New
New
Year 4

Tonal studies of microorganisms

I can create a tonal, mixed media study of a microorganism.

New
New
Year 4

Tonal studies of microorganisms

I can create a tonal, mixed media study of a microorganism.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Collages are made by layering materials on a surface.
  2. Artists can create tones in many ways, including collage.
  3. An artwork that incorporates multiple materials is referred to as a mixed media artwork.

Keywords

  • Tone - how light or dark something is

  • Collage - to arrange and layer materials onto a surface

  • Mixed media - an artwork that is made using a range of different materials

Common misconception

Artists can only use one material to create tone in an artwork.

Remind children that artists can use a range of materials within one artwork to show tone. This is called a mixed-media artwork.


To help you plan your year 4 art and design lesson on: Tonal studies of microorganisms, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

For task B, encourage children to make choices over thier media by providing a range of resorces.
Teacher tip

Equipment

charcoal, chalk, ink, collage papers, water pots, paintbrushes, drawing pens

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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6 Questions

Q1.
How can artists use paint to create layers in their artwork?
by mixing all the colours together
by using only one layer of paint
Correct answer: by adding more paint on top of dry paint
by painting with their fingers
Q2.
Why might an artist use a paintbrush to make splatters in their artwork?
to create smooth lines
Correct answer: to show patterns or textures
to fill the whole page with paint
to draw straight shapes
Q3.
Artists must always make an exact copy when responding to a stimulus, using all the same colours and patterns.
True
Correct answer: False
Q4.
When creating artwork, you should ignore patterns, lines, and tones.
True
Correct answer: False
Q5.
Light and dark tones are used by artists to create shadows and depth in their artwork.
Correct answer: True
False
Q6.
Match the key word to the definition.
Correct Answer:microorganism,a tiny living thing you can only see with a microscope

a tiny living thing you can only see with a microscope

Correct Answer:observe,to look at something carefully and notice details about it

to look at something carefully and notice details about it

Correct Answer:respond,o react to a stimulus

o react to a stimulus

6 Questions

Q1.
Tone refers to how light or dark something is in an artwork.
Correct answer: True
False
Q2.
A collage is when artists arrange and layer materials onto a surface to create a new artwork.
Correct answer: True
False
Q3.
What does mixed media mean in art?
using only one material like paint
Correct answer: using a range of different materials, such as paint, paper, and fabric
using only natural materials like leaves and stones
drawing with only pencils
Q4.
Tone can be described as dark, and light.
bright
Correct answer: mid
quiet
loud
Q5.
Which of the following can artists use to create tone?
only markers and crayons
only digital tools
only coloured pencils
Correct answer: charcoal, chalk, pencil, and watercolour paint
Q6.
Match the key word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:mixed media,an artwork that is made using a range of different materials

an artwork that is made using a range of different materials

Correct Answer:observe,to look at something carefully and notice details about it

to look at something carefully and notice details about it

Correct Answer:respond,to react to a stimulus

to react to a stimulus

Correct Answer:collage,to arrange and layer materials onto a surface

to arrange and layer materials onto a surface