I love this painting project because it introduces basic colour theory and you can add a range of different challenges each lesson. By the end of the project students are able to identify and mix paints to correctly have secondary and tertiary colours, and use their knowledge to create unique and vibrant final painted outcomes.
This art project is for Key Stage 3, but in school we teach it in line the the GCSE Art Assessment Objectives: students research an artist (Carolee Clark), they experiment painting with colour and drawing, they research their own ideas (using their own photographs), they design and then make their final piece.
Students start the project by researching artwork by Carolee Clark:




Students should identify the use of colours and patterns, noticing how the cooler colours are used for shadows and warmer colours are highlights. We have students create their own research pages about the artist but they could work in teams/tables to complete analysis sheets or homework etc.
Students then complete a series of tasks to practice mixing tints, shades, secondary and tertiary colours:


This is followed by going through some basic colour schemes such as warm and cool, harmonious and contrasting colours.

Students are given a homework to bring in a photograph of their own that they would like to work with; this is really good for engagement as most students choose a picture of their pet or an animal they love!
You can differentiate this by giving students pictures to work from if their own aren’t great or clear enough to use.
Using their homework, students trace the outline of their animal (I had students up against the windows in the classroom) then start to add the main features (ears, eyes, nose, mouth etc.)
You can set a challenge for more able students to draw out their animal without tracing, but since this wasn’t a drawing project I wanted to get students into painting as soon as possible.
I then introduced the concept of contour lines, demonstrating and explaining to students that they should add lines and shapes to fill any big white spaces on their animal.

Once all the animals are drawn / traced out and students have added contour lines and shapes to fill their drawing, they can start to paint. I had to photocopy all of their drawings onto thicker paper which is a bit time-consuming but worth it to maintain the quality of their work.
To begin painting, students work from their animal photographs and identify the shadows, highlights and midtones. In each section they try to use:
Cool colours = shadows
Warm colours = highlights
Neutral (greens and tertiary greens) = midtones



We used A4 size for the artworks, so the challenge in the practical lessons was to paint accurately. Each lesson I would demonstrate how to paint into the small shapes as accurately as possible, using smaller brushes really helps; in school we use these man-made fine round brushes which are not bad, however I found that the aluminium ferrules come loose quite easily.
If you’ve got the budget (!) something like Windsor and Newton round sable brushes are much better quality.
Students worked on their paintings each lesson, learning and practicing how to mix secondary and tertiary colours. To add more challenge to the painting, we had a rule that students shouldn’t paint the same colour next to each other.


Some of the students struggled with the different challenges: either painting accurately, not having the same colour next to each other or drawing in their contour lines. Some ended up filling their animals with different shapes (rather than following the flow of the outlines):


Any mistakes were used to set targets through self-assessment, peer-assessments etc. so students could work to make improvements each lesson. The last few steps of the project were to add patterns, then outline the main features of their animals.
Again, this step could be differentiated to increase the challenge by asking students to only work with contrasting colours when adding patterns.

I had a lot of students asking if they could take their work home to complete, so I think that’s a good sign that they enjoyed the project! They worked really hard on them and have created some outstanding work!
I have this scheme of work available to share, so if you would like it please leave a comment or drop me an email and I can give you access to the PowerPoint.
What do you think of the work? Let me know!





