Year 8 Art Curriculum Plan

The Department

AIMS
Through the teaching of Art at King Edward VII and Queen Mary School we aim to stimulate interest in and awareness of the expressive and creative potential of art, craft and design: to enable pupils to become visually literate: to use and understand art as a form of tactile communication and to have confidence and competence in evaluating visual images and artefacts.

OBJECTIVES
Pupils will be given opportunities to:

  • Record responses, including observations of the natural and made environment.
  • Gather resources and materials, using them to stimulate and develop ideas.
  • Explore and use two and three dimensional media, working on a variety of scales.
  • Review and modify their work as it progresses.
  • Develop understanding of the work of artists, crafts people and designers, applying knowledge to their own work.
  • Respond to and evaluate art, craft and design, including their own and others' work.
  • Contribute to the school ethos through shared events such as drama productions, displays of work and links with other schools and countriesKey

Stage 3 Programme of Study

Investigating and Making
Pupils will be taught to:

  • Develop ideas from direct experience and imagination, and record and analyse from first-hand observation.
  • Select and record observations and ideas, and research and organise a range of visual evidence and information.
  • Experiment and select from visual and other source material to stimulate and develop ideas for independent work.
  • Select from and experiment with materials, images and ideas, and extend their knowledge and experience of a range of materials, tools and techniques.
  • Select and interpret visual elements and realise their intentions in a range of media.
  • Modify and refine their work and plan and make further developments in the light of their own and others' evaluations.

Knowledge and Understanding
Pupils will be taught to:

  • Recognise the diverse methods and approaches used by artists, crafts people and designers.
  • Identify how visual elements are used to convey ideas, feelings and meanings in images and artefacts.
  • Relate art, craft and design to its social historical and cultural context.
  • Express ideas and opinions and justify preferences, using knowledge and art, craft and design vocabulary.

Work in Year 8

Observational drawing remains the core of project work in Year 8. This will include relevant artist research and will recap colour mixing, tone, light source and shadow. New techniques will embrace portraiture, scaling up, facial features, proportions, profiles and composition. An element of independent research will be embodied. Year 8 will also be introduced to repeat patterns which again will include a stronger emphasis on development, from observational drawing including view finder techniques, through to abstraction and applied design and will include an introduction to printing techniques. In addition the skills and techniques already learned will be utilised in a still life project.

The following must be incorporated into schemes of work:-

  • Observational drawing is crucial with research at the start of projects.
    Colour mixing recap, building on Year 7, covering mixing, tone, light source and shadow. Introduction of colour layering.
    Introduction to portraiture, including facial features, proportions, profiles and composition.
    Scaling up / down.
    Tracing techniques.
    Development of multiple images in order to enable selection of the most appropriate image, for the required task.
    Development of 2D to 3D using ceramics, to include press-moulding, decoration and applied pattern.
    Repeat patterns - plain, mirror, half drop brick and registration.
    Introduction to multi-coloured block printing. Emphasising importance of registration.
    Introduction to the properties of acrylic paint, appropriate tools and techniques.
    A general introduction to the concept of positive and negative space.
    Reinforcement and expansion of correct artistic vocabulary.