New
New
Year 8

Abstract art: painting using different stimuli

I can understand how artists interact with stimuli and create abstract paintings.

New
New
Year 8

Abstract art: painting using different stimuli

I can understand how artists interact with stimuli and create abstract paintings.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Abstract painting uses shapes, colours, and forms to convey emotions or ideas, without aiming to represent reality.
  2. Artists can be inspired by different stimuli when creating abstract art.
  3. In art, stimuli can be visual, auditory or tactile elements that evoke reactions.
  4. Expressive artworks use dynamic brushstrokes and bold colours to communicate feelings rather than depict reality.

Keywords

  • Abstract art - conveys ideas or emotions without directly representing objects or scenes

  • Stimulus/stimuli - a source of inspiration or reference that sparks ideas for artwork, such as a real-life object, scene, or image

  • Expressive - conveying thought and feeling

Common misconception

Abstract art is easy to create.

Abstract art does not try to show things as they look in real life. Instead, it focuses on expressing emotions, ideas, or movement which is not an easy task.


To help you plan your year 8 art and design lesson on: Abstract art: painting using different stimuli, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Task C could be taken into a textiles direction by painting onto fabrics and stitching mark-making into them.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Fine liners, watercolours, poster paint (or matt emulsion, or acrylic paint), brushes and images or objects to use as visual stimuli.

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.
What defines abstract art?
It copies real-life objects exactly.
Correct answer: It uses shapes, colours, and forms to express ideas.
It must include people or landscapes.
It follows strict artistic rules.
Q2.
Which of these is not a common feature of abstract art?
bright and bold colours
Correct answer: recognisable, realistic figures
geometric or organic shapes
emotional or expressive brushstrokes
Q3.
Match the terms with their correct descriptions.
Correct Answer:non-representational,Art that does not depict real-world objects.

Art that does not depict real-world objects.

Correct Answer:geometric abstraction,Art based on geometric shapes like circles, squares, and triangles.

Art based on geometric shapes like circles, squares, and triangles.

Correct Answer:organic shapes,Shapes that are irregular and found in nature.

Shapes that are irregular and found in nature.

Correct Answer:composition,the arrangement of elements within an artwork

the arrangement of elements within an artwork

Correct Answer:texture,how a surface feels or looks like it feels in a painting

how a surface feels or looks like it feels in a painting

Q4.
The depiction of light and dark in a drawing or painting is known as ...
Correct Answer: tone, Tone, shading
Q5.
Which of the following is a type of balance in art?
rndom
Correct answer: symmetrical
chaotic
colourful
Q6.
What is the term for a repeated decorative design in art?
rhythm
Correct answer: pattern
composition
texture

6 Questions

Q1.
Abstract art is defined as art that does not represent objects or scenes but instead focuses on elements like colour, shape, and form.
Correct Answer: Realistic, Traditional, Recognisable, Concrete
Q2.
What are the reasons that artists are encouraged to respond to a range of different stimuli?
Correct answer: to create unique and diverse artworks, rather than repeating the same theme
to create work that is the same texture and repeat the same theme
to create work that follows the same theme and is visually similar
Q3.
What type of stimulus is involved when an artist is inspired by the sound of ocean waves?
visual
Correct answer: auditory
tactile
none of the above
Q4.
Abstract art is easy to create because it lacks recognisable subjects.
True
Correct answer: False
Q5.
Match the word with the description.
Correct Answer:colour palette,a selection of colours chosen for a specific artwork or design

a selection of colours chosen for a specific artwork or design

Correct Answer:textures,different visual surfaces in the artwork

different visual surfaces in the artwork

Correct Answer:shapes,the arrangement of forms in the artwork

the arrangement of forms in the artwork

Correct Answer:emotional response,the feelings evoked by the artwork

the feelings evoked by the artwork

Q6.
Expressive artworks use dynamic brushstrokes and bold colours to communicate rather than depict reality.
Correct Answer: Feelings, Emotions, Thought and feeling

Additional material

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