Found on theartteacher.net šØ
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Love this project idea ā a great way to get them engaged and feel like they are choosing what they are doing! Please could you email me the powerpoint?
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Hi, thanks for your feedback! I will share the PowerPoint with you now š
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Hi please could I have the PowerPoint for this lesson. Looks brilliant and adaptable for my year nines and GCSE!
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No problem, I’ll share it with you now š
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Hi this is a fantastic lesson plan. Thinking how I could adapt this to use pastels. Please could you email me the planning.
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Thanks for your comment! I have shared the scheme of work with your email address. I’m not sure how well this would work with pastels since it relies on students mixing their colours correctly, but please let me know how you get on!
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Hey! I love this scheme, could you send me it via email please? Thankyou š
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Hi, thank you for your comment! I have shared it with you just now – I hope you enjoy teaching it. Let me know how you get on or feel free to share outcomes š
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This is a great lesson plan and I would love to have your scheme of work if you would share it with me. I am new to art teaching so would appreciate the help. From this topic could I move on to mention Fauvism?
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Hi, I have shared it with you. I hope you enjoy teaching it! It’s good fun.
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Loved this project could I please have the scheme to use if thatās no trouble fbailey303@townsend.herts.sch.uk thanks so much
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Hi, I have shared the project with you. Hope you enjoy teaching it! Feel free to share students’ work when they’re finished.
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Hi, love this work. I am going to do this with my SN class as think there is ways of doing at many levels. If you could share the Powrpoint that would be great? Thank you
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Hi, I will share the resource with you now, let me know how you get on!
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Its very creative engaging!It also includes different levels of ability. I would like to adopt the project to my students. Thanks
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Hi, I have shared the PP with your email š Please can you share this website on your networks? Thanks!
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Great project and going to start this with Year 7. Please could you send us the PowerPoint
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Thanks for your comment – I have shared the project with your email š
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Wonderful lesson idea. Thank you. I would love the powerpoint please
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Hi, thanks! I have shared the PP with your email. Please can you return the favour and share this website on your networks? Thanks
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Hi, this is a lovely way to introduce colour theory, with an interesting and engaging outcome for the pupils. Please could you send me the plan. Thanks.
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Hi, thank you for your message. I have shared the PowerPoint file with you.
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hi, A great way to teach colour theory . Iām going to give it a go. Please could i receive the resources available
thanks
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Hi, thanks for your comment! I have just shared the PP with you, please check your email š
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Very interesting, I like the use of warm/cold colours for high/low lights. I would love the PP.
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Thank you! I have just shared it. I hope you find it useful!
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Hello, this is a fantastic lesson plan. A great way to teach color theory. Iām going to give it a go. Please could I receive the resources available
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Thank you for your comment! I will share it with you now š
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Wow! Love this idea š My students will really enjoy doing this. Could you please send me the PowerPoint. Thank you so much!
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Thanks for your comment! I have just shared the PP with you š enjoy!
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Hi can you send me the power point for ks3 colour theory please
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Thanks for your comment, I have shared it with you! Enjoy.
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Hi this is AMAZING!! It looks so fresh and different for Year 7! Would you be able to share the Lesson Powerpoint with me also please?
Thank you
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Hi Aaron, I have just shared it with you š thanks!
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This is a lovely unit of work. Could you share the ppt with me please? Thank you.
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Thanks for your comment – I just shared it š
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I love this idea and would love to share it with my Art teacher. Could you please send the powerepoint?
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Hi – thanks for your comment, I have just shared it with you š
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Hi, this is great! Please could you send me the power point?
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Hi, thanks for your message! I have just shared it with you š
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I would love to teach this with my students. please can I have a copy of the power point please.
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Thanks for your comment! I have just shared it with you š
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Hello, I think the students will really enjoy this – please can you send me the scheme of work
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Hi, I have just shared it with you! š
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This looks brilliant – thanks so much for sharing and inspiring. Would I also be able to have a copy of you fab PowerPoint? Thank you so much.
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Thanks for your comment, I have shared it with you š
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Hi! I love this! Please could you be so kind as to send me the scheme of work? Thank you! š
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Hi! I have just shared it with you š
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Hi I love this assignment. Would love to try it with my students when my school reopens. Can you please share the ppt with me?
