight

Spring - First half term

Week 1

Outcome

To describe the style, and landscapes of Edward Hopper

Vocabulary

isolated
austere
melancholic
haunting
‘en plein air’
ominous
innovative
desolate
naturalistic

Week 2

Outcome

To sketch lighthouses

Vocabulary

elevated
lofty
imposing
unmanned
immense
distant
exposed

Week 3

Outcome

To draw a seascape in the style of Hopper on cartridge paper

Vocabulary

horizon
uninterrupted
limitless
coastline
elements

Week 4

Outcome

To practise and experiment with watercolour effects for sea, hills and sky

Vocabulary

blotting
chromatic
aquamarine
granular
complementary
gouache

Week 5

Outcome

To paint the background elements of a landscape

Vocabulary

dimension
languid
starkly
graduation
asymmetrical
undulating
embedded

Week 6

Outcome

To paint to complete a painting

Vocabulary

luminosity
variegated
viewfinder
aquamedia
scumbling
perspective
graded wash
texture

Summer - First half term

Week 1

Outcome

To identify the work of some notable architects and styles, including Antoni Gaudi, Frank Lloyd Wright, Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry

Vocabulary

architect
architecture
Baroque
Neo-classical
Post-modernism
aesthetic

Week 2

Outcome

To design a basic building using two-point perspective using a model

Vocabulary

vanishing point
parallel
vertical
horizontal
perspective
proportion
horizon line

Week 3

Outcome

To design my own basic building using two-point perspective

Vocabulary

exterior
geometric,
linear,
converging,
realistic

Week 4

Outcome

To paint a design of a building with watercolours

Vocabulary

elevation
façade
functional
planes

Week 5

Outcome

To use watercolours to highlight parts of an architectural design

Vocabulary

feathering
surroundings
built environment

Week 6

Outcome

To add architectural details with pen

Vocabulary

elements
balustrade
terrace
two dimensional

Perspective and Figure Drawing

In Year 6, the children combine their knowledge of perspective and figure drawing to create a picture based on Henry Moore’s wartime art, depicting people sheltering in the underground in London during bomb raids. They discuss the emotions that must have influenced these pictures and how the artist shows this. Using this information, they create their own pictures of people in this situation. They use mixed media in their final piece.

Art History

Our pupils are able to appreciate and discuss artworks confidently having the knowledge and understanding of the history of it. They learn how meaning is communicated in images and artefacts through exploring Art History which is embedded within the curriculum.

Watercolours

Having used watercolours in previous years, the children in Year 6 now experiment with different watercolour techniques and how to create various effects including how to paint rocks, sea, sky and buildings. They look at the work of American realist painter, Edward Hopper and his paintings of lighthouses. Researching different lighthouses and creating preparatory sketches. Using their sketches and watercolour techniques, they create a final piece.

Architecture

Finally, having drawn buildings in perspective for their lighthouses, Year 6 looks at the history of architecture right up to the present day. Studying the buildings themselves and all the details that distinguish one period from another, they sketch windows and doors and any other decorative elements typical of a particular period. These evaluative skills are also used in design and technology projects to distinguish between different design periods. They then look at the buildings designed by a range of contemporary architects, particularly Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd-Wright, Frank Gehry and Zahar Hadid. Using this knowledge, they design their own preliminary watercolour sketches of a building with its surroundings.