New
New
Charcoal worlds: draw, smudge, imagine
I can use charcoal to create an imagined place.
Lesson 1 of 4
New
New
- Year 3
Charcoal worlds: draw, smudge, imagine
I can use charcoal to create an imagined place.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Charcoal can be used in many different ways: smudging, shading, erasing and layering
- Artists use marks, shapes and atmosphere to build places and tell stories
- Animation or atmosphere can transform a still drawing
Keywords
Charcoal - a black, crumbly art material made from burned wood
Smudge - a blurry mark made when something like charcoal is rubbed or smeared
Atmosphere - the mood or feeling created in an artwork
Common misconception
Charcoal is just for colouring or outlines.
Remind children that charcoal is a powerful tool for mood and space – it can create atmosphere.
For Task C, children may require photocopies of thier work so their original drawings are not rubbed out.
Teacher tip
Equipment
charcoal, rubbers, A4 paper, digital devices to take photographs, photocopies of artwork made in Task B, pencils
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a sculpture?
What is a sculpture?
a type of song
a flat painting
a piece of writing
Q2.What is sketching?
What is sketching?
painting with water
building with blocks
cutting paper
Q3.What is mark-making in drawing?
What is mark-making in drawing?
writing words neatly to create a story
cutting shapes out of paper to make art
mixing paint colours to create art
Q4.Match the sculpture tool to its use.
Match the sculpture tool to its use.
Q5.Put these drawing steps in the right order.
Put these drawing steps in the right order.
Q6.What material can you roll, shape, and build with?
What material can you roll, shape, and build with?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What material did we use in this lesson to draw?
What material did we use in this lesson to draw?
paint
pencil
chalk
Q2.What word means the feeling or mood in a picture?
What word means the feeling or mood in a picture?
colour
line
shape
Q3.What can you use to smudge charcoal?
What can you use to smudge charcoal?
a ruler
a wet sponge
a paintbrush
Q4.Match the charcoal skill to what it helps with.
Match the charcoal skill to what it helps with.
Q5.Put these ideas in order to show how atmosphere is created.
Put these ideas in order to show how atmosphere is created.
Q6.What word means to rub and blur your drawing?
What word means to rub and blur your drawing?