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Hi, I have just shared it with you – thanks for your comment š
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Hi, this is a great project idea, I work in SEN and this would be so suitable for my older students. If you could share the powerpoint that would be great, thanks.
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Really impressed with this, would definitely love to try this. Would be very grateful for ppt. Thanks
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Thanks for your comment, I have shared it with you š
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really like this scheme of work
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Thank you!
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Hello! I would really appreciate the PPT that accompanies this SoW. I think it would be great to do with Year 7 in Term 1 as it works as a foundation for their knowledge.
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Thanks for your comment! I have just shared it with you š
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This looks absolutely fantastic…just what I’m looking for to help set up my curriculum. Would you be able to send my the PPT/resources to deliver this? Thank you x
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This looks great. Can you share the al of the resources you used to deliver this series of lessons. Thank you in advance. Exactly what I am looking for my class to engage with.
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Thanks for your comment, I’ll share it with you now š
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Love this work, thanks for sharing. I could use this for my ks3 AP children and keep them focused.
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These look fantastic. As previous can you share all the resources used to deliver this series of lessons please.
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I love this work, so thank you for sharing it, with such good results. I would love to have a copy of the full powerpoint to enable me to work with and see the results I get. Thank you once again.
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Hi, thanks for your comments! I have just shared the scheme of work with you š
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Hi This looks like a great idea for with my class, could I see the powerpoint please? Great artwork!
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Thanks for your comment! I have just shared it with you š
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what a fantastic idea could you email the ppt and SOW thanks Greg
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I am sharing it with you now – thanks for your comment!
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hello this would be great for my y9 SEN group please could you share the planning and resources with me š
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Thanks for your comment, I’ll share it with you now š
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Hi, this art plan looks great! Could I have the PPT that accompanies it? Thank you! Kevin
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Thanks for your comment, I will share it with you now! š
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This looks great! My class would would enjoy this very much. Could you please send the accompanying resources for this topic? Thank you
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Hi, I’ll share it with you now, thanks for your comment š
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Hi, this looks like a great lesson š would it be possible to send me the PowerPoint please? Thank you!
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I will share it with you now š
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This is a brilliant resource for home school learning. Please may I have a copy?
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Hi this is a fantastic project and one I can adapt to use colouring pencils. Owing to COVID and KS3 being in form bases, we can’t paint but this project will give them a lot of access and knowledge on colour theory even without painting. So, if you could share the PP, that’d be awesome – thank you.
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Thanks for your comment, I’m sure it will work out well using coloured pencils. It’d be great to see any outcomes š I just shared it with you.
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Hi there, thank you so much for your generosity in sharing this. I’d love the ppt please! Thanks.
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Hi, no problem and thanks for your comment. I have just shared it with you š
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Hi, I love this scheme of work. I am just starting out as an Art teacher and would love to have a copy of the powerpoint! I want to try it with my year 7’s.
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I have just shared the PP with you – best of luck and enjoy teaching! š
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Would very much appreciate the slides, thankyou.
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I have just shared it with you – thanks for your comment!
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This is a lovely project. I would really appreciate a copy of your PPT if possible? . Many thanks in advance
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Thanks for your comment, I have just shared it with you!
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I love this. What a versatile project. Can you email me the power point and plan please. Many Thanks.
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HELLO, not sure if you are still following this but I would love to receive the powerpoint sow for this, you’ve done a great job.
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Hi, sorry it has taken this long to get back to you, I’ve had a really busy week! I have just shared it with you š thanks for your message.
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This is such a fun project to do with my year 7. Since I’m a new art teacher, may I know if it’s possible to share your scheme of work and the resources with me. That would be really helpful to a new art teacher if you don’t mind!! Thank you very much!!
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This is a great project with my year 7 students. Would you mind sharing your scheme of work and the teaching materials with me if possible? This would be really helpful since I’m planning the art projects for the next term. Thank you very much and merry Christmas even this is a very hard year, we hope for all the best in 2021. Stay safe and healthy.
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Thanks for your comment, I have just shared it with you! Have a lovely Christmas š
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Fantastic project! I would love the resources please.
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No problem, I have just shared the PP with you – thanks for your comment š
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