Paint a rainforest
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can sketch a rainforest composition and apply a range of painting techniques.
Key learning points
- Arranging features of a rainforest in the foreground, middle ground, and background creates a balanced composition
- Different painting techniques such as stippling, sponging and blending can create texture
- Practicing with different brush sizes (small, medium, large) creates varied effects
Keywords
Composition - how the images or elements are arranged within an artwork
Texture - how something feels or how something looks like it would feel
Sketch/sketching - making quick and simple drawings to show ideas or the things we see
Common misconception
Pupils might use the same brush size for the entire painting.
Demonstrate how larger brushes are best for covering big areas like the background, while smaller brushes are ideal for details like leaves, veins, or animal features. Provide examples of how different brush sizes create varied textures and effects.
Teacher tip
Provide visual references of rainforests, focusing on textures and details like overlapping leaves, vines, and animals. Remind pupils to clean their brushes between colours and experiment with techniques like sponging for foliage or using the edge of a brush for fine lines like veins on leaves.
Equipment
Paint, palettes, sponges and different sized brushes
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following are primary colours?
Q2.A colour palette is the group of __________ you choose for your artwork.
Q3.Match the keywords to their definitions:
The way a surface looks or feels, like rough, smooth, or bumpy.
A colour's lightness or darkness.
Q4.True or false: adding white to a colour is known as tinting.
Q5.True or false: adding blue or black to a colour is known as shading.
Q6.Jacob mixes equal parts red, yellow and blue. What colour does he make?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Composition refers to the __________ of the different elements in an artwork such as the shapes, objects or colours.
Q2.A composition consists of:
Q3.Which painting technique has been used here?
Q4.Which painting technique has been used here?
To help you plan your 3 art and design lesson on: Paint a rainforest, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 art and design lesson on: Paint a rainforest, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 art and design lessons from the The Rainforest: drawing and painting unit, dive into the full primary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.