Programme of Study Year 3/4
INVESTIGATING
and MAKING
LINE AND TONE
Line
Drawing
At this stage of development, the child is probably nearing the stage of 'naturalism' - i.e., the child may be attempting to make realistic representations of more sophisticated images that they observe, remember or imagine. Previously, the child's approach to line drawing has been directed towards realism through his/her attention to shapes/outlines, size/proportion and 'baselines'.
Development
Further develop the child's approach to line drawing in regard to realism, through the child's attention to 'baselines' - i.e. where things start and finish. Provide opportunities for the child to observe 'baselines' and experiment in creating more realistic/natural images. Also, direct the child's attention to 'shapes/outlines' and 'size/proportions'
For example: Provide opportunities for the child to study the natural form of our faces. Tell the child to feel down from the top of their forehead to the top of the eye socket - explain that the eyes begin approximately 1/3 of the way 'down' our faces. Ask the child to use their finger to gently trace around the outline of the eye, feel it's shape, size - feel details such as eye brows, eyelashes etc; feel where the eyes, brows, lashes etc start and finish. After much tactile exploration and observation, the child is ready to begin experimenting with creation of this image - drawing perhaps only a proportion of the face - forehead, eyes, brows, lashes, etc.
Focus: line drawings with foregrounds, middlegrounds, backgrounds
portraiture - including proportions, accurate positioning of features etc.
(creating realism through 'baselines' gives depth to 2D artwork)
Develop the child's approach to line drawing in regard to realism through the child's attention to 3D forms. Provide opportunities for the child to discover/understand that people/objects are not flat (2D) but solid (3D); and 3D forms can be realistically represented in 2D images by creating depth. The child can achieve depth by experimenting with different line techniques which can be used to create a 3D representation of a solid form.
For example: show the child the techniques involved in drawing simple, solid shapes like cubes, cuboids, triangular prisms, pyramids, cones etc.
Provide opportunities for the child to draw around objects, use stencils and templates and then imitate what's been drawn in free hand.
Encourage a sense of freedom to create images, expressing ideas/feelings and encourage the child to feel an increasing level of control over the image being created.
Other
Mark Making
Provide opportunities for the child to experiment in using different mark making techniques - using a varied selection of materials, mediums and tools - to represent various people/objects in the natural/made world.
For example: Provide the child with different sized/grades of pencil. Direct the child to create different marks - i.e. hard/soft, fast/slow, big/small; turn the pencil on it's side, use the tip, use sharp/blunt edges etc. Perhaps set the child a challenge - e.g. 'mark making without a pencil'; encourage the child to innovate ways of mark making without a pencil and then create these marks using the selected mediums. Compare the marks made by a pencil with those of other drawing mediums.
Tone
Develop the child's understanding and experience of tone - i.e. begin to draw children's attention to the lightness/darkness cast over objects/faces etc. Show the child how to acheive tone - i.e. using light/dark shades of, say, a pencil. encourage the child to attempt to create tone in their art work.
COLOUR
Develop the child's understanding of colour - i.e. know that a combination of primary colours creates secondary colours.
Know that a combination of primary and secondary colours creates almost all other colours.
Know that Black is created by mixing Red, Blue and Yellow.
Know that White is 'no colour' in the sense that it can't be made by colour mixing, it is manufactured.
Provide practical, hands on opportunities for the child to explore these colour theories - i.e. create a colour wheel.
Develop the child's understanding of 'colour temperature' - i.e. know that warm colours are Reds, Yellows and Oranges - (these advance in image)
Know that cool colours are Blues, Greens and Purples (these recede in an image)
(develop this understanding by looking at a colour wheel and other source material)
Possible
Art links to curriculum topics:-
Story characters
Colour
Shape & space
Sound
Light
Keeping healthy
Forces
Magnetism
Plants
Rocks & soils
Tudors
Romans
Anglo Saxons
Vikings
Victorian Britain
Local history
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Greece
Land & buildings
Landscape features
Water