New
New
Year 7

The presence of nature in art

I can create art that is inspired by nature using traditional materials and natural elements.

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New
New
Year 7

The presence of nature in art

I can create art that is inspired by nature using traditional materials and natural elements.

Link copied to clipboard

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Throughout history artists often turn to nature as inspiration.
  2. Artists draw to document ideas, observations, and processes. This can be experimental or from direct observation.
  3. Artists explore nature through representation, as well as literally creating work with and in nature.

Keywords

  • Observation - looking, noticing and paying attention to something carefully

  • Organic - shapes that do not have straight lines and are found in nature

  • Geometric - shapes that have uniform measurements and do not appear in nature

  • Record - a way to document ideas, observations, and creative processes for future reference or reflection

Common misconception

Artists inspired by nature can only look carefully at natural forms and record them.

Artists can make art in and with nature as well as recording from nature.


To help you plan your year 7 art and design lesson on: The presence of nature in art, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The additional materials contains further artist information and images of natural forms.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Paper, pencils, rubber, natural sticks, inks. If possbile: natural forms.

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 is observational drawing?
drawing from your imagination and not looking at something
Correct answer: drawing something you see in real life by looking at it carefully
drawing with your eyes closed but remembering something
dolouring a picture using a chosen colour palette
Q2.
What is the best way to start an observational drawing?
Correct answer: Draw the larger, basic shapes first.
Draw all the tiny details first.
Colour it in right away.
Work from the top to the bottom of the page.
Q3.
Match the terms with their correct descriptions.
Correct Answer:organic shapes,smooth, flowing, or unpredictable edges

smooth, flowing, or unpredictable edges

Correct Answer:geometric shapes,mathematical shapes like squares, triangles, and circles

mathematical shapes like squares, triangles, and circles

Correct Answer:irregular shapes,uneven or asymmetrical shapes

uneven or asymmetrical shapes

Q4.
What does "recording" mean in art?
creating a detailed final artwork right away
Correct answer: making a visual record of something the artist sees, like a sketch or a photo
repeating the same artwork over and over
writing about artwork in a journal
Q5.
Match these key words with their descriptions.
Correct Answer:observation,looking, noticing and paying attention to something carefully

looking, noticing and paying attention to something carefully

Correct Answer:photographic,relating to or resembling photographs

relating to or resembling photographs

Correct Answer:evaluation,the process of thinking about the success and weakness of an artwork

the process of thinking about the success and weakness of an artwork

Correct Answer:record,to document ideas, observations, and creative processes

to document ideas, observations, and creative processes

Q6.
Match the term with the best description.
Correct Answer:drawing from nature,observing the world around us including trees, animals and flowers

observing the world around us including trees, animals and flowers

Correct Answer:observation,drawing by looking carefully at something in front of you

drawing by looking carefully at something in front of you

Correct Answer:real life,looking at something real in the world around you to create art.

looking at something real in the world around you to create art.

Correct Answer:imagination,using your own creativity to develop new ideas

using your own creativity to develop new ideas

6 Questions

Q1.
When drawing from observation why is it best to start with the basic shapes you notice?
to make the drawing more complicated
Correct answer: to help break down the complex form into easier parts
to avoid showing any details
to make the drawing look less realistic
Q2.
Put the following steps in order for creating an observational drawing of a natural form. Arrange them from the first step to the last step.
1 - Develop geometric shapes to outline the basic structure.
2 - Include organic shapes to capture the natural curves and irregular shapes.
3 - Gradually develop tonal shading to show light and dark areas.
4 - Use mark-making to show detail and texture and explore surface.
Q3.
What does using a stick with ink instead of a regular pen, pencil or brush do to your drawing?
makes the drawing look smoother and more controlled
Correct answer: adds a sense of spontaneity and unexpected mark-making effects
limits the drawing to only fine details
makes the drawing look more like a photograph
Q4.
Match the term with the correct description about close observation in art.
Correct Answer:examining details carefully,observing carefully to notice and understand individual elements

observing carefully to notice and understand individual elements

Correct Answer:looking at the whole form,seeing the general shape and size of the subject

seeing the general shape and size of the subject

Correct Answer:understanding texture,noticing smooth or rough surfaces

noticing smooth or rough surfaces

Correct Answer:observing light and shadow,looking at how light and shade fall on the subject

looking at how light and shade fall on the subject

Correct Answer:analysing proportions,checking the size and relationship between different parts

checking the size and relationship between different parts

Q5.
How do artists use nature in their artwork?
copying nature exactly as it appears only
Correct answer: using elements of nature like shapes, colours, and textures to inspire
by drawing man-made elements
Correct answer: by using natural forms as tools or materials for creating artwork
Q6.
In addition to drawing from nature, how else can artists use nature in their work?
Correct answer: They can use nature as a tool to draw, build, create texture or marks.
They can only draw nature directly.
Correct answer: They can use natural materials, textures, and forms to create their art.
They never use natural tools or materials in their artwork.

Additional material

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