Abstract art: painting using different stimuli
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand how artists interact with stimuli and create abstract paintings.
Key learning points
- Abstract painting uses shapes, colours, and forms to convey emotions or ideas, without aiming to represent reality.
- Artists can be inspired by different stimuli when creating abstract art.
- In art, stimuli can be visual, auditory or tactile elements that evoke reactions.
- 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.
Teacher tip
Task C could be taken into a textiles direction by painting onto fabrics and stitching mark-making into them.
Equipment
Fine liners, watercolours, poster paint (or matt emulsion, or acrylic paint), brushes and images or objects to use as visual stimuli.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What defines abstract art?
Q2.Which of these is not a common feature of abstract art?
Q3.Match the terms with their correct descriptions.
Art that does not depict real-world objects.
Art based on geometric shapes like circles, squares, and triangles.
Shapes that are irregular and found in nature.
the arrangement of elements within an artwork
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 ...
Q5.Which of the following is a type of balance in art?
Q6.What is the term for a repeated decorative design in art?
Assessment exit quiz
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.
Q2.What are the reasons that artists are encouraged to respond to a range of different stimuli?
Q3.What type of stimulus is involved when an artist is inspired by the sound of ocean waves?
Q4.Abstract art is easy to create because it lacks recognisable subjects.
Q5.Match the word with the description.
a selection of colours chosen for a specific artwork or design
different visual surfaces in the artwork
the arrangement of forms in the artwork
the feelings evoked by the artwork
Q6.Expressive artworks use dynamic brushstrokes and bold colours to communicate rather than depict reality.
To help you plan your 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...
To help you plan your 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.
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 3 art and design lessons from the Abstract painting: sustainable materials unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.